State officials announced a five-point “battle plan” to address the toll that COVID-19 is taking on residents and workers in long-term care facilities.
The impact on nursing homes and assisted living facilities has been significant, accounting for 15% of the state’s confirmed cases, 23% of hospitalizations and 80% of deaths.
“We’ve known since the beginning that long term care facilities ... face an elevated risk for outbreaks,” Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said.
The new coronavirus spreads easily in the confined quarters of these facilities where many residents have health conditions that make them particularly vulnerable to complications caused by the virus.
These include heart, lung and kidney diseases, as well as diabetes and obesity.
The plan includes more systematic testing and health screening, using state stockpiles of personal protective equipment and greater coordination with local health care systems and public health authorities.
Testing will be expanded to all residents and staff in a facility when a case is confirmed or when multiple people show symptoms, Malcolm said.
The state will also provide support and assistance when a facility has a staffing shortage, including activating the National Guard.
Staffing has long been a problem at long-term care facilities even before the pandemic struck. Illnesses among workers have aggravated the problem, and some employees have stopped showing up out of fear, Malcolm said.
Altogether, 330 long-term care facilities have seen at least one confirmed case among residents or staff. It has hit one out of every five skilled nursing homes and one out of every 10 assisted living facilities.
“What we hadn’t fully anticipated is the number of facilities that would need help,” Malcolm said. “It has taken us by surprise how many facilities will need this kind of level of enhanced help.”
The state’s emergency operations center will be used to help coordinate a response that until now had been centered within the Minnesota Department of Health.
Malcolm said the program will be rolled out over a number of days. It won’t stop new cases from developing, but containment of new infections would be one measure of success.
“We want to keep the number of positive cases low,” she said, as well as “reduce the proportion of positive tests in long-term care even as we test more people.”
So far, 407 residents of nursing homes and assisted living facilities have died. About 1,400 residents have tested positive for COVID-19.
This is a developing story.
"term" - Google News
May 08, 2020 at 03:01AM
https://ift.tt/2L6mqOb
Minnesota unveils 'battle plan' to address COVID-19 in long-term care - Minneapolis Star Tribune
"term" - Google News
https://ift.tt/35lXs52
https://ift.tt/2L1ho5r
Bagikan Berita Ini
0 Response to "Minnesota unveils 'battle plan' to address COVID-19 in long-term care - Minneapolis Star Tribune"
Post a Comment