What Congress can do to help stop nursing home deaths 

Since the pandemic began, nearly 60,000 people living and working in nursing homes and other long-term care facilities have died from the coronavirus. 

AARP is urging Congress and the Administration to act now to protect our seniors who call these facilities home.

AARP Texas State Director Tina Tran said that the number of deaths has grown to more than 59,000. 

“Residents in nursing homes as well as the staff, the people who care for them, are being disproportionally by the COVID-19 pandemic,” said Tran. “There are very few defenses that residents and staff have for COVID-19 once it has entered a nursing home.”

AARP is asking Congress to enact a five-point plan before they go on summer recess in August to address this mounting crisis.

The AARP 5-point plan includes:

• Ensure regular, ongoing testing, and adequate personal protective equipment (PPE).
• Create transparency through daily, public reporting of cases and deaths in facilities, communication with families about discharges and transfers, and funding accountability.
• Require facilities to provide and facilitate virtual visitation.
• Ensure better care for residents through adequate staffing and in-person access to long-term care ombudsmen.
• Reject blanket immunity for nursing homes and other long-term care facilities related to COVID-19.

Tran said people whose loved ones are in these facilities should make sure they’re in contact with the long-term care ombudsmen. Patty Ducayet is our state’s Long-Term Care Ombudsman.

“The ombudsman can help loved ones get what they need as far as communications from nursing homes,” said Tran. “… families should also ask whether the nursing home has a plan for virtual visitations.”

Those virtual visitations could be on a phone, tablet, or computer.

“Finally, we are asking people to call their congressional member, to call their senators and ask them to include the five-point plan in the next stimulus package,” said Tran.

If you don’t know who represents you or how to get in touch with lawmakers, Tran suggests you go to aarp.org/nursinghomes to get that information.

In the last few days of July, the Texas Health and Human Services Commission revealed it would be posting COVID-19 case counts electronically on its website.  Cases reported include those in state-supported living centers, state hospitals, and state-licensed nursing and assisted living facilities. 

“This is a huge win for public safety and public health,” said Tran. “This is something that AARP Texas and many other advocates have been asking for since the beginning.”

Tran said that this level of transparency will give the public a sense of what is going on in these facilities and where to put resources.  It will also let family members know what is truly going on with their loved ones who work at these facilities and those who call these facilities home. 

“This information will also empower families to make decisions based on real information to direct care for their loved one,” said Tran.

As for those who work at nursing homes and long-term care facilities, Tran said that community spread is a concern especially as the state opens up. However, there are simple things people can do to stay safe and keep those they come in contact with safe too.

“Workers go to nursing homes, but then they go home. They go grocery shopping, they go on errands, they go home to their families and other things. So, one of the things everybody can do is to follow the advice of the CDC and public health experts,” said Tran. “… wear a mask, and socially distance. Stay home if you can.”

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