COVID-19: VA should assess its oversight of infection prevention and control in community living centers : report to Congressional addressees

COVID-19: VA should assess its oversight of infection prevention and control in community living centers : report to Congressional addressees

Collection:
Health Policy and Services Research
Contributor(s):
United States. Government Accountability Office, issuing body.
United States. Congress, issuing body.
Publication:
Washington, DC : United States Government Accountability Office, July 2021
Language(s):
English
Format:
Text
Subject(s):
Communicable Disease Control -- legislation & jurisprudence
COVID-19 -- economics
Government Regulation
Nursing Homes -- legislation & jurisprudence
United States
United States. Department of Veterans Affairs
Genre(s):
Technical Report
Abstract:
Why GAO did this study. Close to 8,000 veterans per day received nursing home care provided by VA in CLCs in fiscal year 2020. COVID-19 has posed significant risks to nursing home residents and staff, as residents are often in frail health, and residents and staff have close daily contact with each other. The CARES Act includes a provision that GAO monitor the federal response to the pandemic. This report describes, among other objectives, guidance and training VA has issued to help CLCs respond to the pandemic and examines VA’s oversight of infection prevention and control in CLCs during the pandemic. GAO analyzed documents, including guidance, training-related materials, and CLC self-assessments of their infection prevention and control practices. GAO also interviewed VA officials and CLC staff, the latter from five facilities selected based on factors such as having been cited for infection prevention and control deficiencies prior to the pandemic. What GAO recommends. VA should conduct a retrospective assessment of its oversight of infection prevention and control in CLCs during the COVID-19 pandemic to identify lessons learned and be better prepared for future infectious disease outbreaks. VA concurred with GAO’s recommendation in principle. VA plans to review the results of CLCs’ assessments of their infection prevention and control practices and require CLCs to take any needed corrective actions.
Copyright:
The National Library of Medicine believes this item to be in the public domain. (More information)
Extent:
1 online resource (1 PDF file (ii, 31 pages))
Illustrations:
Illustrations
NLM Unique ID:
9918317487906676 (See catalog record)
Permanent Link:
http://resource.nlm.nih.gov/9918317487906676