South Florida Sun Sentinel: Seniors are Sick with Coronavirus and Need Special Care. but Hospitals and Nursing Homes are in Conflict about who Takes on the Less Critical of Patients (April 15, 2020)
With nearly 1,400 cases of COVID-19 now reported in long-term care facilities in Florida, hospitals are discharging some patients who have improved back into nursing homes. Hospitals officials say they need to clear out patients who no longer need acute care. But nursing homes don’t want to take the patients discharged from hospitals for fear they’ll bring the coronavirus with them and spread it.Justice in Aging attorney Eric Carlson is concerned. “If you are admitting someone who you know has the virus, that cuts against all the tremendous focus that has been placed on not allowing the virus inside the four walls of the nursing facility,” he said. “Infection prevention and adequate staffing in nursing homes have been sore points even in better days.”