“The Florida members of 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East applaud and appreciate the Biden-Harris Administration’s new national requirements to protect senior patients and their caregivers in nursing homes across the nation.

The new staffing and funding standards announced today are significant and positive steps to prioritize and improve the well-being of our most elderly, vulnerable patients and their caregivers. We’re very pleased that this administration requested the input of our members, the frontline staff who shared their stories, experiences and expertise to push for these necessary enhancements.

The new requirements will be especially meaningful here in Florida with its large elderly population, and a powerful nursing home industry that takes in billions of our tax dollars.  The new standards will ensure higher staffing levels and funding for caregivers to deliver desperately needed direct care.  Nursing home workers are some of the lowest-paid positions in healthcare or any industry. The new rules will help stop the profit-focused industry, lobbyists and Florida political insiders who have been weakening patient protections for decades.

Members of 1199SEIU will continue to fight for even better conditions and the fastest implementation possible of the new national standards announced today.  Our workers are dedicated to provide the very best care to parents, grandparents and other elderly loved ones in nursing homes across the state.

We look forward to working further with honest, sensitive leaders like President Biden and Vice President Harris who have proven to put the needs of people and families first.  We will work to elect candidates in Florida who will do the same.”

Margarette Nerette is Florida Vice President of Long-term Care for 1199SEIU United Healthcare Workers East, the largest union of healthcare workers in the state.