Nonprofit nursing home operators were slammed by the pandemic They need more help from the state [editorial] lancasteronline.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from lancasteronline.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Chris Comisac
HARRISBURG A recent report by the New York Times showing Pennsylvania has six of the top 10 nursing homes with COVID-19 deaths has Republican state lawmakers calling on Gov. Tom Wolf and his administration to make good on its promises to protect the vulnerable long-term care facility population.
“The data and information available suggest the Wolf administration has not taken its pledges to protect nursing homes and long-term care facilities and their residents seriously enough,” said state Sen. Judy Ward, R-Blair, who chaired the Senate Aging and Youth Committee during the 2019-20 legislative session.
According to the Times report, the national average for nursing home deaths due to COVID-19 is 38%, but in Pennsylvania it’s 60%, which is the sixth-highest percentage in the nation. Additionally, of the top 10 facilities for virus deaths, six are Pennsylvania-based facilities, with Fair Acres Geriatric Center of Lima, Pa., the site with the most deaths in the