Decline in Veterans' Admissions to Nursing Homes during COVID-19: Fewer Beds, More Fear, and Finding Alternative Care Settings.
Portia Y Cornell, Kate H Magid, Emily Corneau and 2 others
PMID 36708741WHAT IT FOUND
Veterans' admissions to community nursing homes dropped nearly 35% in 2020.
Staff cited strict infection policies, bed shortages from quarantine rules, and fear among families. Many Veterans returned home without adequate support services.
Key findings
01Weekly VA-paid admissions to community nursing homes decreased by nearly 35% from April to December 2020 compared to 2019.
02Infection control policies requiring private rooms for quarantine reduced available beds and prevented admissions during outbreaks.
03Veterans and families cancelled nursing home care or requested discharge due to fear of contracting COVID-19, often declining home health services.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for RNs
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What it does not show
The data excluded Veterans who used Medicare or private insurance for nursing home care. The study could not distinguish between long-term care and short-term post-acute care admissions in the purchased care data. National comparison data were only available by calendar year, mixing pre-pandemic and pandemic months. The qualitative interviews involved only nine staff members, which may not represent the full range of staff perspectives.
The easy way to misread this
Do not interpret the decline in admissions as evidence that home care is safer or better for these patients. The study notes that many Veterans discharged home declined supportive services like home health, and staff expressed concern that these patients lacked adequate care and support.