COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in Skilled Nursing Facilities in Cook County, Illinois.
Public Health Rep
; 137(3): 564-572, 2022.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE | ID: covidwho-1704879
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
The COVID-19 pandemic has had a devastating impact on older adults residing in skilled nursing facilities. This study examined the pathways through which community and facility factors may have affected COVID-19 cases and deaths in skilled nursing facilities.METHODS:
We used structural equation modeling to examine the number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in skilled nursing facilities in Cook County, Illinois, from January 1 through September 30, 2020. We used data from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, the Illinois Department of Public Health, and the Cook County Medical Examiner's Office to determine the number of resident COVID-19 cases and deaths, number of staff cases, facility-level characteristics, and community-level factors.RESULTS:
Poorer facility quality ratings and higher numbers of staff COVID-19 cases were associated with increased numbers of resident COVID-19 cases and deaths. For-profit ownership was associated with larger facilities and higher resident-to-staff ratios, which increased the number of staff COVID-19 cases. Furthermore, skilled nursing facilities with a greater percentage of White residents were in areas with lower levels of social vulnerability and were less likely to be for-profit and, thus, were associated with higher quality.CONCLUSIONS:
For-profit ownership was associated with lower facility quality ratings and increases in the number of staff COVID-19 cases, leading to increased resident COVID-19 cases and deaths. Establishing enforceable regulations to ensure quality standards in for-profit skilled nursing facilities is critical to prevent future outbreaks and reduce health disparities in facilities serving racial and ethnic minority populations.Keywords
Full text:
Available
Collection:
International databases
Database:
MEDLINE
Main subject:
Skilled Nursing Facilities
/
COVID-19
Type of study:
Observational study
/
Randomized controlled trials
Limits:
Aged
/
Humans
Country/Region as subject:
North America
Language:
English
Journal:
Public Health Rep
Year:
2022
Document Type:
Article
Affiliation country:
00333549221074381
Similar
MEDLINE
...
LILACS
LIS