America needs nursing homes. The country’s population is getting older, and more old people need long term care than ever before. At the same time, the country is losing facilities at an alarming rate; without aid, 1 in 4 nursing homes are likely to close by 2025.
The COVID-19 pandemic exposed critical flaws in infection control at assisted living facilities. Despite accounting for under 1% of the US population, 20% of COVID-19 related casualties were nursing home residents. That’s hundreds of thousands of people. Even before the pandemic, 380,000 nursing home residents died annually due to infections like influenza and urinary tract infections.
Nurses are the key to infection control for those who need long-term care, but they’re fleeing the scene in droves. Since the beginning of 2020, about 15% of the country’s nursing home workforce have sought other jobs. Stress and low pay push people away at the expense of those who need care.
Source: IPCWell.com
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