State order focuses on long-term care safety
The Pennsylvania Department of Health announced Monday that the secretary of health has ordered long-term care facilities to take additional steps to protect staff and residents from COVID-19 in response to concerns from some front-line workers.
The order given by Dr. Rachel Levine requires nursing homes, personal care homes, assisted living facilities and private intermediate care facilities to develop and implement procedures to distribute personal protective equipment to staff who are providing direct care to COVID-19-positive residents by Aug. 27.
“Across Pennsylvania, we have nurses and other front-line workers providing care to COVID-positive
residents amidst the pandemic,” Dr. Levine said. “Many long-term care facilities have been working diligently to protect their staff from this virus. We have also heard from nurses and staff from across the state, and this order responds directly to their safety concerns. The order requires that the necessary steps are in place to deliver a safer environment to continue providing high-quality care during these challenging times.”
The announcement said the new procedures must, at a minimum, include the distribution of respirators at the beginning of shifts to staff who are providing COVID-19 care.
The respirators must also be approved by either the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health or the Food and Drug Administration, including ones approved through an Emergency Use Authorization.
“As we continue to face the COVID-19 pandemic, we must take lessons from the first six months and use this experience to plan and prepare for whatever arises in the weeks and months to come,” said Teresa Miller, Department of Human Services secretary. “This order requires that facilities continue to be prepared for scenarios before they arise and to be able to act quickly and thoroughly.”
The announcement also said any resident, family member or staff member concerned about safety at a facility can file an anonymous complaint to the Department of Health or Department of Human Services.