I'm a resident of a nursing home. What happens if I get sick? Will I be moved from my room or transferred to a Covid Recovery Facility?

 

You may be moved if you test positive for COVID-19.

 

• If you have symptoms but are pending results, you will be moved to a unit or area of your home for residents awaiting test results, in isolation within a room as a precaution.
  
  
• If you test positive for COVID-19, you will be moved to a unit or area of your current home for COVID-positive residents. There is no current plan to move people to another home if you test positive.
  
  
• If you are hospitalized and ready for hospital discharge to nursing home level of care, you might be discharged to another nursing home other than your own until you are ready for discharge back to your original home, if possible, when you test COVID-negative.

 

If a change or transfer is warranted, the nursing home director will provide as much notice as possible.

 

NOTE:

Residents who have been moved will eventually go back to their original facility, if possible. For any residents returning to their original facility, the nursing home cannot guarantee that residents will return to their original rooms, but that will happen if the rooms are vacant.

 

Procedures for transfers or discharges on both voluntary and involuntary basis:

 

Normally a nursing facility is required to give you, your guardian, conservator or legally liable relative a written notice and develop a plan with you, either:

A)transfer from one room to another within a facility; or

B) transfer or discharge from one facility to another.

 

There are very few exceptions to the rules related to notice and transfer or discharge. One of these existing reasons for an exception for room to room transfer is infection control issues or other health/safety concerns, that could impact other individuals or if other individuals in the home could be endangered.

If that is the case, under existing law, you may be transferred to another room with the right to notice and appeal after the fact, otherwise all existing regulations and procedures would apply.

 

Under the Executive Order and Commissioner’s Order there may be situations involving a transfer to another facility when current procedures are waived or are done as soon as practicable, related only to transfers involving the COVID-19 Recovery Facilities, due to the Public Health crisis. 

Otherwise, the rules and process involving a transfer to another nursing home are unchanged.

If you are going to be asked to transfer from your room or nursing home, someone will discuss this with you. If it is due to infection control issues or other health/safety concerns that may impact other individuals in the home who could be endangered, you may be transferred, and the existing regulations apply.

This is not a new procedure or process and should follow the normal regulations.

 

Guidance on transfers to a COVID Recovery Facility

 

DPH is planning to establish COVID Recovery Facilities. Alternate COVID Recovery Facilities are alternate care sites that will accept COVID-positive patients discharged from the hospital who no longer need an acute hospital level of care, freeing up a hospital bed, and have a need for skilled nursing care or the need for additional support. 

These alternate care sites will be responsible for discharge planning and preparing patients for discharge into the community.

COVID Recovery Facilities are existing nursing homes that will accept patients discharged from the hospital who previously resided in a nursing home but were denied re-admission to their original nursing home because of the facility’s inability or incapacity to care for these patients who continue to be COVID positive. 

 

• If your nursing home is chosen to be a COVID Recovery Facility, you will be offered the opportunity to transfer to another facility if you do not have symptoms and test negative for COVID-19.
  
• If you test positive for COVID-19, your current nursing home will be able to care for you. The Medical Director and the Director of Nursing will discuss decisions to transfer with residents and their families.

 

NOTE:
COVID-positive residents can be cared for in their current nursing home. If they are hospitalized and ready for hospital discharge to nursing home level of care, they might be discharged to a COVID-Recovery Facility until ready for discharge back to their original facility, if possible, when COVID-negative.