An intervention in Massachusetts helped nursing homes lower their COVID-19 infection rates.
In April 2020, Massachusetts nursing homes became a hotspot for COVID‐19 infections and associated deaths. In response, Governor Charles Baker allocated $130 million in additional funding for 2 months to nursing homes complying with a new set of care criteria.
A study, published in the Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, describes the results of that intervention, during which a statewide Central Command team provided on-site and virtual consultations to 123 “special focus” nursing homes with infection control deficiencies. All of the state’s 360 nursing homes received resources to help them control COVID-19 infections.
Researchers found that adherence to infection control processes, especially proper wearing of personal protective equipment (PPE) and cohorting, was significantly associated with declines in weekly infection and mortality rates in both groups of nursing homes.
“This statewide effort could serve as a national model for other states to prevent the devastating effects of pandemics such as COVID‐19 in frail nursing home residents,” the researchers concluded.
The intervention, led by the Massachusetts Senior Care Association and LeadingAge member Hebrew SeniorLife, consisted of these components:
- Checklist: Nursing homes received a 28‐item Infection Control Competency Checklist featuring best practices in infection control, the use of PPE, staffing plans, clinical care, and communication with staff, residents, and families in six core competencies.
- Payment incentive: The state provided for a 50% increase in payments to nursing homes for 2 months, contingent on achieving a score of 24 or higher on the checklist, conducting widespread testing, and reporting data. Nursing homes receiving additional funds were required to use those funds to pay for additional staff or staff hours, procure PPE and sanitation supplies, and reconfigure living spaces to enable cohorting.
- Consultations and resources: The 123 special focus nursing homes received on‐site and virtual infection control consultation while the other nursing homes had access to weekly webinars and answers to questions about infection control procedures. All nursing homes also had access to guidance that helped them locate PPE, staff, and testing resources.