MASSACHUSETTS SENIOR CARE ASSOCIATION STATEMENT ON UPDATED COVID-19 PRECAUTIONS
“As the Commonwealth moves aggressively to a COVID-19 mitigation strategy, the state’s nursing facilities are working diligently to implement every available measure in order to protect the state’s 100,000 residents and staff who are especially at risk of contracting this illness.
Following Tuesday’s declaration of a State Emergency by Gov. Charlie Baker, the Massachusetts Senior Care Association (MSCA) is continuing to work with the Baker Administration to implement statewide protocols aimed at protecting frail elderly and nursing home staff from a potential outbreak of the COVID-19 virus that poses a life threatening danger to our elderly residents.
MSCA supports the updated guidance provided by the Department of Public Health to limit visitation in nursing homes except under specific circumstances. During this public health emergency, we respectfully urge the public to support these temporary visitation restrictions that are being implemented out of a critical necessity to protect our nursing home residents.
In addition, we will continue to work with our member nursing facilities and state policymakers to support our dedicated and vital workforce to ensure that there is no interruption in pay should a nursing home employee need to self-quarantine. We also are working to ensure that facilities have a sufficient amount of protective supplies, and to urge hospitals to conduct necessary Covid-19 screenings before transferring a patient to a skilled nursing facility.
The threat posed to our residents and staff is extremely serious and we are taking every extraordinary precaution that we can while this crisis continues to unfold. We believe these measures will help us manage this threat by slowing or halting its spread.”
--Tara Gregorio, President, Massachusetts Senior Care Association