Big changes are coming to nursing homes.
On Sunday, Governor Andrew Cuomo announced major changes for the way nursing homes and hospitals interact, as well as a variety of new requirements for nursing home facilities.
Cuomo said hospitals are no longer allowed to discharge patients back into nursing homes until they test negative for COVID-19. While nursing homes won’t be able to reject those who are positive for COVID-19, they must be able to care for that person – which includes having necessary personal protective equipment.
“We’re just not going to send a person who is positive to a nursing home after hospital visit. Period. If there’s any issue, the resident must be referred to the department of health which will find alternative care,” Cuomo said at Sunday’s briefing.
New York reported more than 1,700 undisclosed COVID deaths at nursing homes and adult care facilities.
Cuomo said that staff at nursing homes will be required to be tested for COVID-19 twice per week. He guaranteed that those tests would be available.
If a facility declined to follow the new rules, they would be subject to losing their license.
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