U.S. DHHS Inspector General's Report On Nursing Home Care During The Pandemic

Christi A. Grimm, the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, just released a report entitled Lessons Learned During the Pandemic Can Help Improve Care in Nursing Homes.  This investigation and report was directed at CMS, the Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services, but has broader applicability:

https://oig.hhs.gov/documents/evaluation/9808/OEI-02-20-00492.pdf

The report has three findings:

1. Nursing homes faced monumental and ongoing staffing challenges, including a significant loss of staff and substantial difficulties in hiring, training, and retaining new staff. Many nursing homes used outside staffing agencies to fill gaps, which had significant downsides.
2. Nursing homes continued to struggle with costs, testing protocols, personal protective equipment (PPE) compliance, and vaccination rates after initial challenges were resolved.
3. Nursing homes identified challenges with implementing effective infection control practices and opportunities for improvement.

The report has five recommendations:

1. Implement and expand upon its [CMS] policies and programs to strengthen the nursing home workforce.
2. Reassess nurse aide training and certification requirements.
3. Update the nursing home requirements for infection control to incorporate lessons learned from the pandemic.
4. Provide effective guidance and assistance to nursing homes on how to comply with updated infection control requirements.
5. Facilitate sharing of strategies and information to help nursing homes overcome challenges and improve care.

CMS did not explicitly state its concurrence or nonconcurrence for any of the five recommendations.