Category: Nursing Home Abuse

The COVID-19 pandemic has drastically affected people all over the world. In the U.S., those who live and work in nursing homes have been where the virus is most prevalent. Nursing homes in Kentucky are no exception. According to Governor Beshear, more than 360 people have died in nursing homes during the pandemic. While smaller nursing homes may begin to slowly reintroduce visitors, there is demand from the Kentucky AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) for change in the response to the novel coronavirus.

In the United States, 43% of COVID-19 deaths have been linked to nursing homes. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the population who is at most risk of dying from the novel coronavirus is the older population, especially those in long-term care facilities because they likely have underlying conditions or weakened immune systems. Plus, nursing homes have trouble preventing the spread of infection as is, and with a deadly virus like COVID-19, those issues are even more dangerous for the residents and staff.

Choosing which type of facility to entrust with the caring of your loved one can be difficult. That’s why it’s important to do your research and understand the benefits of each different kind of facility. When it comes to liability, there are some key differences between a nursing home and an assisted living facility. In order to understand the differences in liability between the two, we will have to look into what services are expected of a nursing home compared to an assisted living facility.

Although the COVID-19 pandemic may seem like the first time that long-term care facilities have had trouble with infection control among our nation’s 1.4 million nursing home residents, facilities have had problems with disease spread long before the novel coronavirus. This pandemic just brought the issues to the forefront. According to the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), 82 percent of all nursing homes were cited once or more with an infection prevention and control deficiency in the years 2013 through 2017.

Public health experts are pressuring federal officials to have nursing homes publicly track COVID-19 infections and deaths. Facilities are being criticized for the lack of transparency with what is happening inside with residents, especially when quarantines across the country have most nursing homes on lockdown.

According to KY3 News, those who specialize in healthcare policy and the medical experts spearheading the pandemic response believe publishing information about outbreaks in nursing homes as they happen could alert nearby communities and help official see where to focus safety measures and testing.