An Illinois nursing home recently reported 36 confirmed COVID-19 cases comprised of 26 residents and 10 employees. The vice president of the organization’s management company described the efforts of the facility to do everything it could to stop the spread of the coronavirus through the facility.
In a news release the vice president explained those efforts saying, “Despite our aggressive efforts, our first case occurred as a result of contact between a resident and an asymptomatic person, outside of the facility, in March. Upon return, we screened the resident, who showed no symptoms for several days, and we followed all of the then existing guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and local and state departments of health. Unfortunately, the Coronavirus is very contagious, particularly among those vulnerable due to other health conditions.”
Although the recent number of confirmed cases includes the deaths of two residents, the vice president explained that since the first awareness by the facility that there were confirmed cases of the virus, the CDC and health departments have continued to upgrade their direction and that testing and other resources have been made available.
Currently, the facility is not taking any new admissions in order to focus on caring and serving its current residents. The facility’s Infection Control Plan is described as evolving to address the sudden increase in COVID-19 cases. Because so many of the facility’s staff have contracted COVID-19, the facility is actively seeking certified nursing assistants to ensure adequate staffing.
People in the community have shown their concern by offering food and other expressions of support.
Compliance Perspective
Allowing a resident to return without implementing an already medically-advocated 14-day period of quarantine to ensure that he/she had not contacted COVID-19 while out of the facility, when the coronavirus was known to be highly contagious and the nursing home population most vulnerable, might be considered negligence and provision of substandard quality of care, in violation of CMS and CDC guidance.
Discussion Points
- Review policies and procedures regarding the need to use screening protocols for residents who may have been away from the facility to prevent the spread of contagious diseases like COVID-19, and also ensure that the facility’s Infection Control Plan addresses a potential pandemic like the Coronavirus crisis.
- Train staff about the protocols (handwashing, wearing personal protective equipment, etc.) to use when caring for residents being screened or confirmed as having COVID-19 to protect themselves and other residents and staff from contracting the virus.
- Periodically audit and monitor to ensure that residents returning to the facility are screened and quarantined, where appropriate, to prevent spreading a contagious virus like the Coronavirus.
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS TOPIC: INFECTION PREVENTION AND CONTROL PLAN
