Obama’s bombshell: More industry rules

The Obama administration said it is seeking to “modernize” the long-term care profession through hundreds of pages of regulatory revisions it unveiled at the White House Conference on Aging in July.

The 403-page revision proposal would help reduce hospital readmissions, upgrade technical and staffing language, cut the rate of infections and increase the overall quality and safety of nursing homes, officials said.

The last time nursing home regulations underwent an update of this scale was in 1991, said President Obama in opening remarks at the conference.

“Today’s measures set high standards for quality and safety in nursing homes and long-term care facilities,” said Health and Human Services Secretary Sylvia M. Burwell in announcing the proposal.