New Jersey police recently reported finding 17 residents’ bodies piled up in an overwhelmed nursing home’s morgue that was designed to accommodate four bodies. The discovery was the result of follow-up to an anonymous phone call reporting the situation.
The state’s governor and a congressman have both expressed concern about the discovery. The governor discussed it in a news conference, saying that he asked the state attorney general’s office to investigate this situation, along with other nursing homes with unusually high death rates. The governor expressed outrage that “the bodies of the dead were allowed to pile up in a makeshift morgue at a facility,” and added, “We can and must do better.”
The congressman told news media that an administrator in the nursing home, who was also infected with COVID-19, had called and expressed a need for more body bags. He also reported that he is working with the state health department, FEMA, and the governor to get more support for nursing homes across the state that have been so hard-hit by the Coronavirus.
The nursing home issued a statement disputing the number of bodies involved, claiming there had never been more than 15. They explained the situation with this statement, “The back-up and after-hours holiday weekend issues, plus more than average deaths, contributed to the presence of more deceased than normal in the facility’s holding room.”
Compliance Perspective
Failure to provide adequate and respectful storage of deceased residents’ bodies, even in the midst of a national crisis like the COVID-19 pandemic, may be considered an infringement of residents’ rights to be treated with dignity and respect. It may also violate current requirements of 42 CFR 483.30 and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance specifying that nursing homes notify state and local health departments about residents or staff with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 and related deaths.
Discussion Points
- Review policies and procedures regarding current reporting requirements related to COVID-19 and severe respiratory infections, along with the forthcoming expanded reporting requirements (see here).
- Train staff regarding the reporting requirements for both residents and staff with suspected or confirmed COVID-19, including reporting to their supervisor or through the Hotline any co-workers who may be suspected of having COVID-19 or who are not following the facility’s Infection Control Plan protocols, e.g., hand-washing and proper use of personal protection equipment (PPE).
- Periodically audit to ensure that deceased residents are treated with dignity and respect, that families are notified timely in order to ensure proper disposition of their loved ones remains, and that the deceased are transferred timely to an appropriate establishment for burial or cremation.
