The infection information provided by the state can be useful. James Campbell, department chair of geriatric medicine at MetroHealth. If you see a nursing home with a small outbreak, I’m not sure it means anything but bad luck,” said Dr. “If you see a nursing home with a large outbreak, that’s something to worry about. Yet many in the health care industry say infection information should be considered along with other factors when deciding which site to choose. The state on its coronavirus website says the infection and death numbers shouldn’t replace a thoughtful conversation with a nursing facility about infection control practices and that “residents and family members should understand that the presence of COVID-19 at a facility is no way an indicator of a facility that isn’t following proper procedures.” Last month, state officials began to release the numbers of reported infections and deaths in long-term care facilities, which include nursing homes, rehabilitation centers, and assisted living centers.īut it’s unclear how much the numbers– which are reported weekly and are also tracked cumulatively– matter for families currently trying to choose a facility. What are being called Congregate Care Unified Response Teams will focus on facilities where confirmed or assumed positive cases are reported in hopes of reducing the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in Ohio’s nursing homes, which as of May 27, was 5,324 resident cases and more than 1,442 deaths. Ohio National Guardmembers will begin testing all staff members and any residents who likely were exposed to COVID-19 in the state’s nursing homes, Gov. Steven Schwartz, a geriatric physician at the Cleveland Clinic who travels to nursing homes as part of the Clinic’s Center for Connected Care. At the same time, it’s really necessary for many patients to be there,” said Dr. And residents, who are primarily older and have multiple medical conditions, are more susceptible to COVID-19-related complications. Staff, who often travel between facilities, need to be in close contact with residents to provide care. Amy Acton, director of the Department of Health, have emphasized that “congregate” settings like nursing homes are at the highest risk for infection. Now, families and seniors agonize over what could be a life or death choice, using confusing numbers on infection “hotspots,” and without the ability to visit nursing homes to observe how the staff there cares for residents– which is the number one recommendation of most advocates. Nationally, the portion of COVID-19-related deaths in long-term care facilities has hovered just over 40%, though the amount of testing done in nursing homes varies significantly by state.Įvery day, families like Bondar’s are making what can feel like an impossible choice– whether to send a loved one to a nursing home where they will receive around-the-clock specialized care, but face a greater risk of contracting COVID-19 or to care for that person at home where risk of transmission is lower but providing care can be more challenging.Įven before the pandemic, sorting through the myriad of quality ratings and measures was daunting enough. Seventy percent of the reported deaths in Ohio due to COVID-19 complications have been in long-term care facilities, which is among the highest in the country. Their tough choice was made even more difficult by mounting fears about the coronavirus. In nearly four months, COVID-19 has infected more than 31,191 people statewide and has proven particularly deadly for residents of long-term care facilities in Ohio. The tight-knit family started to discuss the possibility of a nursing home, though they had serious reservations. Luckily, the 92-year old, who lives with dementia, wasn’t injured badly. In early March, just as Ohioans were learning about the first cases of novel coronavirus in the state, Anna Bondar’s grandfather fell at his Cleveland home. Please join our free mailing list as this helps us provide more public service reporting. This article provided by Eye on Ohio, the nonprofit, nonpartisan Ohio Center for Journalism. Data analysis and graphics by Cid Standifer
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