Nursing home staffing levels have not been definitively linked to better care, according to an analysis published in JAMDA.

Investigators based in New York City and the Netherlands examined 20 longitudinal studies on nursing home staffing and quality of care. 

“No consistent relationship was found,” the team wrote.

Higher staffing levels are associated with both better and worse showings on quality indicators, such as incidence of pressure ulcers, the analysts found. 

However, a major takeaway is the need for better studies on this topic, the researchers wrote.

Advocacy group The National Consumer Voice for Long-Term Care challenged the findings, citing Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and Institute of Medicine studies that concluded, “Staffing is inextricably linked to quality.”