ALBANY — A Brooklyn Democratic state lawmaker wants all New York nursing homes to submit an annual emergency pandemic response plan to the state, citing COVID-19’s devastating effect on the state’s elderly population.
“The COVID-19 pandemic unfolding in nursing homes across the country has sent chills into the heart and soul of every American,” Assemblyman Joe Lentol said in a statement Monday.
“The rapid spread of COVID19 in nursing homes exposed a fatal flaw in pandemic planning and while there is much to address now, nursing homes must have a pandemic plan in place in order to prevent tragedies like we have seen with COVID19. Society judges you on how you treat its most vulnerable members – and it is clear there is more work to be done.”
The legislation would require facilities to submit an annual plan to the state Department of Health and the agency would then be tasked with conducting a yearly compliance audit.
Lentol’s bill would mandate that nursing homes report the clinical status of residents to their family members, produce proof the facility is adequately protecting patients, staff and visitors from infection and maintain at least a two-month supply of personal protective equipment.
Operators would also be charged with ensuring residents readmitted after hospitalization are cleared of infection, and be required to keep residents’ beds open upon their return.
The state Health Dept. licenses and regulates 613 nursing facilities, and good standing is determined through reporting requirements.
If passed, the bill would take effect immediately.
A controversial March 25 directive issued by the DOH mandated that nursing homes cannot deny admission to residents if they have tested positive for the coronavirus.
Family members and officials have voiced concern over the policy, arguing it poses a great disadvantage to facilities trying to protect the state’s most vulnerable population from contracting the deadly virus—which has already claimed upwards of 5,200 lives specific to the nursing home-population.
On Sunday, Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued a partial rollback of the mandate by banning hospitals from sending individuals who test positive for COVID-19 into facilities. However, residents with the disease still cannot be denied entry based on the standing order.
