By Jackie Fortiér, KPCC, August 11 2020
The coronavirus has thrown nursing homes into the spotlight.
More than 40 percent of the COVID-19 deaths in Los Angeles County are nursing home residents. At its peak in May, 25 nursing home residents were dying from the virus daily. That number has decreased, but nursing homes have persisted as one of the deadliest environments in the pandemic.The pandemic has hit the vulnerable, mostly elderly nursing home residents hard, as well as the mostly low-wage workers who care for them. We’ll explore nursing homes and how the inequalities that existed before the coronavirus have been exacerbated.
And we want to hear from you – what have your loved ones in nursing homes experienced? Do you live in a nursing home? When was the last time you saw your family? How can we protect residents from the virus and give them a good quality of life? Call us at 866-893-5722.
With guest host Jackie Fortiér.
GUESTS:
Mark Ridley-Thomas, Los Angeles County Supervisor representing District 2, which encompasses parts of the Westside, including Culver City, and the Eastside, including Carson and Compton; he tweets @mridleythomas
Max Huntsman, interim inspector general overseeing LA County’s skilled nursing homes
Mike Dark, staff attorney for California Advocates for Nursing Home Reform, a non-profit advocacy group based in San Francisco
Craig Cornett, CEO of the California Association of Health Facilities, an industry group representing 80 percent of the nursing homes in the state