long-term facilities

The president wants to set minimum staffing levels for the beleaguered nursing home industry. But, given a lack of transparency surrounding industry’s finances, it’s a mystery how facilities will shoulder the costs.

The House Finance & Facilities Subcommittee approved a bill that supporters say would provide more flexibility to facilities in meeting the changing needs of residents.

The bill would direct health care providers to allow patients or residents to have visitors. If access needs to be restricted for health or safety concerns, "alternate visitation protocols" would need to be developed.

The tests heading to long-term care facilities were stockpiled during a “downturn” and expired at the end of the year. The state has been waiting for an answer from the federal government on whether they are usable.

The new Florida law exempts 40 types of health care facilities, including hospitals, long-term care facilities, physician offices and ambulance providers.

New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo is speaking out against accusations that his administration has not been forthcoming about the scope of nursing home deaths related to COVID-19.

State data show that the vast majority of the deaths involve residents of nursing homes and ALFs, with one facility in Miami-Dade accounting for 70 resident deaths and another for 56.

Gov. Ron DeSantis also directed 21,450 doses be sent to the Florida Department of Health to help at long-term care facilities.

More than half - 97,500 doses - will be sent to five hospitals to be administered to high-contact and high-exposure health care personnel, the governor said.

The state ramped up plans to vaccinate seniors with two emergency rules that require facilities to allow representatives from the health department, CVS and Walgreens into the facilities.