PROVIDENCE – Gov. Gina M. Raimondo announced Friday that the R.I. Department of Health gave the green light to nursing homes to allow essential caregivers to take care of residents.
Therefore, family members that have a loved one in a nursing home who needs help with bathing, grooming, eating or other critical activities will be able to sign up to be an essential caregiver.
However, nursing homes will still determine if they want to allow essential caregivers inside.
“We are not forcing this on nursing homes,” said Raimondo.
Only one essential caregiver will be allowed per resident, said Raimondo during her weekly coronavirus briefing.
Essential caregivers will have to go through a training program ran by the facility. In addition, these essential caregivers will have to go through the same testing, screening and other COVID-19 requirements as staff members of nursing homes.
The program will begin Monday, said Raimondo.
The news comes as many nursing homes and other long-term care facilities have barred visitors due to the increase in COVID-19 spread across the community. On Thursday, Rhode Island nursing home COVID-19 associated deaths hit 1,000. Throughout the pandemic, COVID-19 deaths inside nursing homes have made up about 65% of coronavirus deaths in the state compared to the national average of 40%.
“Nursing home heroes and our state’s most vulnerable citizens have been the victims of dangerously low short staffing for decades – the pandemic is pushing them to a breaking point,” said Adanjesus Marin Thursday evening. Marin is a coordinator of Raise the Bar on Resident Care, which is a coalition of nursing home caregivers, clergy members, community partners, nursing home residents and their family members. “There is a direct correlation between staffing levels and infection control violations yet the industry continues to claim they are powerless to stop the spread. It is time our elected officials hold industry leaders accountable to keeping nursing home residents and caregivers safe as their lives are put at risk daily.”
Raimondo said Friday that she knows that social distancing with restricted visitation at nursing homes has been a strain on staff, residents and families.
“I hope this does a little something to ease the pain on you and your loved ones,” said Raimondo.
Alexa Gagosz is a PBN staff writer. Contact her at Gagosz@PBN.com. You may also follow her on Twitter at @AlexaGagosz.
