CALTCM Calls Sending Contagious COVID Patients to Nursing Homes “a Clear and Present Danger to All of the Residents.”

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From the California Association of Long Term Care Medicine

CALTCM Resolution: COVID-19

Whereas, SARS-CoV-2 (the COVID-19 pandemic) is known to be particularly lethal to older adults and chronically ill individuals, and

Whereas, skilled nursing facilities are predominantly filled with this vulnerable population, and

Whereas, there is currently an inadequate supply of testing available to understand the present state of infection in skilled nursing facilities, and facilities should be considered to be COVID-19-naïve until testing demonstrates otherwise, and

Whereas, skilled nursing facilities are generally unprepared to address the severity and complexity of managing seriously ill COVID-19 patients, and

Whereas, COVID-naive facilities must focus on prevention and containment of COVID-19 when applicable, and

Whereas, existing skilled nursing facilities with outbreaks of COVID-19 might be an indicator of insufficient infection control processes, and it would be optimal for COVID-19 patients in the PALTC population to be treated in facilities with appropriate expertise and resources, and

Whereas, admitting patients with suspected or documented COVID-19 infection represents a clear and present danger to all of the residents of a skilled nursing facility, then let it be

Resolved, that CALTCM, The California Association of Long Term Medicine, should work to educate state and national government officials/regulators/agencies regarding the risks of COVID-19 infection to our vulnerable patient population, and therefore be it further

RESOLVED that COVID-19-naive Skilled Nursing Facilities should NOT be forced by local hospitals or officials to accept new admissions who demonstrate clinical evidence or a positive test for active COVID-19, unless they have two negative tests that are 24 hours apart, OR 10 Days after admission AND no fever for 72 hours, per Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and Los Angeles County Department of Public Health (LAC DPH) guidelines, and be it further

RESOLVED, that CALTCM urgently work with local/state/federal government and other stakeholders to develop options/utilize resources that do not place post-acute/LTC patients at undue risk of COVID-19 infection, while providing the appropriate level of care for those who have suffered from the infection, and be it further

RESOLVED, that CALTCM work with other stakeholders, including nursing home operators, to identify or create skilled nursing centers of excellence to deliver care to patients who have been treated for COVID-19 in the acute hospital setting, or, who require skilled nursing care instead of acute hospital care.


Approved by the CALTCM Board of Directors on March 19, 2020


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