COVID-19 Shows Gaps in Controls at Nursing Homes

Jeffrey Farber, MD, president and CEO, New Jewish Home.

Dan Stockdale, certified nursing home administrator and consultant.

Janine Finck-Boyle, vice president of regulatory affairs, LeadingAge.

Emily Downing, MD, vice president of medical operations at Home Care Services at Allina Health.

CDC: “Groups at Higher Risk for Severe Illness,” “COVID-19 in a Long-Term Care Facility — King County, Washington, February 27-March 9, 2020,” “Preparing for COVID-19: Long-term Care Facilities, Nursing Homes,” “Interim Clinical Guidance for Management of Patients with Confirmed Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) — Asymptomatic and Pre-Symptomatic Infection,” “Core Elements for Antibiotic Stewardship in Nursing Homes: Top 10 Infection Prevention Questions to Ask a Nursing Home’s Leaders.”

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services: “CMS Announces Findings at Kirkland Nursing Home and New Targeted Plan for Healthcare Facility Inspections in light of COVID-19,” “Trump Administration Issues Key Recommendations to Nursing Homes, State and Local Governments,” “CMS Administrator Seema Verma’s Remarks as Prepared for Delivery: Updates on Healthcare Facility Inspections in light of COVID-19.”

The Washington Post: “Dozens of cases, and 10 deaths. Inside Maryland’s worst coronavirus outbreak.”

The Seattle Times: “Coronavirus daily news updates, April 2: What to know today about COVID-19 in the Seattle area, Washington state and the nation.”

The New York Times: “Coronavirus in the U.S.: Latest Map and Case Count.”

Kaiser Health News: “Coronavirus Stress Test: Many 5-Star Nursing Homes Have Infection-Control Lapses.”

Patch, Hamden, CT: “CT Coronavirus Updates: Some Nursing Home Patients Will Be Moved.”

The Buffalo News: “Special Covid-19 unit set up at Amherst nursing home.”

Hartford Courant: “State will pay nursing homes $35 million to cover COVID-19 costs; plans to reopen closed facility in Meriden.”

The Wall Street Journal: “More Than 1,000 Coronavirus Cases Among New York Nursing Homes.”

WCCO News Talk 830: “32 long-term care facilities have COVID-19 outbreaks in Minnesota.”

Skilled Nursing News: “CMS Bans Most Visits to Nursing Homes, Waives Three-Day Stay Rule in Coronavirus Battle.”

American Health Care Association: “Long Term Care Leaders Address State Orders on Hospital Admissions to Nursing Homes.”

LeadingAge, letter to Seema Verma, administrator, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, March 26, 2020.

The Gerontology Institute Blog, University of Massachusetts Boston: “Institute Talk: A Conversation with Dan Reingold on Leading a Nursing Home in America’s Worst COVID-19 Hot Spot.”