tag | nursing home

A recent department survey of Pennsylvania’s long-term care facilities showed that nearly 80% of residents and 50% of staffers have been vaccinated.

Long-term care facilities were prioritized for vaccinations, and at this point the Pennsylvania Department of Health reports that 95% of them have held at least one vaccine clinic, or have a plan to hold these clinics. 

Pennsylvania will extend a key feature of its response to coronavirus outbreaks in nursing homes, albeit on a scaled-down model after federal funding ran out in December.

A federal grand jury has indicted the former administrator of a local nursing home, alleging that the administrator directed employees to over-report their hours in order to satisfy federal staffing requirements.

According to the state Department of Health, there have been 203 resident cases at Centre Crest and 106 cases among staff. All told, 70 residents died from COVID-19.

The lawsuit, filed in state court and announced Tuesday, contended the Department of Human Services is refusing to provide supplemental payments to nursing homes as required by law, depriving them of crucial funding to fight the pandemic.

Centre Crest said it’s testing all residents once a week and that it has adequate testing resources and personal protective equipment.