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* Remember, these numbers also include staff…
Coronavirus outbreaks continue to ravage Illinois nursing homes as new state data show at least 1,553 deaths associated with long-term care facilities.
The death toll climbed by 471 from 1,082 reported a week ago. Nursing home deaths now account for nearly 48% of the 3,241 fatalities statewide, according to weekly figures released by the Illinois Department of Public Health Friday.
Cook County facilities recorded 863 deaths. IDPH reported 203 deaths in DuPage and 107 in Lake.
The case numbers include residents and employees who have symptoms but have not yet had a test confirm COVID-19. State officials also have deferred to individual facilities and local health departments for “the most up-to-date data.”
* Sun-Times…
The worst rated nursing homes in Cook County have the highest concentration of deaths from the coronavirus — and some have failed inspections during the pandemic, a Chicago Sun-Times investigation found.
About 28% of the deaths from COVID-19 complications have happened in nursing homes with the lowest federal rating and only 6% in the facilities with the highest rating.
That disparity shows the state should focus testing and inspections in poorly rated nursing homes, experts said. […]
Medicare gives one star to the worst-ranked nursing homes and five stars to the best.
The one-star nursing homes had 28% of all the coronavirus deaths and the two-star facilities had 30% of them.
In contrast, the five-star facilities had 6% of the deaths.
* WBEZ…
The nursing home with the state’s highest COVID-19 death count was Meadowbrook Manor of Bolingbrook, a 298-bed facility at 431 W. Remington Blvd., about 30 miles southwest of downtown Chicago. That facility had 26 confirmed coronavirus-linked fatalities and 173 cases — all disclosed by the state within the past two weeks. […]
The next-highest coronavirus death tallies were at Symphony of Joliet, which had 24 fatalities, Elevate Care Chicago North in the city’s West Ridge community, which had 23, and Center Home for Hispanic Elderly in Chicago’s Humboldt Park neighborhood, which had 22.
Next were three suburban facilities — Bria of Geneva, Glenview Terrace Nursing Center, and Windsor Park Manor in west suburban Carol Stream — that each had 21 deaths linked to the virus. […]
IDPH on Friday listed 176 nursing homes with at least 20 coronavirus cases. Those included 22 facilities with at least 100 cases.
The full list is here.
* Meanwhile…
Fewer than 2% of Illinois’ prisoners have been tested for COVID-19, though thousands have been quarantined across multiple facilities because of potential exposure and 11 have died, according to information released [last] week by the Illinois Department of Corrections.
This low level of testing has raised alarm among advocates and lawmakers. They say it makes it difficult, if not impossible, to understand the true picture of the outbreak in Illinois prisons and respond to it appropriately. That includes taking steps to contain the outbreak and limit its spread into the communities where prisons are located, which are oftentimes rural and may have limited hospital capacity.
…Adding… If you think this is an Illinois-only problem, think again. Click here. Lots and lots of states are dealing with this issue.
* Related…
* In emotional Mother’s Day message, health chief says more than 1,000 Illinois moms lost to COVID-19 - Dr. Ngozi Ezike, the head of the Illinois Department of Public Health, detailed in a Mother’s Day sermon that more than 1,000 mothers have died from COVID-19 in Illinois.
* On Mother’s Day, activists say PPE is needed to keep moms and grandmas safe in nursing homes
* Cicero City View Multicare Center passes IDPH inspection but judge rules temporary restraining order remains
* Numerous Kane and Kendall nursing homes that failed to follow infection control rules now have COVID-19 cases
* Nursing home patient who tested positive for COVID-19 goes missing, sources say
* Bria of Geneva has highest number of Kane County nursing home COVID-19 deaths
* State says Marseilles nursing home has had 40 people sick, 1 death in COVID-19 report
posted by Rich Miller
Monday, May 11, 20 @ 11:39 am
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This is why the owners of these facilities do not deserve to be shielded from liability.
Other in patient settings don’t have rampant community spread.
Comment by Candy Dogood Monday, May 11, 20 @ 11:44 am
n Georgia, Gov. Brian Kemp ordered the activation of more than 100 members of the state’s National Guard, who will be sent to nursing homes and assisted living facilities throughout the state — with the explicit goal of helping to roll out new infection-control protocols and provide assistance with sanitizing facilities.
That was April 1st and is a big reason why Georgia is largely open right now.
https://skillednursingnews.com/2020/04/states-call-in-national-guard-to-help-with-infection-control-covid-19-testing-in-nursing-homes/
Comment by Lucky Pierre Monday, May 11, 20 @ 11:45 am
Nursing home deaths now account for nearly 48% of the 3,241 fatalities statewide.
Absolutely terrifying if you have a loved one under care or working at a facility. Rich retweeted an interesting tweet the other day - something to the effect of if you’re an essential worker forced to go to work, and you live with someone who works in a long-term care facility….that’s a dangerous situation. In light of the mortality rate in nursing home statistics, I hope some careful attention is given to these situations as we ramp out contact tracing efforts. How we handle essential workers who have close contacts (i.e. partners, roommates) that work in long-term care facilities need to be addressed.
Comment by Chambanalyst Monday, May 11, 20 @ 11:45 am
Everyone who is really excited about getting back to work - nursing homes are hiring. The grocery store and Target by my house are hiring too. Think that this is all media propogating fear? No better way to prove it.
Comment by The Way I See It Monday, May 11, 20 @ 11:51 am
NYC has a program where they offer free hotel rooms to front line workers and people with mild COVID symptoms. That reduces the risk of transmission at home. That’s something Illinois should consider too, if we haven’t already.
https://www1.nyc.gov/site/helpnownyc/get-help/covid-19-hotel-program.page
Comment by Marcos Monday, May 11, 20 @ 11:55 am
If daily testing is good enough for the president and white house staff, when will there be enough tests for daily nursing home testing?
Comment by PublicServant Monday, May 11, 20 @ 11:56 am
I worry every day for a friend who works in a nursing home in Sherman.
Another nurse friend who was hired for a doctor’s office and is now a floater for a local health organization has flat out refused to be assigned to a nursing home, so she is working less days a week.
The skilled nursing staff are burning out under the hours and stress.
Comment by RNUG Monday, May 11, 20 @ 11:56 am
===That was April 1st and is a big reason why Georgia is largely open right now.===
Try the Google.
“Half of Georgia’s coronavirus deaths are related to long-term care facilities, according to Governor Brian Kemp.”
https://www.11alive.com/article/news/health/coronavirus/deaths-at-long-term-care-facilities-in-georgia-nursing-home-covid19/85-28cc0ff1-1d31-439c-b3bd-2c8372edf374
Comment by Rich Miller Monday, May 11, 20 @ 11:58 am
I get so angry when people talk about nursing home cases as though they only affect the residents, who are disposable. Apart from the whole idea that we place people in nursing homes specifically because their lives are valuable to us and we want them to receive care, this also affects the caregivers, who are essential and underpaid.
Comment by Soccermom Monday, May 11, 20 @ 11:59 am
So many things here;
The tragedy of the lives lost in nursing homes.
The staff, medical and otherwise, exposed to the virus and possibly bringing it home, bringing it to places of essential business… it’s not isolated by any stretch, and locales are effected, not just the nursing home buildings and residents.
Nursing homes, meat packing plants, prisons… then those town and regions housing and hosting others leaving those places.
This virus doesn’t recognize borders, it doesn’t recognize it can’t leave buildings.
Comment by Oswego Willy Monday, May 11, 20 @ 12:00 pm
Seems like the State dropped the ball on nursing homes. I did notice the suit filed by Cicero to get the administration to do it’s job.
It could be just a reflection of the long road we have been on in terms of hollowing out state government.
Comment by Back to the Future Monday, May 11, 20 @ 12:01 pm
If 48 percent of all total deaths are from nursing homes and if there is some indication that nursing home cases are surging of late, then it could be nursing homes are currently making up well more than half the daily death toll that is being reported. Unless I’m missing something, the state is not providing a daily nursing home breakdown. That could be helpful. It might indicate that we need to throw more services at nursing homes than we currently are.
Comment by Roman Monday, May 11, 20 @ 12:09 pm
What percentage of Illinois deaths happened in a long-term care facility?
Comment by Phenomynous Monday, May 11, 20 @ 12:24 pm
Nevermind lol found it right there at the top of the post
Comment by Phenomynous Monday, May 11, 20 @ 12:27 pm
This is such a tragedy. CV-19 is present and even rampant at some of the most well-run assisted-living facilities. The lack of PPE, particularly at the end of March/beginning of April certainly contributed to the problem. @Back to the Future the Cicero facility was inspected last week and no violations were noted. Some of the more bare-bones facilities may be the hardest hit for a number of reasons including the challenge of keeping up with the optimal number of staff members. When already underpaid employees fall ill, it is difficult, if not nearly impossible to replace them. We are in a very grim place.
Comment by OK Boomer Monday, May 11, 20 @ 12:47 pm
We shouldn’t just be “saying follow the science”. We should be following the science. If we clearly see data that nursing homes have people catching this virus at such alarming rates then the administration should be addressing the problem.
Initially the administration was saying that based on science we might have a shortage of hospital beds and then the press reports St. Anthony’ hospital was close to having to shutdown. The hospital had to sue the administration over payment issues.
This is, of course, is tough stuff and hindsight is 20/20. These health and safety violations at nursing homes seem to have been around for at least a year.
After this crisis is over everyone will have time to look into why these issues weren’t resolved. It seems now would be the time to move nursing homes up the priority list.
Comment by Back to the Future Monday, May 11, 20 @ 1:05 pm
Not to beat a dying horse. If IDPH, who is responsible for inspecting nursing homes, would have done something about the 1 star rated facilities before covid, the outcome may have been different.
Comment by ANON Monday, May 11, 20 @ 1:05 pm
==Nursing home deaths now account for nearly 48% of the 3,241 fatalities statewide.==
If you take Chicago out of the equation, the percentage is alarmingly higher.
Comment by A Guy Monday, May 11, 20 @ 1:23 pm
I personally know exactly 1 person who has had covid. That person lives with a nursing home employee.
Comment by Captain Obvious Monday, May 11, 20 @ 1:29 pm
=== Not to beat a dying horse. If IDPH, who is responsible for inspecting nursing homes, would have done something about the 1 star rated facilities before covid, the outcome may have been different.===
Well the state should pay its bills. A nursing home can have a low star rating without necessarily violating laws. For example a lot of nursing homes get low stars for having less staff members. If a nursing home has a lot of medicaid patients, and the state is slow to pay those bills, the nursing home might hire less staff, meaning patients get less service.
Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Monday, May 11, 20 @ 1:56 pm
Was told by a cna that even if they test positive and are asymptomatic, they still have to go to work…
Comment by Laysale Monday, May 11, 20 @ 2:19 pm
** For example a lot of nursing homes get low stars for having less staff members. If a nursing home has a lot of medicaid patients, and the state is slow to pay those bills, the nursing home might hire less staff, meaning patients get less service.**
Yea…this is a garbage take. Nuraing homes have understaffed for years because they’re not held accountable. Not because they can’t afford it.
IL implemented staffing minimums ten years ago. Then raise the nursing home provider tax to pay for it. And then nursing homes still didn’t staff up.
Nursing homes were then given $240m more per year starting this current fiscal year. And still didn’t put it to staffing.
It ain’t a state payment problem. It’s an explicit decision by nursing home owners to fill their pockets rather than hire staff.
Comment by NotBecky Monday, May 11, 20 @ 4:23 pm
If we knew that you infection conferred immunity, we would be much further ahead. It looks like the congregate care facilities will have everybody infected well before the rest of the population. Can we find some way to turn that into an advantage?
Comment by Last Bull Moose Monday, May 11, 20 @ 4:56 pm
NotBecky, you are confused. The Suntimes article was about the Medicare star system. The Medicare star system compares nursing homes to each other, not to State of Illinois mandated minimums. If a nursing home doesn’t comply with the State of Illinois mandates they can be fined or even lose their license. The star system is more like Yelp.
Also it changes quite rapidly. By the time you book your grandma in a four star place and move the furniture in it can be a one star place. But consistent low stars in the staff column is indicative of financial issues.
Comment by Da Big Bad Wolf Tuesday, May 12, 20 @ 1:18 pm