A plan authored by state Rep. Bronna Kahle (R-Adrian) to improve the quality of care for people living in nursing homes is now law.

The reform, House Bill 5609, improves the state’s regulatory process to ensure Michigan nursing home care providers are evaluated and regulated in a fair, accurate, and timely manner, and with the same equality as those in other states.

Kahle, who chairs the House Health Policy Committee, said the current regulatory environment is impeding health providers from continuing to provide quality care and support their communities.

“Evaluating our nursing homes in a fair and timely manner means better care for Michigan’s most vulnerable people,” said Kahle, former director of the Adrian Senior Center. “The on-the-ground staff at skilled nursing facilities have been through the toughest time these healthcare providers have ever known. This reform ensures quality of care is top-notch, while also recognizing what the hard-working staff goes through every single day.”

Michigan is an outlier in the frequency, scope and severity of citations, despite the state’s level of quality in its nursing homes being at or above the care provided in other states.

Nursing facilities became more agile and innovative after the trials and tribulations of the pandemic, but rather than recognizing the struggles and successes of individual providers, or offering support and guidance through the pandemic, the state’s unfair regulation practices have added more hurdles. Kahle said her plan will help remove those hurdles.

“I’m grateful for the bipartisan, collaborative support to get this done so our state’s nursing homes can provide the absolute best care and support to seniors and other nursing home patients across our state,” Kahle said.

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