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Virginia

COVID-19 cases rise for second straight month in Virginia’s nursing homes

Crystal Graham
senior man in wheelchair
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Rates of COVID-19 cases and deaths among nursing home residents and staff nationwide increased sharply in December, while most residents and staff nationwide are still not up to date on their COVID-19 vaccinations. In Virginia, cases increased and deaths remained about the same.

According to AARP’s Nursing Home COVID-19 dashboard, rates of COVID-19 cases among nursing home residents nationwide increased 57 percent in the four weeks ending December 18, compared to the previous four weeks. There was also a 53 percent increase in staff cases during the same period.

In Virginia, resident cases are up by 32 percent in the four weeks ending December 18, compared to the previous four weeks, with staff cases up by 30 percent during the same period.

This news comes as the Virginia House of Delegates’ Health, Welfare, and Institutions Committee is poised to take action on legislation that would set minimum staffing standards for the state’s nursing facilities.

Virginia is one of only 12 states with no laws setting the minimum number of hours of care a nursing home resident receives from nurses and aides.

Since the beginning of the pandemic, more than 4,000 nursing home residents in Virginia have died from the virus. Nationwide, it’s estimated that tragically more than 175,000 residents and staff of nursing homes have died due to COVID-19.

The new data shows most nursing home residents and staff are still not up to date on their vaccinations.

For the dashboard period ending December 18, only 47 percent of nursing home residents nationwide and 22 percent of staff were up to date on COVID-19 vaccinations.

In Virginia, 49 percent of residents and 23 percent of staff were up to date on their vaccinations.

Bivalent boosters, designed to protect against the Omicron variant as well as previous strains, have been available since September, but utilization rates remain low.

“Nursing homes must prioritize vaccination rates among residents and staff,” said Jared Calfee, advocacy director of AARP Virginia, which serves more than 1 million members age 50 and older in Virginia. “Family members can play a role, too, in keeping their loved ones safe by engaging with facility management and staff and asking the right questions about vaccination rates.”

AARP also sent a letter to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services urging it to take additional steps to help increase up to date COVID-19 vaccination rates for nursing home residents and staff nationwide, saying more action is needed to protect them and would build upon other recent steps.

Nationwide, about 23 percent of nursing homes reported a staffing shortage in the four weeks ending December 18, a slight decrease from the previous dashboard.  Virginia facilities reporting a shortage of nurses or aides was 19 percent for the same period, the lowest since the summer of 2021.

“AARP is fighting for legislation that addresses staffing inadequacies in nursing homes,” said Calfee. “We must do more to ensure that residents receive high-quality care and their families have peace of mind about their safety.”

Crystal Graham

Crystal Graham

Crystal Abbe Graham is the regional editor of Augusta Free Press. A 1999 graduate of Virginia Tech, she has worked for nearly 25 years as a reporter and editor for several Virginia publications, written a book, and garnered more than a dozen Virginia Press Association awards for writing and graphic design. She was the co-host of "Viewpoints," a weekly TV news show, and co-host of Virginia Tonight, a nightly TV news show. Her work on "Virginia Tonight" earned her a national Telly award for excellence in television.