CORONAVIRUS (COVID-19) RESOURCE CENTER Read More
Add To Favorites

AARP: COVID case and death rates in Florida nursing homes nearly doubled over holidays

News-Journal - 2/11/2021

The COVID-19 death and case rates among Florida nursing homes nearly doubled from the previous reporting period, reflecting the anticipated aftermath of the holiday season, according to AARP's most recent update to its coronavirus dashboard.

The dashboard, which was developed in early October, shows how the state fares compared to the national average at five points during the pandemic: August; September; October; November; December; and January.

The newest set of data, released on Feb. 9, encompasses numbers from Dec. 20 through Jan. 17.

“AARP Florida is committed to fighting to protect nursing home residents and their loved ones, safeguarding their rights to quality care. We are approaching the one-year anniversary of the first-known coronavirus cases in nursing homes, yet the rates of cases and deaths remain startlingly high," said AARP Florida State Director Jeff Johnson in a press release. "The devastation this pandemic has brought to nursing home residents and their families has dramatically illustrated that fundamental reforms must be made in Florida nursing homes and to the long-term care system. We cannot lower our guard.”

Florida reported 405 nursing home deaths — or 7.2 deaths per 1,000 residents — according to the release. This represents an increase from 4.4 deaths per 1,000 residents in the January report, which covered Nov. 15 to Dec. 20.

Positive cases for residents rose from .38 to .64 per 1,000 residents and COVID-19 positive staff rose from .45 to .64 per 1,000 residents, according to the report.

The analysis also showed that Florida’s COVID-19 nursing home numbers are still better than the national average for all five categories of measurement. But, the rates for deaths and cases are still some of the highest Florida has experienced in AARP’s dashboard, with significantly more new cases than were reported in summer and fall 2020.

More: AARP COVID dashboard shows 18% increase in Florida nursing home staff and resident cases

More: COVID vaccine in Volusia and Flagler counties: What you need to know on Feb. 8

About the dashboard

The dashboard, which is updated every four weeks, was created using data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the AARP Public Policy Institute in collaboration with the Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University in Ohio. The goal is to identify specific areas of concern at the national and state levels in a timely manner.

The federal data does not include coronavirus cases among residents or staff of assisted-living facilities, group homes and other congregate elder-care facilities, which are included in the Florida Department of Health’s daily coronavirus update. Nursing homes are defined as facilities for older adults who require 24-hour supervision and medical care, while assisted-living and other elder-care facilities house mostly independent seniors who require some day-to-day help.

The dashboard was created to help improve transparency on how the COVID-19 pandemic has affected vulnerable older Americans, according to the AARP press release about the new data.

Moving forward

Last week, Johnson urged members of the Florida legislature to stop efforts that would give nursing homes and other long-term care facilities immunity related to COVID-19 through Senate Bill 74.

The bill itself would limit the types of lawsuits families can pursue against long-term care facilities. The bill states this will help deter unfounded lawsuits against health-care providers based on COVID-19-related claims.

“The death toll from COVID-19 in our nursing homes is a national disgrace," Johnson said in the release. "More than 9,000 Florida long-term care residents have already died — alone and afraid, without family by their sides. In numerous cases, facilities may have contributed to those deaths and other harms by their lack of care or abuse."

The bill passed through the Judiciary Committee Wednesday with a 6 to 4 vote, according to the Florida Senate.

"Infection control and adequate staffing have been enduring problems in nursing homes — even before COVID-19 emerged as a top killer of older Floridians," Johnson said. "There’s no room for destructive legislative proposals, such as Senate Bill 74, which gives immunity to nursing homes, letting the industry off the hook and ensuring they can never be held accountable."

AARP continues to call on Florida legislators and community leaders to better protect residents and staff of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities from COVID-19 by:

Prioritizing regular and ongoing testing and adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) for residents and staff — as well as inspectors and any visitors. Ensuring quality care for residents through adequate staffing, strict regulatory oversight, and access to in-person formal advocates, called long-term care ombudsmen. Rejecting COVID-19 related civil liability immunity for long-term care facilities.

“Disregard for Florida’s nursing home residents and their loved ones is appalling," Johnson said. "At a time when consumer confidence in Florida’s long-term care system is at an all-time low, lawmakers would make things worse by letting nursing homes off the hook."

This article originally appeared on The Daytona Beach News-Journal: AARP: COVID case and death rates in Florida nursing homes nearly doubled over holidays

___

(c)2021 The News-Journal, Daytona Beach, Fla.

Visit The News-Journal, Daytona Beach, Fla. at www.news-journalonline.com

Distributed by Tribune Content Agency, LLC.

Nationwide News