Vaccination Mandate For NH Staff Under Fire and Debate

Jo C.

Nursing homes are beginning to see an upsurge in patients becoming positive for the COVID mutated Delta virus.  This is seen even in patients who have been vaccinated.   In several NHs fully vaccinated patients have contracted the Delta virus and have died.   The single place the exposure came from appears to be from unvaccnated staff.

Some NHs want to mandate staff vaccinations, but say they cannot as they are already low on staff and more staff would leave: Yet; some NHs have been successful.  If the govt. made a mandate for those working with and caring for vulnerable patients especially those in NHs, Acute Hospitals, Home Health, Hospice, Daycare, etc.; then there would be no place for the unvaccinated workers to find work; no place to hide.  Even care aides hired privately in the home would have to vaccinate under such a mandate; but it is such a political issue, I am not holding my breath. Here is the link:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/nursing-homes-confront-covid-outbreaks-180803580.html

J.

Ed1937

Do you think they could mandate something like that without having a civil war? Too bad we can't come together to battle something like this.

Jo C.

No Ed, I do not think there will never, ever be a mandate in this country as there has been in France; it would cause such an upheaval that it could possibly turn everything upside down.

I just read that the military is going to mandate vaccination; it will be interesting to see how that plays out.  Interesting also that in the acute inpatient hospital setting, some patients are now asking whether or not the staff caring for them are vaccinated or not.  Some do not want to be cared for by unvaccnated staff.  I wonder how that is working out for the patients and staff.

Yes; I too wish we could all work toward doing the best and right thing; but that too does not appear it will ever happen.   Fauci mentioned again to day, that due to the low level of vaccination, it is almost certain we will have more mutations forming in the unvaccinated who will pass it on, and that the new mutations may well not be controlled by our current vaccinations.

It sometimes seems almost like a script from a scifi movie; but sadly all too real. 

J.

Rescue mom

The only sort-of bright spot (just not as bad as nothing)  is that many big national businesses, such as Walmart, are making vaccination a requirement of employment. So are many health systems. Maybe when jobs are stake, that might matter to some. Also good to see that many events and venues are requiring vax to enter. That might get a few more. The military requirement helps. 

Insurance cos. could charge more for unvaccinated, as they do for smokers, but a lot of people might just drop their insurance. But I do not think there will ever be a national mandate. I wish there was, but reality. I expect we’ll have this for many years, with annual boosters/shots needed.

Jeff86

If I were considering placement for my DW, I don’t think I’d opt for a facility that permits its staff to be/remain unvaccinated, if there is any choice.

Many health systems are now requiring healthcare workers to be vaccinated, or to be tested weekly if not.  I can’t understand how hospitals, nursing homes, and other healthcare settings could do otherwise.

jfkoc

I'm with Jeff. My first question would be is everyone vaccinated.

Suzzin

Most of us were vaccinated for polio, smallpox, mumps, chicken pox...you can't go to school even now without having a basic level of vaccines. I can see the resistance to the government forcing everyone to be vaccinated, but I think there's a reasonable line that can be drawn. Vaccinate to attend school, to teach school, to care for people (nursing homes, hospitals, pharmacies). Work in or go to restaurants, concerts, airlines, etc. It's not a mandate, it's a choice. Don't want to be vaccinated? Don't go to the movies, work as a carer, or fly to Disney.

Mint

May be wrong but feel slowly but surely private enterprise will take care of a lot of this.  The health care system where my sister works is mandating the vaccine by 12/3.  I worked in that health system prior to retirement.  Guess that may kind of coincide with when the flu vaccine has to be completed by.  Some may leave but as more and more health systems do this they won’t have too many places to work. They need to find a new career if keeping patient safe is not important to them.  If a patient acquires covid in hospital and a caregiver was unvaccinated guessing they are going to be liable for that.  Guessing they think that too.  Also these health care systems now have hospitals all over the state, so you can’t just run from hospital to hospital like back in the old days.  

Wonder if JACHO won’t make it a requirement for accreditation.  They don’t like hospital acquired infections.  Definitely would ask for a nurse with vaccine.  Definitely would look for nursing home facility where vaccination required for staff.  

Can also see insurance raising premiums for unvaccinated.  I’m ok with that. 

Jo C.

Another Member discussed how lovingly cautious she is with her mother's care in a NH.  She interacts with the DON and has only care aides who are vaccinated be assigned to her mother on three shifts as well a others who come in contact with her Mom.  That is super advocacy; but as an RN, it is all too true that despite having a person assigned to care is good; there are times  that an unassigned person including aide accesses the room when something pops up especially unexpectedly or to cover lunch and rest breaks; there really needs to be 100% vaccination.

California just announced today that they are mandating vaccinations for all indoor healthcare workers. Here is a writing as to which entities need to have all staff vaccinated whether paid or no paid . . . . wish they had included Home Health Agencies.

https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates/2021/08/06/1025360746/california-vaccine-mandate-health-care-workers

J.