New Guidelines for Nursing Homes to Combat COVID-19 Issued by U.S. Administration
Nursing homes have been issued additional guidelines by the Trump Administration to help prevent the spread of and combat COVID-19. Previously, nursing homes were required to be closed to visitors except in certain compassionate situations, and now additionally facilities are being told to “assign the same staff to care for the same residents” to help intervene and prevent the spread of the Coronavirus internally.
The Administration is also recommending that nursing homes “designate separate areas for healthy and for sick residents.” This practice is expected be continued “long into the future.”
Residents in nursing homes, in general, comprise those who are most vulnerable to the Coronavirus, and more than 140 nursing homes across the nation have residents who have been infected by COVID-19.
Compliance Perspective
Failure to designate separate areas for healthy and sick residents and to assign the same staff to care for the same residents may put healthy residents at greater risk for COVID-19, hindering efforts to prevent the spread of the Coronavirus. This might be considered provision of substandard quality of care, in violation of state and federal regulations and the administration’s recent recommendations to nursing homes.
Discussion Points:
- Review policies and procedures regarding assigning staff to care for the same residents and designating separate areas for healthy and sick residents.
- Train staff on a continuing basis regarding use of personal protective equipment (PPE) and infection control protocols.
- Periodically audit to ensure that staff are assigned to care for the same residents and that residents are in separate areas designated for healthy or sick residents.
