In the wake of COVID-19 many families have been wondering whether their loved one’s death or serious illness was preventable. Unfortunately, as COVID-19 impacts nursing homes across the nation, many nursing homes are left without the resources, equipment, staff, or know-how, to properly tackle the crisis. The result has been overwhelmed nursing home staff, failures in systems of care, and nursing home neglect that has sometimes resulted in the deaths or severe illness and disability of residents. If you lost a loved one due to COVID-19 while in a nursing home, you may be looking for answers.

Nursing homes should be following specific guidelines set forth by the CDC regarding preventing the spread of COVID-19 in the nursing home. Some of these guidelines include:

• Assigning one staff member specifically trained to handle infection control in the facility.
• Requiring nurses and other care staff to properly wash hands and wear protective equipment.
• Putting in place policies to restrict visitation and offering other options for families to visit loved ones.
• Requiring caretakers who may have come in contact with COVID-19 to quarantine and not come to work.
• Have a plan for testing residents and workers.
• Have a plan for how to provide proper care to residents (and isolation) should they become sick or should an outbreak occur. Nursing homes should identify which spaces would be used for quarantining sick residents should an outbreak or illness be identified in the facility.
• Have proper supplies and contingency plans in place.
• Have a plan for monitoring residents who develop COVID-19 symptoms.