Rising mortality rates in nursing homes alarm patient supporters
In a recent statement to the Rheinische Post, patient advocate Eugen Brysch has predicted a short-term increase in COVID-19 deaths in nursing and care homes, citing approximately 400 deaths currently. However, he did not mention any specific reversal of this dramatic increase.
Brysch has suggested that an institution-based vaccination requirement will only be effective from February or March, expressing concerns about the potential acceleration of the loss of staff in nursing homes due to such a mandate. He has instead proposed a daily testing requirement for care staff as a better alternative.
In the meantime, Brysch believes immediate help is needed for the approximately 900,000 nursing home residents. He emphasises the importance of flexible, risk-based approaches such as symptom screening, discretionary visitor testing, voluntary vaccinations, and strict infection control practices.
This approach maintains protection while addressing operational challenges associated with staffing and compliance. Many nursing homes have shifted from mandatory testing to discretion-based visitor testing and active symptom screening for staff to balance safety and operational flexibility.
For instance, some state health departments, like New York, align with CMS guidance allowing nursing homes to forgo mandatory visitor testing and daily staff testing, instead relying on active screening and voluntary vaccination encouragement.
Moreover, with vaccination rates among nursing home healthcare personnel remaining low in many regions, there is a shift towards applying core principles of infection control such as symptom screening, use of personal protective equipment, hand hygiene, and rapid response to outbreaks rather than strict daily testing for all care staff.
Nursing homes continue to offer COVID-19 vaccinations to residents, staff, and volunteers to protect vulnerable populations. Flu vaccination is also recommended yearly for healthcare workers to reduce respiratory illness risks in nursing homes, complementing COVID-19 precautions.
Brysch believes the current staff situation in nursing homes is already too scarce, but did not express any opinion regarding the timeline for the vaccination of nursing home residents. He has stated that there is no sign of a reversal of this increase in COVID deaths in nursing homes, and that visits to nursing homes are being stopped again.
- Brysch advocate for daily testing of care staff as a better alternative to an institution-based vaccination requirement, which he expects to be effective from February or March.
- In his proposed approach, Brysch emphasizes the importance of symptom screening, discretionary visitor testing, voluntary vaccinations, and strict infection control practices in protecting nursing home residents.
- With vaccination rates among nursing home healthcare personnel remaining low in many regions, there is a shift towards focusing on core principles of infection control such as symptom screening, use of personal protective equipment, hand hygiene, and rapid response to outbreaks.
- Brysch has noted the importance of nutrition, fitness-and-exercise, mental-health, and other health-and-wellness practices in nursing homes, possibly suggesting the use of CBD as a natural aid in managing chronic diseases and mental-health conditions among residents.
