There are new guidelines for residential health care facilities to implement to help stop the spread of infection.
Nursing, rehabilitation, long-term care and residential health care facilities are now working to implement the mandated changes in the legislation signed this month by Gov. Kathy Hochul.
What You Need To Know
- There are new guidelines for residential health care facilities to implement to help stop the spread of infection
- It requires the facilities to swiftly update residents as well as their family members when an infection is detected within the facility
- It also requires the nursing homes to have a plan in place to accommodate exposed or infected residents to stop the spread of the infection
It requires the facilities to swiftly update residents as well as their family members when an infection is detected within the facility. And it requires the nursing homes to have a plan in place to accommodate exposed or infected residents to stop the spread of the infection.
“She is absolutely right in having families notified immediately. I would want to be notified immediately if that was my sister,” said Sheryl Goldwasser, whose twin sister, Sharyn Ritchie, lives in a long-term care facility. She’s spent the last seven years in the care of various nursing homes in the Rochester area. Currently, she stays at Unity Living Center.
Her family is very involved in her care and supports both the notification requirement and the call for a plan.
“I agree,” Goldwasser says. “They should have a plan and all the social workers and directors should get together have a plan and then let the families know. I do agree 100 %. They’re taking care of our loved ones. We’re not there 24/7. We’re not there during the night.”
Sheryl’s husband, Howard Goldwasser, says even though the governor signed the legislation, he believes it’s important for family members of residents to understand the regulations and work to make sure healthcare facilities enforce them.
“There’s a myriad of reasons why they may not be enforced – whether it be people being lazy, overworked, understaffed, corporate culture, whatever – It’s the ultimate responsibility of the family members to make sure that the care given to their loved one is in accordance to what state regulations are proposing,” he said.
The legislation expands the existing pandemic emergency plan. It is an effort to prevent the spread of infections that are potentially life-threatening.
