Coronavirus: Nursing Homes And The Elderly

WAMU 88.5 | By Emmanuel Johnson

Published April 6, 2020 at 11:45 AM CDT

Ambulance staff prepare to transport a patient from the Life Care Center nursing home where some patients have died from COVID-19 in Kirkland, Washington.

As the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases continue to rise around the country, nursing homes have become clear hotbeds for the spread of the virus.

Ohio, Maryland, California and many more states are reporting rising numbers of positive coronavirus cases and COVID-19-related deaths in elder-care communities and facilities. Maryland Governor Larry Hogan issued an emergency order requiring nursing home staff to wear protective gear to halt the spread of the disease following outbreaks in the state’s long-term care facilities. It also requires that staff segregate infected patients.

It’s not just the residents of nursing homes that are at risk. Caregivers and other staff within assisted-living facilities are trying to figure out how to provide adequate services to those who can’t take care of themselves while minimizing the chance they’re infected.

How can we protect this vulnerable population and the people that care for them? What can family and friends do to help their loved ones in homes? What do you do if you are having trouble getting a loved one into a care facility because of COVID-19?