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Severe Staffing and Personal Protective Equipment Shortages Faced by Nursing Homes During the COVID-19 Pandemic

Journal Article Data Collection & Quality
August 20, 2020

Many nursing homes reported shortages and PPE and/or staff, and these conditions did not improve over the course of the pandemic. Policies aimed at providing resources to obtain additional direct care staff and PPE for these vulnerable nursing homes, particularly in areas with rising community COVID-19 case rates, are needed to reduce the national COVID-19 death toll.

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32816600/

Key Takeaways

More than one in five nursing homes reported a severe shortage of PPE and any shortage of staff.
Rates of both staff and PPE shortages did not meaningfully improve from May to July 2020.
Facility COVID-19 cases, Medicaid-enrolled residents, and lower quality scores were all associated with shortages.
 

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