Federal data indicates that nearly one-fourth of Pennsylvania’s nursing homes reported that in September 2020, they did not have enough personal protective equipment (PPE). This shortage poses great concern for public health officials who are warning about a second wave of COVID-19 and the effect that such a community spread would have within the state’s nursing homes.
Consequently, nursing homes are searching for more PPE and getting assistance with testing in preparation for such a second wave of the virus and to ensure better control over the spread of the virus that resulted in so many deaths.
Recently reported increases in several counties since July are behind the growing concern of a second wave outbreak of the Coronavirus. After several months of not having any new cases of COVID-19, in one facility the number of cases climbed to 150 and resulted in 13 resident deaths.
The Allegheny County health director had this to say: “We are definitely keeping an eye on our long-term care facilities and nursing homes. As we’ve seen in the past, the cases in nursing homes tend to trail behind the cases we see in communities. So, if we see a rise in community cases, a couple weeks later we’ll see a rise in nursing home cases.”
Pennsylvania is not alone in its concern that the outbreak is ongoing. Between late August and September, over 28,000 nursing home residents from across the United States have tested positive for the virus, and 5,200 residents have died.
AARP’s senior vice president of government affairs commented about findings related to continuing problems with staffing and supply shortages. He said, “While the pandemic has been unexpected to all of us, basic infection control should have been going on in nursing homes for a long time. Theseare places where people are vulnerable to infection, whether it’s COVID or something else. So, for these facilities to still not have basic PPE, even now, with a deadly virus in the air, is outrageous and unacceptable.”
Compliance Perspective
While the COVID-19 outbreak waxes and wanes, nursing homes that fail to have continuing and effective Infection Prevention and Control Programs, access to adequate PPE supplies, available testing resources, and sufficient staffing levels to meet the care needs of its residents may be found deficient and deemed in violation of state and federal regulations.
Discussion Points:
- Review policies and procedures to ensure that all guidelines for preventing the spread of the COVID-19 virus are in place and being followed, resources are maintained for PPE supplies, and testing is continuing.
- Train staff on the facility’s Infection Prevention and Control Program to ensure that even when the number of COVID-19 cases goes to zero, protocols for hand hygiene and wearing and disposal of PPE are important to prevent new outbreaks of the virus.
- Periodically audit to ensure that supplies of PPE are available, testing is being performed according to state and federal guidelines, and staffing levels are adequate.
