Raise Michigan's Nursing Home Staffing Minimum to Protect Residents
Raise Michigan's Nursing Home Staffing Minimum to Protect Residents
The Issue
On the night of October 18, 2024, every one of the 30 residents on a single hall at Optalis Health and Rehabilitation of Grand Rapids went without their prescribed medications. No seizure drugs. No insulin. No blood thinners. When state inspectors came calling, the facility had a simple answer: they were "at state minimums."
That minimum — just 2.25 hours of nursing care per resident per day — hasn't changed since 1978. Nearly 50 years later, Michigan is still holding its nursing homes to a significantly outdated standard.
The harm is real and well-documented. At a Southfield nursing home, two residents called 911 because no nurse was available to give them pain medication. At another Optalis facility, a nurse told inspectors it was routine for residents who needed daily wound dressings to go several days without them — "due to the facility not having enough nurses working." These aren't isolated failures. They are what happens when the staffing floor is set too low.
At least 24 other states require more nursing care hours than Michigan. A federal study found that residents need 4.1 hours of care per day before quality is no longer compromised. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services set a national standard of 3.48 hours in 2024. Michigan's rule doesn't come close to either.
"Because virtually every aspect of quality of life and quality of care depends on adequate staffing," said Alison Hirschel, director of the Michigan Elder Justice Initiative, "it's really, really important that we look at our staffing requirements and make sure that we're getting enough."
One in five Michigan nursing homes provided less than 3.5 hours of care per resident per day last year. At least nine provided fewer than three hours.
We are calling on the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and the Michigan Legislature to raise the state's minimum nursing care standard to at least 3.5 hours per resident per day — bringing Michigan in line with what dozens of other states already require.
Our parents and grandparents deserve dignified, safe care. Michigan's rules should reflect that.
86
The Issue
On the night of October 18, 2024, every one of the 30 residents on a single hall at Optalis Health and Rehabilitation of Grand Rapids went without their prescribed medications. No seizure drugs. No insulin. No blood thinners. When state inspectors came calling, the facility had a simple answer: they were "at state minimums."
That minimum — just 2.25 hours of nursing care per resident per day — hasn't changed since 1978. Nearly 50 years later, Michigan is still holding its nursing homes to a significantly outdated standard.
The harm is real and well-documented. At a Southfield nursing home, two residents called 911 because no nurse was available to give them pain medication. At another Optalis facility, a nurse told inspectors it was routine for residents who needed daily wound dressings to go several days without them — "due to the facility not having enough nurses working." These aren't isolated failures. They are what happens when the staffing floor is set too low.
At least 24 other states require more nursing care hours than Michigan. A federal study found that residents need 4.1 hours of care per day before quality is no longer compromised. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services set a national standard of 3.48 hours in 2024. Michigan's rule doesn't come close to either.
"Because virtually every aspect of quality of life and quality of care depends on adequate staffing," said Alison Hirschel, director of the Michigan Elder Justice Initiative, "it's really, really important that we look at our staffing requirements and make sure that we're getting enough."
One in five Michigan nursing homes provided less than 3.5 hours of care per resident per day last year. At least nine provided fewer than three hours.
We are calling on the Michigan Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs (LARA), the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), and the Michigan Legislature to raise the state's minimum nursing care standard to at least 3.5 hours per resident per day — bringing Michigan in line with what dozens of other states already require.
Our parents and grandparents deserve dignified, safe care. Michigan's rules should reflect that.
86
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Petition created on May 6, 2026