An aged affected person is delivered to a Bridgeport, Conn., senior-care dwelling in April 2020, when COVID circumstances have been overwhelming the amenities. Now, the state's up to date coverage permitting in COVID-positive sufferers is bringing renewed stress.
AP
Directors of Connecticut’s 209 nursing properties and long-term care amenities have been shocked initially of this yr when the state’s Division of Public Well being (DPH) instructed them they should begin accepting sufferers contaminated with COVID-19 to alleviate stress on overflowing hospitals.
It was like déjà vu over again for many who labored in nursing properties throughout the early days of the pandemic, when deaths from COVID in states like Connecticut, New York and New Jersey have been extremely concentrated in aged care amenities.
Regardless of being probably the most vaccinated teams, individuals over the age of 65 account for three-quarters of the whole deaths from COVID. A mix of shut quarters and sufferers with compromised immune programs made the virus unfold like wildfire by means of nursing properties.
The Nationwide Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention recommends that any state contemplating “reduction well being care” amenities, resembling nursing properties, should make sure that transferred COVID sufferers gained’t compromise these amenities’ means to forestall the unfold of the virus internally.
Former New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo ignored the science, forcing nursing properties to take COVID-positive sufferers initially of the pandemic. However he reversed his mandate solely six weeks later after seeing the lethal penalties. A New York State Bar Affiliation examine revealed final June confirmed that this six-week interval alone brought on “a number of hundred and presumably greater than 1,000 deaths of nursing dwelling residents.”
Whereas neighboring Connecticut by no means stopped permitting contaminated sufferers in, most nursing properties required two destructive COVID exams at the least 24 hours aside earlier than they have been prepared to simply accept any new affected person or one discharged from a hospital seeking to release capability.
This all modified with Connecticut’s DPH memo this yr, urging nursing properties to soak up sufferers discharged from a hospital “no matter COVID-19 standing.” After pushback from nursing dwelling directors, a spokesperson for Connecticut Gov. Ned Lamont clarified that he was not forcing them to take COVID-positive sufferers, however they wanted to name DPH and clarify why in the event that they didn’t.
One medical director at a Connecticut nursing dwelling lamented on social media that “if the hospital makes a referral of a COVID optimistic particular person and we decline, we're instantly reported to DPH and must justify the choice.” Just like the bully on the varsity playground saying — “Go forward, I double dare you” — solely this time lives are at stake.
Tragically, the impression of Lamont’s coverage has been quick. Information launched final week present that near 100 (98) residents died in Connecticut nursing properties within the 4 weeks since these amenities have been inspired to take COVID-infected sufferers — virtually 4 occasions the quantity who died within the 4 weeks previous the order.
In the meantime, the variety of nursing dwelling residents contaminated with the virus greater than doubled throughout this time interval — from 965 to 2,378. In distinction, an infection charges, hospitalizations and COVID-related deaths in Connecticut’s basic inhabitants declined throughout this identical interval as Omicron continued to subside.
Sensing the criticism this undesirable spike in circumstances may convey, the governor unexpectedly issued one other government order, this time mandating that everybody coming into nursing properties present proof of vaccination or a destructive COVID take a look at earlier than being allowed in — besides after all for the COVID-positive hospital sufferers rolling into nursing properties on daily basis!
Lamont and his DPH produce other selections accessible to them if they're prepared to suppose creatively. They might use the $6 billion in federal COVID cash despatched to Connecticut to arrange separate restoration facilities for recovering COVID-positive sufferers — taking the pressure off hospitals whereas maintaining these sufferers remoted and free from transmitting the virus to others.
They might provide short-term bonuses or momentary pay raises to certified well being care staff who're retired or on go away to incentivize them to return to work now and assist get us by means of this peak. They might look to recruit healthcare staff from different elements of the nation much less impacted by the present COVID wave to come back to Connecticut and assist.
At a minimal, they may change the present biweekly reporting of nursing dwelling infections and deaths to a each day report back to get an early learn and react earlier than it’s too late.
One factor we’ve discovered is that “one measurement doesn't match all” in the case of COVID. Whereas Connecticut and different Northeastern states rejoice about total Omicron charges coming down, the info exhibits that infections and deaths in Connecticut nursing properties are nonetheless a significant concern. It’s not too late to do one thing about it, if state leaders have the braveness to behave now.
A former government at Basic Electrical and CFO of UBS Funding Financial institution, Bob Stefanowski was the 2018 Republican candidate for governor of Connecticut and is now a candidate within the 2022 Connecticut gubernatorial election.
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