As the state battles a new coronavirus surge, public health officials and lawmakers are grappling with how to better prepare skilled nursing facilities for the next infectious disease crisis.
Aging
In a recent survey, more than three-quarters of nursing home residents said they did not leave their rooms to socialize.
Nursing home workers like Eyvette Diane Pascascio are among the most vulnerable and arguably most overlooked heroes of this pandemic.
Untold stories of tragedy, survival and resilience on the Navajo Nation. A 30-minute news documentary exploring health disparities on the Navajo Nation amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
A quick primer on how to cover assisted living and senior care facilities, which account for a massively disproportionate share of COVID-19 deaths.
Thin medical staffing faces greater scrutiny – even from within the assisted living industry – as COVID-19 cuts a deadly swath through elder care facilities.
On April 11, Dena Garcia was told that her mother was running a fever. Three days later, she was sent to the ER, where she was unresponsive.
One facility was hit hard – 50-plus COVID cases and more than a dozen deaths. Another endured only 3 cases and just one patient died. Many factors likely figure in the difference.
‘Behind the 8-ball:’ Many Southern California nursing homes hit hard by coronavirus had prior issues
Many factors can contribute to how severely the virus strikes a home, including its location and size. But having enough staff is vital, especially during a pandemic, experts say. New research backs that up.
The trend raises new concerns that regulators aren’t policing the industry enough during a crisis.