The impact of COVID-19 on residents of long-term care facilities has been devastating. Despite some early and innovative actions, Connecticut experienced high mortality caused by COVID-19’s spread in its nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The state has initiated an independent review to assess actions and impacts that might help mitigate what many experts anticipate will be a second wave of the disease in the fall and winter. The review will help the state use the best evidence to adjust its policies and programs to improve long-term care facility outcomes going forward. Connecticut has selected Mathematica to execute the study.
Mathematica’s work will focus on interim and long-term recommendations to help Connecticut understand the impacts of the current outbreak on long-term care facilities and their residents; the recommendations will also guide policymakers in preparing for a potential second wave and preventing future infectious disease outbreaks. This comprehensive review of both the state and industry response to the outbreak will include insights from a wide range of stakeholders within the state to see what was effective and what can and should change with better preparation and resources. The review will provide an objective look at factors such as state readiness and implementation, facility readiness and implementation, and health care provider and resident education and communication. The governor ordered this study to ensure that any second wave of COVID-19 is managed with far less devastating loss of life among those in nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
“Our nursing homes and assisted living facilities have been particularly hard hit by COVID-19,” Governor Ned Lamont said. “The tragedies that occurred deserve a thorough examination, and we have an obligation to those who live in those facilities, their families, and the incredible professionals who care for residents to provide answers as to what could have been done differently to mitigate the spread of the virus. Timeliness is a critical factor when it comes to this review, and we know that Mathematica will provide a thorough, detailed, and actionable report. We must learn everything we can from our experience over the last few months so we can apply that knowledge to implement best practices in our long-term care facilities as we prepare for a possible second wave of the virus.”
“COVID-19 has taken an immense toll on Connecticut’s families, health systems, and frontline health workers, particularly those serving older adults,” said Jonathan Morse, senior vice president of health program improvement at Mathematica. “Everyone recognizes that time is of the essence. To that end, we will work quickly over the next few weeks to synthesize qualitative and quantitative data and distill that information into actionable recommendations that address the impact of COVID-19 on long-term care.”
To learn more about our COVID-19 service offerings, contact Sule Gerovich, director of health program improvement at Mathematica.
