What do we know so far about COVID-19 and nursing homes?
What do we know so far about COVID-19 and nursing homes?
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Long-term care (LTC) facilities, often called nursing homes or assisted living facilities, are uniquely vulnerable to COVID-19 transmission. This is partially because COVID-19, like many other respiratory viruses, can easily be spread between people in enclosed spaces. In addition, since many residents at nursing homes are over the age of 65 and have preexisting conditions (i.e. heart disease, diabetes, or breathing problems) that my affect their immune systems and organ function, they are at a greater risk for severe disease if they do get COVID-19. This is why LTC facilities are considered to be high risk for COVID-19 spread. Though the number of COVID-19 cases in LTC facilities are strongly associated with the number of COVID-19 cases in their surrounding communities, research continues to show that COVID-19 infections spread quickly in LTC facilities among residents and staff. In addition to resident-specific risk factors, other factors that impact how COVID-19 has spread in LTC facilities include staffing shortages, low pay, and poor staffing ratios as well as a lack of resources dedicated to infection prevention, including guidelines to follow, dedicated staff members, and protective equipment. Shared living spaces like cafeterias and group rooms make social distancing difficult and can make it hard to isolate patients who are ill. Though additional funding was allocated to LTC facilities from the US government in May 2020 and new testing requirements for staff and residents were put into place in August 2020, LTC staff and residents have continued to be significantly impacted by the virus. As of early November 2020, the impact of COVID-19 on US LTC facilities, residents, and staff has continued to grow to record highs. According to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation (dated November 6th, 2020), 26,515 LTC facilities had known cases of COVID-19. There have been a total of 728,750 cases with 100,033 deaths associated with LTC facilities, and LTC facility deaths account for 40% of total COVID-19 deaths nationally.
Long-term care (LTC) facilities, often called nursing homes or assisted living facilities, are uniquely vulnerable to COVID-19 transmission. This is partially because COVID-19, like many other respiratory viruses, can easily be spread between people in enclosed spaces. In addition, since many residents at nursing homes are over the age of 65 and have preexisting conditions (i.e. heart disease, diabetes, or breathing problems) that my affect their immune systems and organ function, they are at a greater risk for severe disease if they do get COVID-19. This is why LTC facilities are considered to be high risk for COVID-19 spread. Though the number of COVID-19 cases in LTC facilities are strongly associated with the number of COVID-19 cases in their surrounding communities, research continues to show that COVID-19 infections spread quickly in LTC facilities among residents and staff. In addition to resident-specific risk factors, other factors that impact how COVID-19 has spread in LTC facilities include staffing shortages, low pay, and poor staffing ratios as well as a lack of resources dedicated to infection prevention, including guidelines to follow, dedicated staff members, and protective equipment. Shared living spaces like cafeterias and group rooms make social distancing difficult and can make it hard to isolate patients who are ill. Though additional funding was allocated to LTC facilities from the US government in May 2020 and new testing requirements for staff and residents were put into place in August 2020, LTC staff and residents have continued to be significantly impacted by the virus. As of early November 2020, the impact of COVID-19 on US LTC facilities, residents, and staff has continued to grow to record highs. According to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation (dated November 6th, 2020), 26,515 LTC facilities had known cases of COVID-19. There have been a total of 728,750 cases with 100,033 deaths associated with LTC facilities, and LTC facility deaths account for 40% of total COVID-19 deaths nationally.
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What our experts say
Long-term care (LTC) facilities, often called nursing homes or assisted living facilities, are uniquely vulnerable to COVID-19 transmission. This is partially because COVID-19, like many other respiratory viruses, can easily be spread between people in enclosed spaces. In addition, since many residents at nursing homes are over the age of 65 and have preexisting conditions (i.e. heart disease, diabetes, or breathing problems) that my affect their immune systems and organ function, they are at a greater risk for severe disease if they do get COVID-19. This is why LTC facilities are considered to be high risk for COVID-19 spread.
Though the number of COVID-19 cases in LTC facilities are strongly associated with the number of COVID-19 cases in their surrounding communities, research continues to show that COVID-19 infections spread quickly in LTC facilities among residents and staff. In addition to resident-specific risk factors, other factors that impact how COVID-19 has spread in LTC facilities include staffing shortages, low pay, and poor staffing ratios as well as a lack of resources dedicated to infection prevention, including guidelines to follow, dedicated staff members, and protective equipment. Shared living spaces like cafeterias and group rooms make social distancing difficult and can make it hard to isolate patients who are ill.
Though additional funding was allocated to LTC facilities from the US government in May 2020 and new testing requirements for staff and residents were put into place in August 2020, LTC staff and residents have continued to be significantly impacted by the virus.
As of early November 2020, the impact of COVID-19 on US LTC facilities, residents, and staff has continued to grow to record highs. According to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation (dated November 6th, 2020), 26,515 LTC facilities had known cases of COVID-19. There have been a total of 728,750 cases with 100,033 deaths associated with LTC facilities, and LTC facility deaths account for 40% of total COVID-19 deaths nationally.
Long-term care (LTC) facilities, often called nursing homes or assisted living facilities, are uniquely vulnerable to COVID-19 transmission. This is partially because COVID-19, like many other respiratory viruses, can easily be spread between people in enclosed spaces. In addition, since many residents at nursing homes are over the age of 65 and have preexisting conditions (i.e. heart disease, diabetes, or breathing problems) that my affect their immune systems and organ function, they are at a greater risk for severe disease if they do get COVID-19. This is why LTC facilities are considered to be high risk for COVID-19 spread.
Though the number of COVID-19 cases in LTC facilities are strongly associated with the number of COVID-19 cases in their surrounding communities, research continues to show that COVID-19 infections spread quickly in LTC facilities among residents and staff. In addition to resident-specific risk factors, other factors that impact how COVID-19 has spread in LTC facilities include staffing shortages, low pay, and poor staffing ratios as well as a lack of resources dedicated to infection prevention, including guidelines to follow, dedicated staff members, and protective equipment. Shared living spaces like cafeterias and group rooms make social distancing difficult and can make it hard to isolate patients who are ill.
Though additional funding was allocated to LTC facilities from the US government in May 2020 and new testing requirements for staff and residents were put into place in August 2020, LTC staff and residents have continued to be significantly impacted by the virus.
As of early November 2020, the impact of COVID-19 on US LTC facilities, residents, and staff has continued to grow to record highs. According to data from the Kaiser Family Foundation (dated November 6th, 2020), 26,515 LTC facilities had known cases of COVID-19. There have been a total of 728,750 cases with 100,033 deaths associated with LTC facilities, and LTC facility deaths account for 40% of total COVID-19 deaths nationally.
Context and background
The outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States was first reported in long-term care (LTC) facilities, also commonly called nursing homes, in Washington state in February 2020. Shortly before February, staff and family members of LTC facility residents traveled nationally and internationally and, because little was known about the outbreak, travels were not self-isolating once they returned home. This early travel likely allowed COVID-19 to spread rapidly from staff and family members to residents of LTC facilities.
In response to these early nursing home outbreaks, several government agencies that oversee these facilities and the nursing homes themselves created stricter policies to prevent the future spread of the virus, but problems controlling COVID-19 in LTC facilities still persist.
There are multiple risk factors that place LTC facilities at high-risk for rapid viral spreading. In US LTC facilities, many residents are over the age of 65, have preexisting conditions (i.e. heart disease, diabetes, or breathing problems), spend the majority of time in enclosed buildings, and are cared for by staff members who care for multiple residents at a time.
The outbreak of COVID-19 in the United States was first reported in long-term care (LTC) facilities, also commonly called nursing homes, in Washington state in February 2020. Shortly before February, staff and family members of LTC facility residents traveled nationally and internationally and, because little was known about the outbreak, travels were not self-isolating once they returned home. This early travel likely allowed COVID-19 to spread rapidly from staff and family members to residents of LTC facilities.
In response to these early nursing home outbreaks, several government agencies that oversee these facilities and the nursing homes themselves created stricter policies to prevent the future spread of the virus, but problems controlling COVID-19 in LTC facilities still persist.
There are multiple risk factors that place LTC facilities at high-risk for rapid viral spreading. In US LTC facilities, many residents are over the age of 65, have preexisting conditions (i.e. heart disease, diabetes, or breathing problems), spend the majority of time in enclosed buildings, and are cared for by staff members who care for multiple residents at a time.
Resources
- COVID-19: Long-Term Care Facilities (KFF)
- Interim Final Rule (IFC), CMS-3401-IFC, Additional Policy and Regulatory Revisions in Response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency related to Long-Term Care (LTC) Facility Testing Requirements and Revised COVID- 19 Focused Survey Tool (US CMS)
- Preparing for COVID-19 in Nursing Homes (US CDC)
- Cost-Cutting at America’s Nursing Homes Made Covid-19 Even Worse (Bloomberg Businessweek)
- HHS Announces Nearly $4.9 Billion Distribution to Nursing Facilities Impacted by COVID-19 (US HHS)
- Staffing Levels and COVID‐19 Cases and Outbreaks in U.S. Nursing Homes (JAGS)
- Nursing Home COVID Data (CMS)
- Care Aides Working Multiple Jobs: Considerations for Staffing Policies in Long-Term Care Homes During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic (J Am Med Dir Assoc)
- Covid-19 outbreaks in nursing homes hit record high (NBC News)
- Nurse Staffing and Coronavirus Infections in California Nursing Homes (Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice)
- CIDRAP - COVID Frequency in Nursing Homes (June 2020)
- Epidemiology of Covid-19 in a Long-Term Care Facility in King County, Washington (NEJM)
- COVID-19: Long-Term Care Facilities (KFF)
- Interim Final Rule (IFC), CMS-3401-IFC, Additional Policy and Regulatory Revisions in Response to the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency related to Long-Term Care (LTC) Facility Testing Requirements and Revised COVID- 19 Focused Survey Tool (US CMS)
- Preparing for COVID-19 in Nursing Homes (US CDC)
- Cost-Cutting at America’s Nursing Homes Made Covid-19 Even Worse (Bloomberg Businessweek)
- HHS Announces Nearly $4.9 Billion Distribution to Nursing Facilities Impacted by COVID-19 (US HHS)
- Staffing Levels and COVID‐19 Cases and Outbreaks in U.S. Nursing Homes (JAGS)
- Nursing Home COVID Data (CMS)
- Care Aides Working Multiple Jobs: Considerations for Staffing Policies in Long-Term Care Homes During and After the COVID-19 Pandemic (J Am Med Dir Assoc)
- Covid-19 outbreaks in nursing homes hit record high (NBC News)
- Nurse Staffing and Coronavirus Infections in California Nursing Homes (Policy, Politics, & Nursing Practice)
- CIDRAP - COVID Frequency in Nursing Homes (June 2020)
- Epidemiology of Covid-19 in a Long-Term Care Facility in King County, Washington (NEJM)
