Nursing home oversight would be tightened under a bill passed in Massachusetts
6 months, 4 weeks ago

Nursing home oversight would be tightened under a bill passed in Massachusetts

Associated Press  

BOSTON — Massachusetts’ oversight of nursing homes would be strengthened, LGBTQ+ nursing home residents would be protected against discrimination, and better controls would be in place to protect against the spread of infectious disease outbreaks, under a new bill lawmakers passed this week. Approved on Thursday, the bill would require long-term care facilities to provide staff training on the rights of LGBTQ+ older adults and those living with HIV, and bar staff from discriminating based on a person’s sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, intersex status or HIV status. The proposal also would streamline the licensing process for “small house nursing homes,” alternative care centers that focus on smaller groups of residents and using familiar domestic routines. Long-term care facilities would also be required to develop outbreak response plans to help contain the spread of disease and ensure communication with state health officials, residents, families and staff. The bill would also require state health officials to establish training programs on infection prevention and control, resident care plans and staff safety programs.

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History of this topic

GOP-led House panel to refer former NY Gov. Cuomo to DOJ for potential prosecution over report on Covid nursing home deaths
4 months, 4 weeks ago

GOP-led House panel to refer former NY Gov. Cuomo to DOJ for potential prosecution over report on Covid nursing home deaths

CNN  

CNN — The Republican-led House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Pandemic on Thursday morning will send a letter to US Attorney General Merrick Garland referring a potential criminal case involving former New York Democratic Gov. At issue is Cuomo’s truthfulness regarding his role in the writing and review of a state health department report from June 2020 that underestimated the …

Cuomo testifies before House committee that accused him of COVID-19 cover up
6 months, 2 weeks ago

Cuomo testifies before House committee that accused him of COVID-19 cover up

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Andrew Cuomo began testifying publicly Tuesday before a …

US will regulate nursing home staffing for first time, but proposal lower than many advocates hoped
1 year, 6 months ago

US will regulate nursing home staffing for first time, but proposal lower than many advocates hoped

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — The federal government will, for the first time, dictate staffing levels at nursing homes, the Biden administration said Friday, responding to systemic problems bared by mass COVID-19 deaths. “I would caution anyone who thinks that the status quo — in which there is no federal floor for nursing home staffing — is preferable to the standards we’re …

Gov. Healey: COVID-19 public health emergency to end May 11
2 years ago

Gov. Healey: COVID-19 public health emergency to end May 11

Associated Press  

BOSTON — Massachusetts Gov. Maura Healey announced Wednesday that the state’s COVID-19 public health emergency will end May 11. The announcement comes ahead of the 45-day notice required by state law, allowing additional time for organizations affected by the change to prepare for the end of the public health emergency, Healey said. The Democrat said on May 11 she also …

Matt Hancock's Pandemic Diaries EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT
2 years, 3 months ago

Matt Hancock's Pandemic Diaries EXCLUSIVE EXTRACT

Daily Mail  

He's been the target of so much public anger over Covid. Boris Johnson's advisor Dominic Cummings, pictured in Downing Street on March 12th 2020 Friday, March 13 A call with my fellow G7 Health Ministers. At least 40 care homes have knowingly been using staff with Covid Friday, March 13 2020 Simon Stevens says frail elderly patients who don't need …

New laws let visitors see loved ones in health care facilities, even in an outbreak
2 years, 11 months ago

New laws let visitors see loved ones in health care facilities, even in an outbreak

NPR  

New laws let visitors see loved ones in health care facilities, even in an outbreak Enlarge this image toggle caption Tiffany Manning for NPR Tiffany Manning for NPR Jean White's mother has dementia and moved into a memory care facility near Tampa, Fla., just as coronavirus lockdowns began in the spring of 2020. She took a kitchen job so she …

Biden to launch ambitious overhaul of nursing home quality
3 years ago

Biden to launch ambitious overhaul of nursing home quality

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden will use his State of the Union speech to launch a major overhaul of nursing home quality, including minimum staffing levels and steps to beef up inspections while continuing to keep COVID-19 at bay. “Despite the tens of billions of federal taxpayer dollars flowing to nursing homes each year, too many continue to provide poor, …

The nursing home staffing crisis right now is like nothing we've seen before
3 years, 2 months ago

The nursing home staffing crisis right now is like nothing we've seen before

NPR  

The nursing home staffing crisis right now is like nothing we've seen before Enlarge this image toggle caption Seth Wenig/AP Seth Wenig/AP The omicron wave is hitting nursing homes hard, with infections among residents and staff reaching record highs in recent weeks. "What we've learned with the pandemic is that when there are large of COVID cases in the general …

The Push For Nursing Home Reform In The Middle Of A Pandemic : 1A
3 years, 6 months ago

The Push For Nursing Home Reform In The Middle Of A Pandemic : 1A

NPR  

The Push For Nursing Home Reform In The Middle Of A Pandemic Enlarge this image toggle caption Hugh Hastings/Getty Images Hugh Hastings/Getty Images According to AARP, at least 186,000 nursing home residents and staff have died from COVID-19. For many, the pandemic has exposed cracks in our long-term care system — such as staffing shortages and unenforced rules. Aging adults …

Biden to require COVID vaccines for nursing home staff
3 years, 7 months ago

Biden to require COVID vaccines for nursing home staff

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — President Joe Biden on Wednesday announced that his administration will require that nursing home staff be vaccinated against COVID-19 as a condition for those facilities to continue receiving federal Medicare and Medicaid funding. Biden unveiled the new policy Wednesday afternoon in a White House address as the administration continues to look for ways to use mandates to encourage …

Nursing homes will need to get staff vaccinated or lose federal funds, Biden says
3 years, 7 months ago

Nursing homes will need to get staff vaccinated or lose federal funds, Biden says

CNN  

CNN — President Joe Biden announced on Wednesday that he is directing all nursing homes to require their staff be vaccinated against Covid-19 in order to continue receiving Medicare and Medicaid funding. “Focusing only on nursing homes will cause vaccine-hesitant workers to flee to other health care providers and leave many centers without adequate staff to care for residents. “The …

Nursing home overhaul bill would boost staffing, oversight
3 years, 7 months ago

Nursing home overhaul bill would boost staffing, oversight

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Responding to the ravages of COVID-19 in nursing homes, senior Democratic senators Tuesday introduced legislation to increase nurse staffing, improve infection control and bolster inspections. Separately, President Joe Biden is seeking $400 billion to expand home and community based care as an alternative to nursing homes in the giant domestic agenda bill Democrats are pushing in Congress. “These …

The Latest: Connecticut: nursing home workers must get shots
3 years, 7 months ago

The Latest: Connecticut: nursing home workers must get shots

Associated Press  

HARTFORD, Conn. — Connecticut has become the latest state to mandate that workers in nursing homes be vaccinated against COVID-19. ___ MORE ON THE PANDEMIC: — Study: Vaccines give COVID-19 survivors big immune boost — Vaccination form for federal workers adds penalties for lies — Some US schools reopen with mix of masks in classrooms — United Airlines will require …

Healey: Vaccines should be required for public employees
3 years, 11 months ago

Healey: Vaccines should be required for public employees

Associated Press  

BOSTON — Massachusetts Attorney General Maura Healey, seen as a possible candidate for governor next year, is calling for mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for public employees, saying it is a matter of public safety. “Look, you’re there, you’re getting paid by the taxpayer — you have an obligation, whether it’s delivering public health or public safety,” the Democrat said Tuesday during …

New COVID-19 cases plummet at Louisiana’s nursing homes
3 years, 11 months ago

New COVID-19 cases plummet at Louisiana’s nursing homes

Associated Press  

— Louisiana’s nursing homes, once the deadly epicenters of the state’s coronavirus outbreak, have seen new cases of COVID-19 plummet at their facilities this year as most of the facilities’ residents have gotten vaccinated. It’s the seventh week in which Louisiana’s approximately 275 nursing homes reported fewer than 30 new cases, according to state data. Inside the facilities, the change …

Some NY nursing homes proved helpless in face of virus surge
4 years ago

Some NY nursing homes proved helpless in face of virus surge

Associated Press  

ALBANY, N.Y. — As the coronavirus made an end-of-the-year surge across New York, few nursing homes escaped unscathed. Yet the virus still got into facilities like the Commons, where 90-year-old Constance Cuddy, a former nurse being treated for Alzheimer’s disease, died Jan. 17 from COVID-19 complications, according to her family. The Elcor Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, about 60 miles south …

Covid restrictions in nursing homes may be relaxed on Monday: Report
4 years ago

Covid restrictions in nursing homes may be relaxed on Monday: Report

NL Times  

The cabinet may announce as early as Monday that several corona measures in nursing homes will no longer apply or become more flexible. The Outbreak Management Team is examining the issue whether relaxation in nursing homes is already possible, now that most people there have received an injection against the coronavirus. “We certainly want to offer the relief of measures …

Cuomo vows to “call out” criticism of nursing home response
4 years, 1 month ago

Cuomo vows to “call out” criticism of nursing home response

Associated Press  

ALBANY, N.Y. — Gov. Andrew Cuomo and his health commissioner offered a full-throated defense Friday of their March decision to require nursing homes to accept patients recovering from COVID-19, saying it was the best option at the time to help free up desperately needed beds at the state’s hospitals. Questions also go back months about whether the state made a …

AP: Over 9,000 virus patients sent into NY nursing homes
4 years, 1 month ago

AP: Over 9,000 virus patients sent into NY nursing homes

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — More than 9,000 recovering coronavirus patients in New York state were released from hospitals into nursing homes early in the pandemic under a controversial directive that was scrapped amid criticism it accelerated outbreaks, according to new records obtained by The Associated Press. The new number of 9,056 recovering patients sent to hundreds of nursing homes is more …

AP: Over 9,000 virus patients sent into NY nursing homes
4 years, 1 month ago

AP: Over 9,000 virus patients sent into NY nursing homes

The Independent  

The latest headlines from our reporters across the US sent straight to your inbox each weekday Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US Your briefing on the latest headlines from across the US SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy More than 9,000 recovering …

AG slams NY’s legal shield for nursing homes, hospitals
4 years, 1 month ago

AG slams NY’s legal shield for nursing homes, hospitals

Associated Press  

ALBANY, N.Y. — New York’s attorney general has joined calls for the state to loosen a partial immunity from lawsuits and criminal prosecutions it had granted to nursing homes at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic last spring. Yet despite those “disturbing and potentially unlawful findings,” James said, “It remains unclear to what extent facilities or individuals can be held …

Some Health Care Workers Say They Are 'Forgotten' In COVID-19 Vaccination Plans
4 years, 2 months ago

Some Health Care Workers Say They Are 'Forgotten' In COVID-19 Vaccination Plans

NPR  

Some Health Care Workers Say They Are 'Forgotten' In COVID-19 Vaccination Plans Enlarge this image toggle caption Meredith Nierman/GBH Meredith Nierman/GBH Carlos Reyes wears a mask at home and eats alone in his bedroom. "It's a big oversight that was not factored into the rollout plan," said Chris Caulfield, the chief nursing officer at IntelyCare, which operates in 15 states …

How Trump set up nursing home residents to die in the pandemic
4 years, 4 months ago

How Trump set up nursing home residents to die in the pandemic

Salon  

As the coronavirus pandemic rages to new heights and we gear up for a new administration, there's an important step President-Elect Joe Biden could take right away to protect our most vulnerable population. He could restore the ability for nursing home residents to sue their facilities for poor health standards. Nursing home deaths from COVID-19 in Minnesota and Rhode Island, …

Nursing homes still see dangerously long waits for Covid-19 test results
4 years, 4 months ago

Nursing homes still see dangerously long waits for Covid-19 test results

CNN  

KHN — Nursing homes are still taking days to get back Covid-19 test results as many shun the Trump administration’s central strategy to limit the spread of the virus among old and sick Americans. The federal government “just hands stuff off to nursing homes and then says, ‘Hey, it’s yours; go use it,’” he said. “And then when things fall …

Nursing home COVID-19 cases rise four-fold in surge states
4 years, 4 months ago

Nursing home COVID-19 cases rise four-fold in surge states

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Despite Trump administration efforts to erect a protective shield around nursing homes, coronavirus cases are surging within facilities in states hard hit by the latest onslaught of COVID-19. “Trying to protect nursing home residents without controlling community spread is a losing battle,” said Konetzka, a nationally recognized expert on long-term care. Responding to the study findings, the federal …

Coronavirus: Government throwing ‘lit match into a haystack’ by discharging Covid patients to care homes
4 years, 5 months ago

Coronavirus: Government throwing ‘lit match into a haystack’ by discharging Covid patients to care homes

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy The government has been warned it is throwing “a lit match …

Report: Much needs doing to shield nursing homes from virus
4 years, 6 months ago

Report: Much needs doing to shield nursing homes from virus

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — The Trump administration is claiming “resounding vindication” from an independent commission’s report on the coronavirus crisis in nursing homes, but some panel members say that’s a misinterpretation of their conclusion that much remains to be done to safeguard vulnerable residents. Vice President Mike Pence met with some of the commission members Thursday and called their report “a significant …

New COVID-19 mandates on health care facilities get pushback
4 years, 7 months ago

New COVID-19 mandates on health care facilities get pushback

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Threatening fines and funding cut-offs, the Trump administration on Tuesday issued new COVID-19 requirements for nursing homes and hospitals, prompting immediate pushback from beleaguered industries. “Our recommendations for testing in nursing homes go back as far back as March and April,” said Seema Verma, head of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, or CMS. Mark Parkinson, head …

DOJ requests Covid-19 nursing home data from four Democratic-led states and says agency may investigate
4 years, 7 months ago

DOJ requests Covid-19 nursing home data from four Democratic-led states and says agency may investigate

CNN  

Washington CNN — The Justice Department is requesting Covid-19 data from four states “that issued orders” the agency says “may have resulted” in the deaths of nursing home residents from the virus in an effort to determine whether it should investigate if the orders are “responsible” for the deaths. “The Civil Rights Division seeks to determine if the state orders …

Coronavirus: Study reveals alarming impact of Covid on care home sector
4 years, 7 months ago

Coronavirus: Study reveals alarming impact of Covid on care home sector

The Independent  

Sign up for our free Health Check email to receive exclusive analysis on the week in health Get our free Health Check email Get our free Health Check email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. The Queen’s Nursing Institute said homes were told hospitals had blanket “no admissions” policies during …

After declining, Covid-19 cases are rising again in US nursing homes
4 years, 7 months ago

After declining, Covid-19 cases are rising again in US nursing homes

CNN  

CNN — When Suzanne Wright got the phone call on Tuesday that her 84-year-old mother, who lives in a Florida nursing home 1,600 miles away, tested positive for Covid-19, she was a little perplexed. The nursing home had 11 case the week prior, “their first big run of cases among residents,” said Wright, adding that some staff had also tested …

COVID-19: New York’s true nursing home death toll is likely high
4 years, 7 months ago

COVID-19: New York’s true nursing home death toll is likely high

Al Jazeera  

Coronavirus deaths in New York, already among the highest in the US, may actually be significantly undercounted. “One after the other.” New York’s coronavirus death toll in nursing homes, already among the highest in the nation, could actually be a significant undercount. “That’s a problem, bro,” New York State Senator Gustavo Rivera, a Democrat, told New York Health Commissioner Howard …

As COVID-19 Numbers Improve, Florida Considers Nursing Home Visits
4 years, 7 months ago

As COVID-19 Numbers Improve, Florida Considers Nursing Home Visits

NPR  

As COVID-19 Numbers Improve, Florida Considers Nursing Home Visits Enlarge this image toggle caption Wilfredo Lee/AP Wilfredo Lee/AP Officials in Florida say cases of the coronavirus are continuing to decline, an indication that efforts to halt the spread of the disease are working. It's been more than four months since Florida halted all outside visits to nursing homes and assisted …

Cuomo’s report on new nursing home policy for COVID patients prompts more controversy
4 years, 8 months ago

Cuomo’s report on new nursing home policy for COVID patients prompts more controversy

Salon  

In defense of a controversial policy to send COVID-19 positive patients from hospitals into nursing homes, New York Gov. As ProPublica reported last month, New York's nursing homes suffered a larger percentage of deaths relative to its total nursing home population than several states that did not have such a policy in place. Denis Nash, the CUNY epidemiologist, said the …

NY count: 6,300 virus patients were sent to nursing homes
4 years, 8 months ago

NY count: 6,300 virus patients were sent to nursing homes

Associated Press  

NEW YORK — New York hospitals released more than 6,300 recovering coronavirus patients into nursing homes during the height of the pandemic under a controversial, now-scrapped policy, state officials said Monday, but they argued it was not to blame for one of the nation’s highest nursing home death tolls. New York’s report came more than a month after The Associated …

Why Covid-19 took a devastating toll on people in nursing homes (opinion)
4 years, 9 months ago

Why Covid-19 took a devastating toll on people in nursing homes (opinion)

CNN  

Editor’s Note: Robert Egge is the chief public policy officer of the Alzheimer’s Association and the executive director of the Alzheimer’s Impact Movement. Many families entrust long-term care communities to provide good attention and safety for their loved ones, including the 48% who have Alzheimer’s or another dementia. The Alzheimer’s Association has been sounding the alarm for our publicly elected …

After waves of virus deaths, care homes face legal reckoning
4 years, 9 months ago

After waves of virus deaths, care homes face legal reckoning

Associated Press  

PARIS — The muffled, gagging sounds in the background of the phone call filled Monette Hayoun with dread. Meyer Haiun died the next day, one of the more than 14,000 deaths that tore through care homes for France’s most vulnerable older adults when they were sealed off to visitors during the coronavirus’ peak. Grieving families across the country are increasingly …

Massachusetts veterans’ home made horrific errors during the coronavirus outbreak, governor said
4 years, 9 months ago

Massachusetts veterans’ home made horrific errors during the coronavirus outbreak, governor said

CNN  

CNN — An investigation into a Massachusetts veterans’ home during the Covid-19 outbreak found errors that Gov. It outlines errors the home made including delays in testing, delays in closing common spaces, insufficient personal protective equipment and a general lack of compassion for veterans, the report said. “Rather than isolating those with the disease from those who were asymptomatic – …

Andrew Cuomo saw COVID-19’s threat to nursing homes — yet he still risked adding to it
4 years, 9 months ago

Andrew Cuomo saw COVID-19’s threat to nursing homes — yet he still risked adding to it

Salon  

On April 3, Stephanie Gilmore, a 34-year-old nurse working at the Diamond Hill nursing home in Troy, New York, was summoned to a supervisor's office. "Uncalled for, unnecessary, should never have occurred, and wouldn't have but for a tragically misguided order from the state," McLaughlin, the Rensselaer County executive, said of the outcomes at Diamond Hill. The administration said the …

Nursing home resident: ‘I feel as though I am in #DeathCamp2020’
4 years, 9 months ago

Nursing home resident: ‘I feel as though I am in #DeathCamp2020’

CNN  

CNN — When news broke months ago about the country’s first coronavirus outbreak at a nursing home, Linda Mayberry immediately recognized the home’s corporate logo as it flashed across her television screen. Because she needed full-time care, Mayberry resorted to becoming a paying patient at the nursing home, Bel Tooren Villa Convalescent Hospital, owned by the national chain Life Care …

Nursing home deaths: A quarter of US nursing homes report at least one covid infection
4 years, 9 months ago

Nursing home deaths: A quarter of US nursing homes report at least one covid infection

CNN  

CNN — Nearly 26,000 nursing home residents have died from coronavirus, according to federal data released Monday. One quarter of nursing homes had at least one case, and one in five had at least one death, according to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. The report marks the first nationwide government tally showing the impact of the pandemic …

By undoing Obama’s nursing home regulations, Trump opened the door for the deaths we're seeing
4 years, 9 months ago

By undoing Obama’s nursing home regulations, Trump opened the door for the deaths we're seeing

Salon  

Years before the nation's nursing homes experienced a heavy COVID-19 death toll, the Trump administration rolled back the federal rules and regulations put in place by the Obama administration aimed at improving infection control in these kinds of facilities. In an October 2016 edition of the Federal Register, the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services published rules and regulations requiring …

Some Nursing Homes Escaped Covid-19—Here's What They Did Right
4 years, 9 months ago

Some Nursing Homes Escaped Covid-19—Here's What They Did Right

Wired  

In mid-March, as San Francisco mayor London Breed issued a citywide stay-at-home order, Peggy Cmiel started getting prepared. Cmiel is the director of clinical operations at the San Francisco Center for Jewish Living, or SFCJL, a 9-acre senior housing complex in the Excelsior neighborhood that includes long-term care facilities, short-term rehab housing, and a memory care wing. Cmiel’s staff stocked …

White House's goal to test ALL nursing homes residents and staff goes unmet by majority of states
4 years, 10 months ago

White House's goal to test ALL nursing homes residents and staff goes unmet by majority of states

Daily Mail  

The White House will not meet its goal of having every nursing home resident and staff member tested for the novel coronavirus. Two weeks ago, the White House asked that all states test every nursing home resident and staff member for coronavirus over the next two weeks. The group also estimates that testing every nursing home resident and staff member …

Cuomo says New York followed federal guidelines when sending coronavirus patients to nursing homes
4 years, 10 months ago

Cuomo says New York followed federal guidelines when sending coronavirus patients to nursing homes

CNN  

CNN — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s office deflected questions about a report from The Associated Press that the state sent more than 4,500 patients recovering from coronavirus to nursing homes by saying they followed guidance from federal agencies. “So don’t criticize this state for following the President’s policy.” The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued a memorandum on …

Watchdog cites persistent infection lapses in nursing homes
4 years, 10 months ago

Watchdog cites persistent infection lapses in nursing homes

Associated Press  

WASHINGTON — Before COVID-19 killed thousands of nursing home residents, about 4 in 10 homes inspected were cited for infection control problems, according to a government watchdog report Wednesday that finds a “persistent” pattern of lapses. The GAO report found that about 40% of the nursing homes inspected in each of the past two years were cited for problems with …

Trump administration says testing is key to nursing homes reopening
4 years, 10 months ago

Trump administration says testing is key to nursing homes reopening

CNN  

CNN — The Trump administration recommends that nursing homes test all residents and staff for the coronavirus – and then continue to test employees weekly – as part of its plan to relax restrictions at the facilities, officials said Monday. Testing is among several criteria for reopening nursing homes – which have been hit especially hard by Covid-19 – laid …

Officials Investigating Multiple COVID-19 Deaths At Massachusetts Soldiers' Home
4 years, 10 months ago

Officials Investigating Multiple COVID-19 Deaths At Massachusetts Soldiers' Home

NPR  

Officials Investigating Multiple COVID-19 Deaths At Massachusetts Soldiers' Home Enlarge this image toggle caption Rodrique Ngowi/AP Rodrique Ngowi/AP One of the deadliest outbreaks of the coronavirus has been at the Holyoke Soldiers' Home, a state-run nursing home for veterans in Western Massachusetts. Employees of the Soldiers' Home say the problem began in mid-March when a man on one of the …

NY nursing homes report 1,700 additional coronavirus deaths
4 years, 10 months ago

NY nursing homes report 1,700 additional coronavirus deaths

Al Jazeera  

The revised list shows that 22 nursing homes, largely in NYC and Long Island, have reported at least 40 deaths. New York state has reported more than 1,700 previously undisclosed COVID-19 deaths at nursing homes and adult care facilities as the state faces scrutiny over how it has protected vulnerable residents during the coronavirus pandemic. Parker Jewish Institute in Queens …

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