COVID Cases, Deaths in Michigan Nursing Homes Increase in Most Recent AARP Dashboard

The latest release of AARP’s Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard shows that both cases and deaths in Michigan nursing homes slightly increased in the four weeks ending May 16.

At the national level, COVID cases and deaths have plateaued over the past three dashboard releases. AARP’s analysis found about one in 280 residents was diagnosed with COVID during this period and fewer than one in 1,000 residents died from the disease.

In Michigan, nursing home COVID deaths increased from .04 per 1,000 residents in the previous reporting period to 0.13 in the most recent report. Cases saw an uptick from .52 to .74. Cases among staff dropped off from 3.53 per 1,000 residents to 2.40.

Staffing shortages were reported by 36.8 percent of facilities, up slightly from 35.6 percent in the prior report, and shortfalls in personal protection equipment (PPE) supplies inched up from .071 percent to .087 percent.

Well over a year into the pandemic, this is unacceptable, said Paula D. Cunningham, State Director of AARP Michigan.

  “The good news is COVID-19 cases and deaths in nursing homes are far lower than they were at the height of the pandemic,” Cunningham said. “But chronic, ongoing problems in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities remain, and new cases and deaths continue to be reported. We must take further steps to resolve persistent staffing shortages and poor infection control to prevent future outbreaks of COVID.”

While reforms recommended by the Michigan Nursing Homes COVID-19 Preparedness Task Force continue to be implemented, AARP Michigan continues to fight for reforms to protect nursing home residents and ensure long-term care facilities provide high-quality care.

The AARP Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard analyzes federally reported data in four-week periods going back to June 1, 2020. Using this data, the AARP Public Policy Institute, in collaboration with the Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University in Ohio, created the dashboard to provide snapshots of the virus' infiltration into nursing homes and impact on nursing home residents and staff, to identify specific areas of concern at the national and state levels in a timely manner.

The complete Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard is available at www.aarp.org/nursinghomedashboard. For more information on how COVID is impacting nursing homes and AARP's advocacy on this issue, visit www.aarp.org/nursinghomes.

About AARP

AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org, www.aarp.org/espanol or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspanol and @AARPadvocates, @AliadosAdelante on social media.