Nursing home operators worry that if they order staff to get shots, some will quit and work elsewhere, so they would prefer having a standard for everyone to follow.
Forty percent more Black and Hispanic residents of Illinois nursing homes died from COVID-19 than would be expected, in part because they were more likely than whites to be living in three- and four-person rooms.
That statistic on preventable deaths related to overcrowding, as well as other numbers described as “tragic” and “a call to action” by advocates for nursing home residents, were presented to two Illinois House committees Wednesday by officials from the Illinois Department of Healthcare and Family Services.
The HFS analysis of COVID-19-related deaths between March 2020 and July 2020 the first wave of the pandemic provided the first in-depth look at racial and ethnic disparities surrounding the way nursing home residents are housed.
Overcrowded nursing homes led to disproportionate number of preventable deaths among Black and Latino residents, state says msn.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from msn.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
by Kevin Bessler, The Center Square | April 21, 2021 08:00 PM Print this article
Nursing home residents in Illinois isolated by the COVID-19 pandemic would be able to visit loved ones virtually under a proposal being considered in Springfield.
The proposal, Senate Bill 2137, would require nursing homes to develop written policies to prevent social isolation and provide computers for face-to-face communication.
During a news conference Tuesday, state Sen. Jackie Collins, D-Chicago, one of the bill’s sponsors, said isolation can lead to health problems.
“Social isolation has been shown to negatively impact resident’s physical health, with a 50% increase risk of developing dementia, a 29% increased risk of developing coronary heart disease, and a 32% increased risk of stroke,” Collins said.