RESUMEN
We aimed to determine the hospitalization rate and average days spent at home in a population of assisted living (AL) residents served by a home-based primary care (HBPC) practice during the COVID-19 pandemic. We provided on-site HBPC to 1,699 AL residents and calculated hospitalization rate and days spent at home. The AL population had a mean age of 84 ± 10?years and 73% were female. The mean hospitalization rate was 449 admissions per 1,000?per year, and there was wide variation among AL communities. AL residents spent a mean of 358?days at home per year, and the average days spent at home varied during the COVID-19 pandemic. Use of these measures may help AL articulate its value proposition by enabling seniors with complex health needs to live in community settings for as many days as possible.
RESUMEN
Residents of congregate care settings have been severely impacted by the current Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic. In this report, we describe the methods our home-based primary care practice has developed to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 in assisted living facilities (ALFs) and we present an initial evaluation of this innovation. Shortly after the first COVID-19 case was reported in the United States, our organization assembled an outbreak committee, designed to support the 1794 ALF residents and the 101 communities in which they reside. The committee led the development and deployment of a comprehensive COVID-19 prevention and suppression strategy. The average age of the cohort was 83 ± 11 years, and 74% were female. Seven individuals (0.4% of census) tested positive for SARS-CoV-2. The positive individuals were located in 3 ALFs, representing 3% of our total number of ALFs. There has been 1 death. Home-based primary care-led outbreak mitigation may be an enabler to suppress COVID-19 in ALFs.