The headlines are eye-opening: On Friday, the Kaiser Family Foundation reported that, as of as of April 23, there were more than 10,000 reported deaths from COVID-19 in long-term care facilities—in just the 23 states that publicly report this information. That may be shocking. But it should not be surprising. COVID-19 has exposed and amplified our profoundly flawed system of [...]
The Trump Administration has finally said it would require nursing homes to report cases of COVID-19 to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and, eventually, to families of residents. The move is welcome, but it is far too little and, for many families, far too late. On Friday, The New York Times reported that more than 36,500 residents [...]
Nursing homes and other senior living facilities are not the only places where COVID-19 is creating a health care crisis for frail older adults and their care providers. The other setting at risk: private homes, where the vast majority of older adults get both personal and post-acute care. And the pandemic is creating enormous challenges for those seniors, their families, [...]
It is a terrifying time to be caring for an aging parent or other family member who needs assistance with physical or cognitive limitations. You are unable to visit your loved ones in care facilities. It is a struggle to find aides to care for them at home. You worry about them contracting the potentially deadly coronavirus. You worry about [...]
The coronavirus pandemic is a nightmare for nursing homes, their staffs, residents, and their families. While we know much less about them, the situation is likely similar for Assisted Living Facilities (ALFs) and other residential care for older adults. As of March 30, more than 400 of 15,000 US nursing facilities had an outbreak of coronavirus—among residents, staff or both-- [...]
Last week, I suggested that in the wake of the coronavirus pandemic, nursing homes may need to take patients from over-burdened hospitals. At the same time, care settings such as assisted living facilities (ALFs) might have to accept nursing home residents who must be relocated to make room for those post-acute patients. Now, it looks like that is beginning to [...]
The coronavirus pandemic is stressing hospital capacity to its limits, and one way to reduce this pressure it to move patient care downstream. That means keeping as many patients as possible out of the hospital in the first place, and getting those who have been hospitalized discharged as quickly as possible to make room for other, more critical patients. The [...]
The coronavirus pandemic and the fast-moving federal response to it is upending long-standing rules and practices for caring for older adults. Some changes will be incredibly disruptive, while others may increase support for vulnerable seniors. Here are some of the ways they are affecting how we care for our parents. No more nursing home visits. Just a week ago, the [...]
As the coronavirus spreads, many nursing homes and assisted living facilities are discouraging family members from visiting loved ones, and they are screening those who do come. President Trump created additional confusion last night when he urged facilities to “suspend all non-essential visits.” What should you do? There is good reason for concern. While there is no evidence that older [...]
The other day, someone asked me whether, given the coronavirus outbreak, her 93-year-old aunt should go a skilled nursing facility for rehab following a week-long hospital stay. Her question is an important one: What should you do if you or a family member are living in a nursing home or assisted living facility (ALF), or may need to go to [...]