Facilities for elderly care are at a higher risk of being affected by the COVID pandemic, especially that the susceptibility of getting infected with the coronavirus increases with age. Therefore, it is essential for you to seek advice from an elder care attorney in Los Angeles and ensure that your loved ones are covered.
To further this, the clustered nature of an elderly care facility's population adds to the risk it is facing. According to a report from CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention), there are 8 out of 10 COVID deaths reported in the U.S. alone and have been in adults aged 65 years old and older.
Impacts of COVID on Elderly Care
The COVID pandemic has continued to spread in elderly care facilities. In May 2020, a data analysis conducted by the Los Angeles Times found out that 49% of all coronavirus-related deaths were from elderly care facilities or senior care homes.
The already troubled state of elderly care facilities in the U.S. now sits in the middle of the fatal COVID pandemic. The virus has reached at least 4,100 elderly care facilities in the US as of April 2020 and 6,800 as of May 2020—these facilities having more than 118,000 senior residents and healthcare staff contracted the virus which has led to 19,600 deaths.
The insurance industry, on the other hand, is well aware of the struggles these facilities are going through. This is all the more reason that having an elder law attorney in Los Angeles should be considered. It is vital to secure your loved ones’ protection who are facing huge risks from the COVID pandemic.
This current situation highlights the importance of having an elder care attorney Los Angeles to ensure that your concerns about insurance coverage would be addressed properly. There are a lot of questions arising along with the COVID pandemic, such as:
- Will it be more difficult to qualify for long-term care insurance because of the COVID pandemic?
- Can your elder residents still get coverage if they contracted the virus or they have recovered from it?
- Have there been changes in the application procedure for claims on long-term care insurance?
- Can you still make changes for their long-term care insurance coverage because of the COVID pandemic?
- Was there an increase in the cost of long-term insurance for elder residents because of the COVID pandemic?
- Is it legal to increase costs for elderly care in these facilities because of the virus?
All these questions can be answered by an elder law attorney Los Angeles.
Effects of COVID on Elderly Care
How is the COVID pandemic affecting both the senior adults and the elderly care industry? Let's break down five of these effects:
1. Increased Number of Involuntary Discharges
Some elderly care facilities are forced to provide their residents with a 30-day notice and transfer them to a safe location before involuntarily discharging them. This eviction is considered to a violation of federal rules.
A report from The New York Times shows the deteriorating situations some elderly care residents are going through. Furthermore, the COVID pandemic has worsened this situation because these elderly care facilities have been enlisted to take on COVID-positive patients to ease the load and burden of hospitals.
This shows the dire need to seek legal advice from an elder care attorney Los Angeles, especially when a loved one is facing involuntary discharge.
2. A Huge Number of Deaths in Elderly Care Facilities
As mentioned above, the COVID pandemic has impacted the number of deaths in elderly care facilities. In Minnesota alone, about 77% of COVID deaths took place in these facilities—this is according to a report made by the Kaiser Family Foundation.
Moreover, hospitals in Minnesota keep on discharging COVID-positive patients into these facilities, ravaging the now poor condition faced by these facilities. It has been a struggle for elderly care facilities to mitigate the effects of the virus and this continuously overwhelms them.
You can reach out to an elder law attorney Los Angeles to know your loved one’s rights and ensure their safety and that they are being taken care of.
3. Healthcare Workers and Staff Shortage
Clearly, elderly care facilities were unprepared for the COVID pandemic and we can say the same for the overall healthcare industry. A few months after the virus swept through the U.S., elderly care or senior care homes have taken the toll and various data are proof to this.
A report from The Washington Post said, there are nearly 2000 elderly facilities reporting a shortage on healthcare staff and more than 2,200 said they don't have enough aid to cope and battle the COVID pandemic. In addition, these facilities are also lacking in medical resources like hand sanitizers, PPE, surgical masks, N95 masks, etc.
To protect loved ones residing in elder care facilities, you can seek legal advice from an elder care attorney Los Angeles to ensure that they are covered by insurance.
4. Higher Risk of Contracting the Coronavirus
It is a known fact that adults aged 65 and over are at a higher risk of contracting the coronavirus, given the fact that senior individuals have underlying medical conditions and weaker immune systems.
Their living conditions in elderly care facilities contribute to these risks. Living in communities where there are plenty of shared facilities means that they are even more vulnerable to getting infected.
Death tolls may continue to rise in these facilities if efforts to combat the spreading of the virus fail.
5. Challenge in Terms Of Qualifying For Insurance
As you get older, qualifying for long-term care insurance becomes a challenge, especially now that adults 65 years old and older are at a higher risk of contracting the coronavirus.
There are insurance providers that add restrictions in the coverage of those who have been infected with the virus and when a senior tested positive they may have to wait for six months before they qualify and this is not an encouraging scenario.
These coverages and policies may vary by provider and it can be an overwhelming situation for you to face. Therefore, legal advice from an elder law attorney is what you’ll need.
Protect Your Loved Ones Today
Have you or your loved ones experienced challenges in elder care during the COVID pandemic? Or are you looking for advice to ensure your loved ones’ safety at the senior care home they are in?
Now is the right time to seek help from an elder care attorney in Los Angeles to address your concerns and uncertainties. Speak to the elder law experts at Thomas McKenzie Law today.
