Record cases leave US care homes struggling

Nursing homes in the United States are experiencing record high infections among residents and staff hit by the Omicron variant, and long-term facilities across the country are reporting major staff shortages as workers are sickened or quit their jobs.

More than 40,000 residents at the homes tested positive last week, according to data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost a tenfold rise since November.

Last week, there were 988 reported deaths among nursing home residents, but only a fraction of the peak in deaths－more than 6,000－in December 2020. Staff shortages due to infection and workers quitting have nursing homes most concerned.

Governors in Minnesota, New Jersey and New York have called up National Guard troops to bolster staffing. On Friday, New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the state will deploy 88 nonmedically trained Guard members.

Infection cases among staff hit a record high of more than 67,000 in the first week of January, but started to decline last week.

In Virginia, about 2,700 care workers have tested positive for the coronavirus this month, reported The Washington Post last week.

In neighboring Maryland, 7 in 10 nursing homes have reported new outbreaks, and as many as 5,000 workers have had to stay home after testing positive, Joseph DeMattos, president of the Health Facilities Association of Maryland, told the Post.

Both states have reissued states of emergency to ease staff shortages, including extending expiration dates for nursing licenses and allowing nursing graduates to start work more quickly.

"It's not only the cases that have skyrocketed, but also the staffing shortages that have really strained the systems," Alice Kim with the Cleveland Clinic told News 5.

Pete Van Runkle with the Ohio Health Care Association told News 5 that there are 4,000 long-term healthcare workers out due to COVID-19. That is on top of staff members who quit.

Executive order

Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont signed an executive order on Jan 10 requiring all employees of long-term care facilities to get a booster by Feb 11.

The rule was issued by the federal Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, or CMS. The mandate does not apply to assisted living facilities not regulated by the CMS.

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, the nursing home industry has lost more than 420,000 jobs since the start of the pandemic, reducing its workforce to the size it was 15 years ago.

Low-wage workers make up most of the staff in the nursing home industry. They are the lowest paid in the healthcare industry, earning a median annual wage of $30,120, according to federal data.

Some employees have chosen to retire early rather than face the intense workload and coronavirus risks. Others have been lured away by companies offering higher wages.

Many nursing homes are shutting down under the pressure, said Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO of LeadingAge.