About one-third of Michigan's coronavirus deaths have occurred in nursing homes. | Adobe Stock
About one-third of Michigan's coronavirus deaths have occurred in nursing homes. | Adobe Stock
The state of Michigan has not been spared from the fallout of the COVID-19 pandemic, and those most at risk in nursing homes are still in a vulnerable position.
Tens of thousands have gotten ill from the contagious, deadly virus, and thousands have died. More than 34% of the deaths in Michigan have been nursing home residents, according a column Sen. Curt VanderWall (R-Ludington) published in the Manistee News Advocate.
At the beginning of the outbreak, epidemiologists, infectious disease specialists and other experts warned that the elderly were particularly vulnerable to this disease. In response, the national Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued “Guidance for Infection Control and Prevention of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) in Nursing Homes,” a document that provided a plan for states to follow to try to contain the virus in nursing homes and long-term care facilities.
Sen. Curt VanderWall
| #MiSenateGOP
Despite this advice, Gov. Gretchen Whitmer issued an executive order that required some nursing homes to care for COVID-19 patients, risking the health of other nursing home patients who were not infected, VanderWall says.
"What some leaders in our state have seemingly failed to grasp is that nursing homes are not hospitals, and they are not designed to provide the type of care necessary for COVID-19 patients," VanderWall wrote. "Perhaps more importantly, since nursing homes house the population that is most vulnerable to the coronavirus, these facilities are not appropriate places to house patients with the disease."
VanderWall feels that the governor's order directly contradicts advice of the medical experts. The Healthcare Association of Michigan requested the governor recommend that recovering patients be sent to field hospitals instead of nursing homes.
Whitmer has been asked several times to release data related to nursing home deaths and other information about how the coronavirus has impacted the nursing home community. With accurate data, VanderWall feels the governor and Legislature could have worked together to respond more appropriately to the situation.
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