One of the largest national issues in this pandemic has been the startling number of deaths at nursing homes directly attributed to COVID-19 within the United States.
On Monday, Vice Mayor Tyron Hampton asked the city to investigate the local response in long-term health care facilities but as City Manager Steve Mermell pointed out, the city has no jurisdiction over these facilities.
During a Zoom meeting, council members heard that long-term care facilities fall under the state of California’s jurisdiction, according to Mermell.
As a result of figures released last week, the National Guard was called into at least one long-term care facility to help with the overburdened staff. One facility in Pasadena recorded over 14 deaths from COVID-19. The majority of deaths within the city have been connected to long-term care facilities.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), given their congregate nature and resident population served (e.g., older adults, often with underlying chronic medical conditions), nursing home populations are at the highest risk of being affected by COVID-19. If infected with SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, residents are at increased risk of serious illness.
COVID-19 cases have now been reported in all 50 states and D.C.; with many areas having wide-spread community transmission. Given the high risk of spread once COVID-19 enters a nursing home, facilities must take immediate action to protect residents, families, and healthcare personnel (HCP) from severe infections, hospitalizations, and death.
Visitors and HCP continue to be sources of introduction of COVID-19 into nursing homes. To protect the vulnerable nursing home population, aggressive efforts toward visitor restrictions and implementing sick leave policies for ill HCP, and actively checking every person entering a facility for fever and symptoms of illness continue to be recommended, the CDC advises.
