We Need Better Nursing Home Staffing Levels – You Can Help The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care recently launched a campaign to advocate for better nursing home staffing levels. Their contention, which I agree, is that higher staffing levels result in higher quality of care and can be seen in resident health outcomes to include: lower mortality rates; improved physical functioning; less antibiotic use; fewer pressure ulcers, catheterized residents and urinary tract infections; lower hospitalization rates; and less weight loss and dehydration. Increasing staff levels increases staff interaction with residents, reducing the need for psychotropic drugs that not only are expensive but also increase falls leading to more hospitalizations. In addition, low staffing levels have been linked to high staff turnover rates. Read about their campaign in this about.com article.