US: over 40% of COVID-19 deaths in nursing homes – as investigation launched into Trump administration’s oversight of sector during pandemic

There have been predictions up to 50% of US nursing homes may go out of business post-pandemic – the latest news supports this theory. An analysis by The Wall Street Journal has found over 50,000 of the country’s 116,000-plus coronavirus deaths took place in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities. Over 250,000 residents and staff are estimated to have been infected. The figures come as the House Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis launched an investigation on Tuesday into the Trump administration’s oversight of nursing homes during the pandemic. The special House panel has sent letters to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services – which regulates homes – as well as the country’s five largest For Profit nursing home companies asking documents and information including COVID-19 case and death counts, staffing levels and pay, legal violations, and efforts to prevent further infections. The information requested – combined with the sector’s poor history of infection controls – suggest many homes will be found to have failed to adequately protect residents and staff during COVID-19. The letters also want information on how the Trump administration has distributed federal emergency funds to health care providers. The panel’s Chair James Clyburn (pictured above) said they are concerned about “lax oversight” by the CMS and a failure by the administration to distribute enough PPE to aged care services. The US aged care peaks have been calling for more PPE, testing and staff for the sector since the pandemic was declared in March, but promises to test all residents and staff and provide more equipment have so far failed to eventuate.