03/17/2020
AFSCME provided us with information on what the CDC and other sources are mentioned for staffing during this COVID-19 pandemic, along with that we need to make sure that those members who are still coming into work are protected adequately. Often times employers deem respirators as the main source of protection but it is really a combination of infection prevention control and personal protective equipment that give an adequate level of protection to workers. I’ve added four documents, all have crucial of what to implement in a long term care setting during an infectious disease outbreak such as COVID-19.
Staffing ( ON the novel-coronavirus-2019 checklist from the CDC)
• A contingency staffing plan has been developed that identifies the minimum staffing needs and prioritizes critical and non-essential services based on residents’ health status, functional limitations, disabilities, and essential facility operations. Exclude nonessential staff, students, and volunteers from working with cases until the situation is over. Nonessential staff are any staff who contribute to the care of residents, but that care is not medically required (such as activity coordinators). Facilities will need to determine who is essential for the care of residents.
• A person has been assigned responsibility for conducting a daily assessment of staffing status and needs during a COVID-19 outbreak.
• Legal counsel and state health department contacts have been consulted to determine the applicability of declaring a facility “staffing crisis” and appropriate emergency staffing alternatives, consistent with state law.
• The staffing plan includes strategies for collaborating with local and regional planning and response groups to address widespread healthcare staffing shortages during a crisis.
MA Long-Term Care Staffing Ratios Legislation “Sufficient nursing personnel to meet resident nursing care needs based on acuity, resident assessments, care plans, census and other relevant factors as determined by the facility. (e) The facility shall provide additional nursing services, sufficient to meet the needs, in the event a resident has a minor illness and is not transferred to a higher level facility or unit.”
https://www.mass.gov/regulations/105-CMR-15000-standards-for-long-term-care-facilities
attached OSHA guidance and for more information on CDC Long Term Care Recommendations:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/healthcare-facilities/prevent-spread-in-long-term-care-facilities.html
This is an unofficial version of Commonwealth regulations and is posted here for the convenience of the public. It is not an official statement of the regulations.
