Nursing home residents worldwide are particularly vulnerable to the ravages of COVID-19. In the U.S. as of Aug. 2, 2020, nearly 46,000 nursing home residents had died from the virus. In addition, deaths linked to nursing homes have been estimated to account for 40% of all COVID-19 deaths in the U.S.
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In my home state of Virginia, nursing home residents make up more than half the state’s COVID-19 related deaths. That statistic alone emphasizes the critical need for infection control and sufficient support for these residencies.
I’m a physician who specializes in geriatric medicine and works at an academic medical center. Since March 2020, I have led a team to develop a collaborative care model for nursing homes in our community. That means bringing together hospitals, physician groups, community agencies and health departments to figure out how we can all work collectively to improve outcomes for these residents during the pandemic.