Increased Scrutiny of Infection-Control Practices at Nursing Homes on the Way

In light of the recent spread of coronavirus at a nursing home in Kirkland, Washington, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services administrator Seema Verma announced that she has ordered federal health inspectors to focus on infection-control practices at nursing homes.

With ten deaths at the nursing home in Kirkland, Veep explained, “We are hyperfocused on infection control right now.” “Our role in this is to say, ‘Were there some breaches of protocol? Was this facility following the guidelines that are in place? Was there hand-washing? Were they changing gloves? Were they doing laundry appropriately? Was food handled appropriately?'”

Nursing homes were already under additional scrutiny in recent years for a unique role they play in spreading epidemics. Some nursing homes are insufficiently staffed and have poor infection-control practices, leading to frequent cycling of their residents to and from hospitals and bringing germs back and forth. Now, health officials are concerned nursing homes could play a significant role in the spread of the coronavirus, with statistics from China showing that the virus kills more than 15% of people over 80 years old who are infected by it.

The attorneys at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner have been fighting for the rights of seniors injured by the negligence of staff at nursing homes for decades. If you or someone you know has been severely injured by the spread of bacteria or disease at a nursing home, contact the experienced attorneys at Abraham, Watkins, Nichols, Agosto, Aziz & Stogner by calling (713) 222-7211 or toll free at 713-222-7211.