Alzheimer’s Association advises nursing homes on virus

The Alzheimer’s Association has created a set of public policy recommendations in Ohio to address the burgeoning needs of nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the areas of novel coronavirus testing, reporting, and surge activation.

“This issue is important to the association for a number of reasons, especially when there are around 70,000 individuals living with Alzheimer’s and dementia residing in long-term care facilities in Ohio,” said Trey Addison, director of state public policy for the Alzheimer’s Association. “We have to act now and work to support the residents, their families and every facility.

“Our recommendations stand out as solutions that will protect patients and assist long-term care facilities with keeping their workers safe.”

The Alzheimer’s Association is calling for greater attention to the needs of nursing home and assisted living facility staff and residents as deaths related to COVID-19 climb in those settings.

Addison said the agency has been working collaboratively with the Ohio Department of Aging and at least four steps have been implemented, to better address the issues.

The group recommends: • Testing — Implement daily testing for all new individuals who come onsite and retesting for returning individuals who enter the facility, in accordance with local guidance.

• Reporting — Protect the privacy of individuals throughout the reporting process.

• Surge activation — Require nursing homes and assisted living communities to implement a care coordination protocol that ensures a smooth transition between care settings if a resident must be moved to another care setting.

• Overall support — Require dissemination of essential dementia care standards to aid provisional staff in the delivery of person-centered dementia care. Also, require nursing homes and assisted living communities to address social isolation.

Addison and the agency are working with families to help them navigate these challenging times. They will not only be offering virtual support group meetings throughout Ohio, but are also advocate for policies that will help families through COVID-19 and beyond.

“By testing everyone at a facility, including visitors at some point, we can establish safety and security for family members, residents and staff,” he said. “Testing is critical, and we see this as the anchor to getting Ohio long-term care facilities back to welcoming family members.”

SUBMITTED The Alzheimer’s Association has created public policy recommendations to address the needs of nursing home and assisted living facilities in Ohio.