New Hampshire's high death rate from COVID-19 in elder-care facilities has exposed gaps in protective gear, testing, and staffing. Improvements have come in some areas but challenges remain. Meanwhile, both the state and federal government recently issued new visitation guidelines to help ease the severe mental and physical health effects of isolation. We examine how these facilities are preparing for this change.
Air date: Thursday, Sept. 24, 2020.
GUESTS:
- Melissa St. Cyr - Chief Legal Officer for the New Hampshire Dept. of Health and Human Services. She also worked for many years as a nursing-home administrator before becoming a lawyer.
- Dr. Daniel Stadler - Director of Geriatrics at Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center and Skilled Nursing Facility Medical Director at Lebanon Center Genesis in Lebanon, NH; Bear Mountain Hanover Terrace in Hanover, NH; Elm Wood Center Genesis in Claremont, NH; and Cedar Hill in Windsor VT
Also joining us:
- Judith Joy - Statewide coordinator for the Covid Alliance Senior Support Team of New Hampshire, a volunteer group that was formed in April to help support long-term care facilities during the pandemic. She is also a licensed registered nurse with a doctorate degree in educational leadership and served as a medical/surgical nurse in the Army.
- Douglas McNutt - Associate state director for advocacy with the NH office of the AARP and former director of the NH Bureau of Elderly and Adult Services.
See state guidelines for phased re-opening of long-term care facilities. See federal guidelines, issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. To reach the office of the Long-term Care Ombudsman, call 800-442-5640.
