Over the past few weeks, nursing homes across the country have become hotspots for COVID-19. Hundreds of nursing home residents have fallen ill and many have died.
The biggest outbreak of coronavirus at a nursing home in Illinois is at the Chateau Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Willowbrook. At least 33 residents and 13 staff members have been infected with the virus at the facility. One resident has died.
Preventing COVID-19 outbreaks in nursing homes is especially important because elderly people are more at risk for severe complications and death. The mortality rate for individuals over 80 who have been infected with coronavirus is estimated to be 14.8 percent, according to reports from the World Health Organization.
Unfortunately, nursing homes are often short-staffed, leaving employees with often unmanageable workloads. This staff shortage makes it difficult for nursing homes to maintain an acceptable standard of care and can result in medical malpractice. Some of the problems that can arise due to staffing shortages are:
- Lack of sanitation
- Lack of attention to each patient
- Pressure on staff to come to work even when they are sick
- Less attention to who is visiting
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These errors put nursing home residents at risk; and during a pandemic, these staffing problems can have catastrophic consequences. They can lead to serious legal ramifications if there is evidence that negligence led to a resident’s severe illness or death.
Prior to this outbreak, all nursing homes in the United States should have had written protocol on patient care and sanitation of the facility. A breach of these rules could indicate that staff acted negligently and could be held liable for severe illness or death if it was a direct result of their actions or inactions.
Since COVID-19 began to spread in the United States, nursing homes across the country have implemented new policies to protect residents from becoming infected. Nursing homes in Illinois have based their policies on guidelines established by the Illinois Department of Public Health. These guidelines include:
- Frequent screening for symptoms in residents and staff
- Staff with symptoms should notify their manager and stay home from work for seven days
- Isolation of symptomatic residents
- Prompt communication with doctors, the health department, and families of residents
- Limiting visitors to the facility
- Disinfecting surfaces every two hours
While it is promising to see so many nursing homes implementing these strict policies, these coronavirus outbreaks are a reminder that nursing homes should always do their due diligence to keep residents safe and healthy.