In The News:
The Philadelphia Inquirer
As the coronavirus exacts a grim toll among nursing home residents and employees in experts warn that any slowdown in the pandemic’s spread will not lessen the likelihood of a second wave of infections. Nursing homes and public health agencies were ill-prepared for a pathogen that has claimed 26,000 lives in these facilities nationwide. So the June 2 release of an analysis of New Jersey’s response to the outbreak in the state’s 370 nursing homes — with recommendations on preparing for a resurgence — is welcome. As are assurances by health officials in Harrisburg that preparations are underway as well in Pennsylvania.
About 1.4 million Americans live in nursing homes, including about 75,000 in Pennsylvanian and 45,000 in New Jersey. These are people generally vulnerable to the virus because of age, chronic pulmonary and other ailments, and the close quarters in which they live. Patients also have numerous daily contacts with health care workers who may inadvertently carry the virus into the facility, or back to their own families and communities.
So while nursing home residents are less than five percent of the country’s population, they comprise at least a third of the 110,000 COVID-19 fatalities nationwide. And more than half of coronavirus deaths in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Philadelphia have been among nursing home residents. This shouldn’t have happened, and should not be allowed to happen again.
The 100-page analysis by Manatt Health cost New Jersey taxpayers $500,000 and recommends setting up a statewide emergency operations center for nursing homes, higher pay and additional training for employees, better oversight, and more “transparency and accountability.” The analysis also noted that close to a third of the state’s nursing homes had “infection prevention and control deficiencies’ in 2017. And nearly a quarter of all New Jersey nursing homes had such deficiencies “in multiply consecutive years.”
The pandemic has drawn wide attention to inspections, also known as surveys, of America’s 15,000 nursing homes. A U.S. Government Accountability Office report released in May found that “persistent lapses” in infection control procedures as simple as hand washing have been widespread. Nursing home owners, including for-profit companies that have three-quarters of all such facilities in the United States, that have not been paying attention to the basics need to do so.
A spokesman for the Pennsylvania Department of Health said last week that as of May 15, the state was in the process of completing 657 onsite and virtual surveys of nursing homes, some involving multiple assessments. New Jersey health department officials said 115 nursing homes and 27 related facilities have been inspected as of June 3, and that “infection control focused surveys” mandated by the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (cms.gov).will be conducted at all nursing homes in the state by July 31.
All well and good. But the fact remains that other measures, such as universal testing of nursing home residents, still remain a goal, not a reality. The New Jersey report and the inspections under way in Pennsylvania are the barest beginning of what states, and nursing home owners, must put do to be ready for when the next wave hits.
Your Experience Matters
...and we want to hear it.
NHAA is here to assist families, residents, and the community by sounding the alarm on issues like those found above. This nursing home and many others across the country are cited for abuse and neglect.
If you have or had a loved one living in this nursing home or any other nursing home where you suspect any form of abuse or neglect, contact us immediately.
We have helped many already and we can help you and your loved one as well by filing a state complaint, hiring a specialized nursing home attorney or helping you find a more suitable location for your loved one.
You can make a difference, even if your loved one has already passed away.
Please give us a call at 1-800-645-5262 or fill out our form detailing your experience.
Personal Note from NHA-Advocates
NHAA shares with all the families of loved ones who are confined to nursing homes the pain and anguish of putting them in the care of someone else. We expect our loved ones to be treated with dignity and honor in the homes we place them. We cannot emphasize enough to family members of nursing home residents; frequent visits are essential to our loved ones’ well-being and safety.
If you are struggling and upset, click here to understand your options, or contact us through our contact form or call our toll free hot line number: 1-800-645-5262.
