IN LONG-TERM CARE SETTINGS
INCLUDING HERE IN WISCONSIN.
SAM WILSON IS THE STATE DIRECTOR
OF AARP WISCONSIN.
THANKS VERY MUCH FOR BEING HERE.
>> IT'S GOOD TO BE WITH YOU,
FRED REESK CA.
>> SO LOOKING AT YOUR DASHBOARD
SHOWS WISCONSIN IS SIXTH HIGHEST
IN THE NATION FOR DEDUCTS DEATHS DUE TO
COVID-19 DEATHS.
WHY IS WISCONSIN IN THAT PLACE?
>> WE'VE BEEN TRACKING THE DATA
SINCE ABOUT JUNE FROM THE
CENTERS FOR MEDICARE AND
MEDICAID SERVICES AND IT'S SELF
REPORTED DATA FROM THE NURSING
HOMES.
WE REALIZE NURSING HOMES HAVE
ALWAYS BEEN ONE OF THE MOST
VULNERABLE PLACES FOR THE VIRUS.
WHAT WE FOUND WAS THAT WHILE
WISCONSIN HAD DONE A FAIRLY GOOD
JOB OVER THE SUMMER MONTHS, LATE
SUMMER, THE ACCELERATION IN
TRANSMISSION IN THESE FACILITIES
AS WE GET INTO THE FALL MONTHS
IS JUST ASTOUNDING AND WE'RE
REALLY FEARFUL OF WHAT THE
UPCOMING MONTHS WILL SHOW AS
WELL.
>> YOUR RESEARCH ALSO SHOWS THAT
WISCONSIN RANKS FOURTH WORST IN
THE NATION, WITH NEARLY 40% OF
NURSING HOMES HAVING LESS THAN A
WEEK'S SUPPLY OF PROTECTIVE
EQUIPMENT.
SO ARE STAFFS GOING WITHOUT OR
REUSING SUCH EQUIPMENT AND THEN
PASSING ALONG COVID-19?
>> WELL, WE KNOW THAT
TRANSMISSION CAN BE STOPPED A
NUMBER OF WAYS, RIGHT?
TESTING PEOPLE TO ENSURE THAT
THEY DON'T GET INTO THE
FACILITIES.
PPE IS ONE OF THE PREEF PREVENTIVE
MEASURES IN STOPPING COMMUNITY
SPREAD.
WE LOOK AT PPE TO ENSURE THAT
THERE'S AN ADEQUATE SUPPLY IN
THE NURSING HOMES FOR INSTANCES
LIKE WE ARE WE APROVING.
THERE ARE MANY WARNINGS RIGHT
NOW TO LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES
SAYING WE KNOW THAT ALL SHIPPING
RIGHT NOW IS BEING DELAYED.
CHRISTMAS PRESENTS ARE MIXED IN
WITH PPE.
AND SO IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A WEEK
SUPPLY OF PPE, YOU MAY FIND
YOURSELF EITHER WITH A VERY LOW
OR NO SUPPLY OF CERTAIN PPE.
SO THE FACT OF THE MATTER IS
THAT THAT SHOULD BE THE LAST
THING WE'RE STRUGGLING TO HAVE
TO GET NINE MONTHS INTO THE
PANDEMIC, YET IT CONTINUES TO BE
A WEAK POINT IN ALL OF OUR
STRATEGIES TO PREVENT THE
TRANSMISSION OF COVID.
>> NOW, I HATE TO KEEP RALTSING
THIS OFF, BUT ANOTHER
FRIGHTENING METRIC SHOWS THAT
47% OF WISCONSIN'S FACILITY HAVE
A SHORTAGE OF NURSES AND AIDES.
WHY ARE THESE SHORTAGES SO ACUTE
RIGHT NOW?
>> WELL, THIS IS PART OF THE
LEAKING BOAT OF OUR LONG-TERM
CARE SYSTEM IN GENERAL.
WE HAD WORKFORCE SHORTAGES PRIOR
TO THE PANDEMIC AND IT HAS
EXPOSED WHAT HAS BEEN A
LONG-TERM PROBLEM IN FINDING
ENOUGH FOLKS TO WORK IN
LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES AND
THROUGHOUT BOTH OUR LONG-TERM
CARE AND HEALTH CARE DELIVERY
SYSTEMS.
SO OBVIOUSLY THAT'S GOING TO BE
EXACERBATED BY THE STAFF
THEMSELVES CONTRACTING THE
ILLNESS AND WHEN YOU ALREADY
HAVE A LIMITED SUPPLY, ANYTHING
THAT COULD FURTHER DENT THAT
SUPPLY IS GOING TO SHOW UP.
AND IT'S CERTAINLY SHOWING UP IN
A BIG WAY IN WISCONSIN AMONGST
OUR WORKFORCE, WHICH REALLY I
HAVE TO SAY, THEY HAVE TRULY
BEEN HEROES THROUGHOUT THE
PANDEMIC, PROVIDING CARE DAY IN
AND DAY OUT IN OUR LONG-TERM
CARE FACILITIES.
I THINK IT ONLY MAKES SENSE THAT
WE MAKE THE COMMITMENT TO ENSURE
THAT THEY CAN BE SAFE AS WELL.
>> WITH JUST A MINUTE LEFT,
YOU'RE ASKING THE STATE OF
WISCONSIN TO STEP UP NOW TO SAVE
LIVES.
HOW CAN OFFICIALS RESPOND TO THE
SITUATION AND YOUR CALLS TO
REMEDY IT?
>> WELL, THERE'S SO MUCH HOPE IN
THE FUTURE.
THIS WEEK TALKED ABOUT THE
DISTRIBUTION OF THE VACCINE,
GAVE PEOPLE JUST SORT OF A
BOUNCE OF ENERGY KNOWING THAT
HELP IS ON THE WAY.
THE PROBLEM IS WE HAVE SOME VERY
DIFFICULT MONTHS AHEAD.
IT'S TRUE IN HOSPITALS.
IT'S CERTAINLY GOING TO BE TRUE
IN NURSING HOME.
THE DATA THAT'S SHOWING THE
INCREASE OF TRANSMISSION RATES
AND DEATHS WILL ONLY INCREASE
THROUGH THE WINTER MONTHS, WE
BELIEVE UNTIL THAT VACCINE IS
REALLY WELL DISTRIBUTED.
SO WE'RE ASKING PROVIDERS, WE'RE
ASKING STATE HEALTH OFFICIALS
AND STATE ELECTED OFFICIALS,
PLEASE REDOUBLE OUR EFFORTS ON
TESTING, PPE AND ANY OTHER
THINGS WE CAN DO, INCLUDING
PREVENTING COMMUNITY
TRANSMISSION, IS A VERY
IMPORTANT POINT, TO MAKE SURE WE
KEEP THESE NURSING HOME
RESIDENTS HEALTHY AND SAFE UNTIL
WE CAN GET A VACCINE TO THEM.
>> ALL RIGHT.
SAM WILSON, THANKS VERY MUCH
FROM THE AARP