Our finding that care homes operate on minimal staffing levels is not surprising as the Health and Social Care Act 2008 (Regulated Activities) Regulations 2010 is open to interpretation stating that care services must employ “sufficient numbers of suitably qualified, skilled and experienced persons.” This should be replaced with definitive recommendations on the optimal ratio of HCPs to residents in care homes to ensure good care. In addition, good practice could be incentivised by rewarding care homes who adhere to such recommendations as part of standard practice.