Shortage of personal protective equipment impacts Indiana nursing homes amid virus
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — The shortage of personal protection equipment in Indiana has hit nursing homes particularly hard.
Nursing homes are not given priority access to the state’s share of PPE’s from the national stockpile, which has allowed the COVID-19 virus to spread freely.
The owner of Cumberland Trace nursing home in Plainfield says the facility has a number of staff and residents who have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.
A statement sent to News 8 by Brandy Hill, the marketing and PR director for the facility, says, “This pandemic has caused a loss of life among the resident population. We grieve these losses with the families and associates at Cumberland Trace.”
They did not say how many of their residents have died from complications of COVID-19. But according to a recent statement by Dr. Krisitina Box, commissioner of Indiana State Department of Health, long-term health care facilities accounted for 15% of the deaths reported statewide.
“Our strike teams have engaged with nearly 200 facilities and have tested nearly 600 people, and this includes residents of long-term care facilities, residential facilities, group homes and correctional facilities. Of those tested, 191 came back positive with nearly a 170 of those being among our long-term care residents,” Box said.
News 8 has been told at least 11 residents of Cumberland Trace are currently in quarantine. And the ISDH strike team has been to Cumberland Trace at least once.
I-Team 8 has been told by a person familiar with the facility there is a lack of personal protective equipment for the staff. We did see several people on the campus with masks.
The lack of access to personal protection equipment during this pandemic is a matter of priority set by the state, according to a statement sent to I-team 8 from Zack Cattell, president of the Indiana Health Care Association.
“Personal protective equipment is in short supply and for which long-term health care facilities are secondary to hospitals in terms of distribution from the national stockpile. Donations from the general public and local governments directly to long-term health care facilities is greatly appreciated.”
The Indiana State Department of Health says they have distributed PPE to local health departments that expressed a need. The Hendricks County Health Department has not responded to I-Team 8’s questions about whether Cumberland Trace received or requested PPE.
Cumberland Trace has posted signs on the doors in following the state guidelines to prohibit visitors. We did see family members come to the parking lot and hold conversations through open windows. The state says the people in nursing homes are our most vulnerable population.
“This disease creates the potential for a perfect storm in a long-term care facility — large groups of vulnerable people living together and a highly transmissible virus that may not cause symptoms in those that care for them,” said Dr. Daniel Rusyniak, the chief medical officer of Indiana’s Family Social Services Administration.
ISDH has implemented a new rule that requires directors of long-term health care facilities to report to their local health department and ISDH within 24 hours any known or suspected cases, death of a resident or employee related to COVID-19.