CT Coronavirus Updates: Some Nursing Home Patients Will Be Moved

CONNECTICUT — Gov. Ned Lamont announced that he is collaborating with Connecticut’s long-term care facilities on a "medical surge plan" that will involve moving some residents and the creation of dedicated spaces for residents who are COVID-19 positive.

As the number of individuals who are diagnosed with COVID-19 rises, the health care system will be stretched to extremes, Lamont said. Compounding this challenge is the fact that the elderly population will be at greater risk when diagnosed as being positive for COVID-19, Lamont added.

Nursing homes are an essential component of the medical surge plan, Lamont said. It includes several options. The following information was released from Lamont's office:

1. Separation of COVID-19 positive residents: Anyone diagnosed as COVID-19 positive in a hospital and later admitted to a nursing home will be monitored and assessed for 14 days in an area that only has other COVID-19 positive residents. Anyone admitted who is negative for COVID-19 will be housed with other residents who are negative, as a mitigation measure.

2. Dedication of space: Existing nursing homes will dedicate specific units that will group together residents who have been diagnosed as being COVID-19 positive, where applicable.

3. Conversion of existing nursing homes: Residents of some long-term care facilities who either test negative for COVID-19 or display no symptoms will be able to voluntarily transfer to facilities where there are no COVID-19 positive residents. At the same time, some facilities will be converted to only house individuals who are COVID-19 positive and dedicate their new admissions to individuals who have been diagnosed positive. This concept also includes a facility who has a dedicated entrance to a unit within the structure that can physically isolate all care and services from normal operations. For existing nursing home conversions, individuals who are not positive for COVID-19 and/or asymptomatic will all be voluntarily transferred to the receiving destination prior to that facility accepting any individuals who are COVID-19 positive.

4. Development of new alternate care sites: New spaces are identified that are currently vacant and in several cases have been vacated through recent nursing home closures. These sites would be licensed as chronic and convalescent nursing homes and the request would be made to the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) for an 1135 waiver for rapid certification. These alternate care sites, too, would be dedicated to the care of individuals positive for COVID-19. Alternate care sites developed will be inspected and approved by the Department of Public Health (DPH). DPH can also provide support regarding access to and moving of equipment, staffing and logistics.

The Department of Social Services and the Office of Policy and Management have determined a specific payment rate for options 3 and 4. Options 3 and 4 would also require providers to submit a written proposal to DPH prior to approval that will need to address staffing patterns, equipment needs and detail system supports that will be provided such as environmental and food services, among others.

Options 3 and 4 will create additional bed space for 1,175 people. The following nursing homes have been identified as potential sites:

Option 3 (conversion of existing facilities)
Evergreen Health Care (Stafford Springs, 180 Beds)
Sharon Health Care (Sharon, 88 Beds)
Touchpoints of Farmington (Farmington, 120 Beds)
Touchpoints of Bloomfield (Bloomfield, 30 Beds)
Greenwich Woods (Greenwich, 217)
Total beds in option 3: 635

Option 4 (new alternate sites)
Old Greenwich Civic Center (Greenwich, 90 Beds)
Silver Hill Hospitals (New Caanan, 90 Beds)
Westfield (Meriden, 120 Beds)
Green Springs (East Hartford, 120 Beds)
Vacant Nursing Home in Region 5 (120 Beds)
Total beds in option 4: 540

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The following is the list of nursing homes in Connecticut with residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 as of April 1:

Bloomfield: Bloomfield Healthcare Center

Bloomfield: Caleb Hitchcock Health Center

Bloomfield: Touchpoints at Bloomfield

Bridgeport: Jewish Living Center

Canton: Cherry Brook Health Care Center

Danbury: Glen Hill Center

East Haven: Whispering Pines Rehabilitation and Nursing Center

Greenwich: Greenwich Woods Rehabilitation

Greenwich: Nathaniel Witherell

Guilford: Guilford House

Milford: Golden Hill Rehab Pavilion

Naugatuck: Glendale Center

New Haven: Grimes Center

New London: Harbor Village Health and Rehabilitation

Newington: Bel-Air Manor

Portland: Portland Care and Rehabilitation

Rocky Hill: Apple Rehab Rocky Hill

Seymour: Shady Knoll Health Center

Sharon: Sharon Health Care Center

Shelton: Apple Rehab Shelton Lakes

Shelton: Bishop Wicke Health and Rehabilitation

Shelton: Gardner Heights Health Care Center

Stafford Springs: Evergreen Health Care Center

Stamford: St. Camillus Center

Suffield: Suffield House

Torrington: RegalCare at Torrington

Torrington: Wolcott Hall

Trumbull: Maefair Health Care Center

Waterbury: Abbott Terrace Health Center

Waterbury: RegalCare at Waterbury

Waterbury: Waterbury Gardens Nursing and Rehabilitation

Waterford: Bayview Health Care

Wilton: Wilton Meadows

Windsor: Kimberly Hall North

Windsor: Windsor Health and Rehabilitation

Woodbridge: The Willows

See also: CT Coronavirus: Lamont Orders Changes For Grocery, Retail Stores

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