Morning Briefing
Summaries of health policy coverage from major news organizations
CMS Draft Guidelines For Reopening Nursing Homes Allowing Visitors Threaten Residents' Health, Advocates Warn
The Wall Street Journal: U.S. Government Drafts Guidelines For Reopening Hard-Hit Nursing Homes
Federal health regulators are developing guidelines for reopening nursing homes, according to people with knowledge of the matter, proposing steps that would allow visitors to return to facilities that have been hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic despite lockdowns. A draft version of the recommendations, which propose a multiphase reopening of nursing homes, is raising concerns among industry officials and infection-control experts worried that moving too fast in reopening these facilities could increase the risks for frail and elderly residents, who have been dying in the thousands due to the virus. (Wilde Mathews and Kamp, 5/10)
Reuters: New York Steps Up Coronavirus Protections For Nursing Home Residents
New York state on Sunday announced new coronavirus-safety measures to better protect nursing home residents, who are highly vulnerable to the respiratory illness and account for a large share of the nearly 80,000 Americans who have died from it. (Caspani and McKay, 5/10)
The Washington Post: Report Details Deficiencies At Sagepoint Senior Living, A Maryland Nursing Home With Highest Covid-19 Death Toll In The State
A report released by state regulators Friday offered more detail about claims of repeated deficiencies at the Maryland nursing home with the highest amount of covid-19 deaths of any facility in the state. The issues at Sagepoint Senior Living — which is facing tens of thousands of dollars in fines from the state — included staff leaving open the door of a feverish coughing man, residents who tested positive for the coronavirus not being separated from those who were negative, and staff, including the facility’s managers, not consistently wearing personal protective equipment, according to the report. (Chason, 5/9)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution: Senior Care Homes Face Staffing Crisis Amid COVID-19 Outbreak
As the coronavirus tears through the state’s long-term care system, 4,149 nursing home and assisted living residents have been infected and more than 659 have died. But front-line caregivers, many earning little more than minimum wage, are also getting battered, putting some facilities in crisis mode as they struggle to stay fully staffed 24 hours a day. The state’s count of infected long-term care workers has more than doubled since mid-April, reaching 1,824 as of Thursday. (Teegardin and Schrade, 5/8)
WBUR: For Most States, At Least A Third Of COVID-19 Deaths Are In Long-Term Care Facilities
Coronavirus fatalities in long-term care facilities have surpassed a grim threshold in much of the country, accounting for at least a third of the deaths in 26 states and more than half in 14 of those. The data, which was published by the Kaiser Family Foundation, reports tallies from a variety of care facilities, including nursing homes, adult care residences, and other skilled nursing care settings. However, it does not break out those categories separately. (Romo, 5/9)
