Summary

The article discusses the failure to adequately prepare nursing homes for pandemics, leading to high death rates among residents during the Covid-19 outbreak.

Abstract

Despite warnings 15 years prior about the vulnerability of nursing home residents in pandemics, the U.S. government and healthcare system failed to implement effective measures to protect the elderly in long-term care facilities. The Covid-19 pandemic has highlighted this lack of preparation, with a significant number of deaths occurring in nursing homes. The article points out that while simple precautions were advised early on, no substantial government orders were issued to prepare these facilities for the virus's spread. By mid-April 2020, nursing home deaths accounted for nearly 18 percent of total Covid-19 deaths in the U.S., with at least 2,500 nursing homes reporting cases. The article suggests that systemic ageism may have contributed to the inadequate response and the willingness of some to prioritize economic recovery over the lives of the elderly.

Opinions

The article implies that the federal government did not prioritize improving care for the elderly in nursing homes, which contributed to the severity of the Covid-19 outbreak in these facilities.
Senator Herb Kohl's concern from 15 years ago is echoed, highlighting that the elderly are often overlooked in emergency preparedness plans.
The article criticizes the lack of action taken by leaders, despite the forewarnings and knowledge that the elderly are particularly vulnerable to pandemics.
The medical director of a Virginia nursing home expressed shock at the number of positive coronavirus cases, despite the facility's previous low Medicare rating for infection control.
The article suggests that ageism, possibly fueled by the increasing value placed on economic productivity over the sanctity of life, especially among the elderly, may have influenced the insufficient protective measures in nursing homes.
Some conservative commentators, like Rush Limbaugh, are seen as prioritizing economic concerns over the health and safety of the elderly, advocating for reopening businesses despite the health risks to seniors.

Why Do So Many Nursing Home Residents Die?

Fifteen years ago the experts warned that seniors needed to be protected in the inevitable next pandemic

An outbreak of Covid in a nursing home should come as no surprise.

Improving care for the elderly and the infirmed in these long-term care facilities was never at the top of the federal government’s list.

Back in late February, staff and residents of nursing homes and long-term care facilities were being advised to take simple steps, like washing their hands more often and screening visitors for signs of an infection. Even after deaths started piling up at the Life Care Center in Washington state, no one in government issued orders to prepare to do battle with the virus in nursing homes.

Six weeks later, the problem has spread coast-to-coast.

Who knew it would get this bad? Plenty of people, but leaders failed to take effective action.

Fifteen years ago, the U.S. Senate special committee on aging held a hearing on preparing for a pandemic flu, which, an official warned, was “overdue.”

Twenty senators, including Maine’s Senator Collins, listened as their colleague, Senator Herb Kohl of Wisconsin, urged them to focus on the special needs of older Americans:

“I am concerned that we are not prepared to care for the complex needs of our nation’s seniors in particular. The elderly are among the most vulnerable members of society and they are far too often overlooked or even ignored an emergency preparedness plan.”

Another Senator said that the hearing would introduce broad directives for all sectors to prepare for the next flu pandemic.

“The more outreach we can do to the elderly in our communities before an outbreak occurs, the better protected they will be.” Senator Gordon Smith, Oregon, Chairman.

Good intentions, but what went wrong?

Fifteen years later, we are faced by an appalling lack of pandemic preparation and prevention in nursing homes. CBS News calculated that by April 16, coronavirus deaths at nursing homes in the U.S. reached 5,700, nearly 18 percent of the total. At least 2,500 nursing homes reported at least one resident had the virus, according to the New York Times.

The medical director of the Virginia nursing home that lost at least 45 resident, said he was shocked when the positive coronavirus test results started pouring in. Yet just six months earlier its Medicare rating was far below average after inspectors found it failed to “provide and implement an infection prevention and control program.”

Is the failure to act a result of ageism, which devalues human contributions to society as we age? Ageism, or fear of aging, has been on the upswing for the past century and may have contributed to our failure to equally protect people of all ages.

In a new twist, certain conservative observers are putting a price on senior heads.They advocate re-opening businesses despite the risk of exposing people to the coronavirus, a virus that is especially fatal for seniors. aging

Conservative radio host Rush Limbergh said as much in a recent broadcast:

“Are we just going to sit by and watch $22 trillion — that’s the value, that’s the sum total of the G.D.P., that’s the U.S. economy — are we just going to sit by here and watch it evaporate?” Limburgh asked on March 31st. “Because that’s what we’re doing, under the guise of not losing any unnecessary life.”

A senior life for economic recovery may be hard to contemplate in some societies that honor their elders into old age. But in the West, where ageism is rampant and seniors are pushed aside, the lack of protection for our most vulnerable population comes as no surprise.