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Waiting for CDC’s 2020 projection for HAI related deaths
Nursing Home residents had no idea of the HAI death rate associated with their new home prior to the release of COVID-19’s devastating statistics. That message doesn’t fit with the tone of the alluring brochures, brimming with coveted services and wellness opportunities. It also doesn’t fit with regulatory agencies as they appear quite passive in its reporting. It had been a rather hidden statistic as even leading operators were not willing to invest in the corrective actions. The reality was ignored as the CDC quietly repeated their annual number of 380,000 deaths for 2019, pre-COVID-19.
Some estimates for the loss of lives in these homes due to COVID-19 for 2020 will reach 100,000. As stark as that is, it pales in comparison to the annually recurring number of 380,000. What will COVID-19 potentially add to the total 2020 statistic? When might we see the CDC’s new estimate for 2020?
Why did the flow of scientific expert advisors find the COVID-19 mortality rate so surprising? Opinions are welcomed. No politics, please.
Many Care Homes are struggling for survival as they invest in this pathogen’s antidotes which include dramatic changes in handwashing/hand sanitizing by Caregivers and Residents. These actions are more about fixing the old rather than dealing with the new. These initiatives would be better placed under the umbrella of “Our HAI Process-Control Standards.” Here are the risks, old plus new. Here is what we have been doing. What is our current and projected individual NHAI (Nursing Home Acquired Infection) rate? What is our process and what are our process controls to minimize the premature loss of life?
Nursing Homes must survive because of the critical services they provide. They are not the villains. Their workforce is lead by a corps of altruistic professionals. Nursing home leadership must stress EFFECTIVENESS in delivering their services before they deal with EFFICIENCY.
