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Coalition wants some nursing home residents moved to hotels

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Illinois

A coalition of advocacy groups is calling on Gov. J.B. Pritzker to move residents from nursing homes and other congregate care settings into community settings, like hotels, to allow for proper social distancing and to stop the spread of COVID-19.

“Gov. Pritzker and the state of Illinois have an opportunity to intervene and mandate people in nursing homes and other institutions are evacuated from dangerous living situations and transition into the community, where (they will) be safer and happier,” said Esther Sanders, a transition coordinator for the Progress Center for Independent Living and member of the Institutional Rescue and Recovery Coalition. […]

The coalition is not demanding nursing care facilities be completely emptied, according to Tobin.

“We want to reduce the population (of these facilities) so that two things happen: One is folks that are significantly at risk are removed from that more dangerous setting to (a community setting) like hotel rooms on an emergency basis and that reduces the population in a facility so it’s down to one person per room,” Tobin said. “So (residents) have the possibility of social distancing to stop the spread of the virus, (and) it makes residents who remain and those working in the facility safer.”

Misty Dion, CEO of Roads to Freedom Center for Independent Living, echoed that sentiment. “We are asking (the governor) to give people a choice, so they have the choice to self-isolate or social distance,” she said.

* Jordan Abudayyeh’s response…

The administration has always listened to advocates who come to us with serious input for discussion on how to protect our most vulnerable residents. But moving medically fragile people from their homes and placing them into hotels entirely unequipped to care for them, is not something public health experts endorse. Instead, the administration has worked to scale up testing at our congregate facilities, provide PPE to employees, and train them in infection control and best practices. Families are free to move their loved ones home if they see fit.

posted by Rich Miller
Wednesday, Jul 8, 20 @ 10:09 am

Comments

I know the coalition’s hearts are in the right place, but they really have not thought this through. Right off the bat, would hotels have to meet all the licensure requirements for long-term care facilities? Life safety and fire safety upgrades alone could cost tens of thousands. The Pritzker administration’s response is entirely correct.

Comment by Nick Name Wednesday, Jul 8, 20 @ 10:39 am
I would seriously question the credibility of this coalition, who purports to advocate “independent” living for a population that is far from independent.

Comment by Morningstar Wednesday, Jul 8, 20 @ 10:45 am
Depends on the type of congregate setting. Skilled nursing? No. Some others, maybe.

But these old facilities with the double rooms and shared bathrooms are certainly contributing to the spread.

Comment by yinn Wednesday, Jul 8, 20 @ 10:52 am
=== Families are free to move their loved ones home if they see fit. ===

Wow.

I can’t find the adjective for that statement.

45 percent of deaths across America are linked to nursing home and long term care facilities. People are right to question the leadership of public health agencies, who are directly responsible for licensing and inspecting nursing homes and ensuring they are safe.

Maybe hotels are not the answer, maybe McCormick place is, or something else.

What is clear is that what we have been doing so far has not been working well enough.

Comment by Juvenal Wednesday, Jul 8, 20 @ 10:55 am
My mother recently had a month-long stay in a nursing home to recover from Covid-19 and something else unrelated. She has stayed in this facility on 2-3 other occasions for rehabilitation after other surgeries and hospital stays. The nursing care was clearly subpar on this visit, presumably due to safety restrictions in place and likely staff shortages due to exposure, etc. However, I would not have wanted her moved to a hotel of all places. Jordan’s response perfectly sums up the reasons why.

Comment by Father Ted Wednesday, Jul 8, 20 @ 11:36 am
McHenry County’s nursing home, Valley Hi, has no Covid-19 cases, except for one staff member who seems to have contracted it from a day care center.

It seems that the Illinois Department of Public Health, which regulates nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, really dropped the ball.

81% of deaths in McHenry County have lived in such facilities.

Comment by cal skinner Wednesday, Jul 8, 20 @ 11:54 am
I wonder if the problem with the nursing homes is the HVAC systems that recirculate the air without expensive super filtration systems. Recent research shows COVID stays airborne longer than previously thought. Moving to hotels with the same type of HVAC and reduced care is not a solution. A professor I had said the most important question to ask is “what has to be so for this to be so?” I wonder if anyone is asking the right question.

Comment by jimbo26 Wednesday, Jul 8, 20 @ 12:13 pm
Moving elderly patients into a hotel is a terrible idea. The majority of folks living in nursing homes, at least the ones I’ve been in, could not live in a hotel without significant help. Hotel staffs are completely unable to provide the level of care required for safety. It also appears that HVAC systems may be part of the problem in congregant settings, just as they are in hotels. None of my elderly relatives/friends who were and are living in nursing homes could live in a hotel. They moved into those homes precisely because they and their families could no longer manage in independent living arrangements. The Gov. is spot on…again.

Comment by Froganon Wednesday, Jul 8, 20 @ 1:14 pm
One of the lessons learned in Europe was don’t discharge COVID patients to nursing homes where non-COVID patients reside.

According to Father Ted, it seems we have not taken that lesson to heart yet. Perhaps now that hospital admissions are down a bit we can keep those COVId recoveries in the hospital longer until they are ready to go home, JB?

Comment by Juvenal Wednesday, Jul 8, 20 @ 1:28 pm
What a mess…all I can say is, I’m sorry this happened…like everyone else.

Comment by Dotnonymous Wednesday, Jul 8, 20 @ 2:58 pm
A ton of people who are in congregate settings do NOT have family members who can come rescue them. There does need to be a plan B for disasters, as opposed to shutting everyone in and letting them die, which is how some residents see the handling of this situation. They ARE being left to die by public health leadership.

Comment by Quill Wednesday, Jul 8, 20 @ 5:03 pm