PPE, staff shortages unchanged: CMS data show 1 in 5 facilities ‘severely’ affected
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 24, 2020
There were notable clusters of equipment shortfalls in certain states. A quarter of U.S. counties had at least 44% of nursing homes reporting low staffing levels.
Nurses ask feds to invoke Defense Production Act for N95 masks; survey finds ‘unacceptable’ reuse...
By
Alicia Lasek
Sep 04, 2020
One in three nurses remain short on supplies, an ANA survey has found. “Re-use and decontamination of single-use PPE as the ‘new normal’ is unacceptable, given the lack of standards and evidence...
Silver lining? Surgical and N95 masks ease spring allergies in nurse study
By
Alicia Lasek
Mar 12, 2021
Nurses who recorded allergic rhinitis symptoms during a two-week period in the pandemic reported significantly decreased symptoms while wearing an N95 or surgical face mask vs. wearing no mask.
Wearers of medical masks and respirators have same infection rates in healthcare settings: study
By
Alicia Lasek
Jun 24, 2021
The risk of receiving a positive COVID-19 test result was the same among healthcare workers who wore either type of mask, investigators say. In contrast, their non-mask-wearing colleagues had significantly...
Industry advocates: Test all facility residents for COVID-19; late PPE promises ‘disgraceful’
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 29, 2020
All nursing home residents should be tested for COVID-19, says AHCA’s Mark Parkinson, while LeadingAge’s Katie Smith Sloan has some choice words about the timing of FEMA’s new PPE delivery...
Providers with adequate equipment and training stay COVID-19 free: study
By
Alicia Lasek
Jul 08, 2020
None of the 420 doctors and nurses participating in the study developed COVID-19-related symptoms or tested positive for antibodies after working in a high-risk environment.
National survey tells story of COVID in assisted living
By
Alicia Lasek
Aug 19, 2021
New industry data from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics details how COVID-19 affected assisted living communities across the country during the height of the pandemic.
While FDA moves to halt mask reuse, N95 access remains spotty, report finds
By
Alicia Lasek
Apr 15, 2021
A new push to ensure that healthcare facilities stockpile single-use or reusable N95 respirators has arrived while some workers continue to lack access to the equipment and U.S. mask manufacturers can’t...