Advisory: Hospital Discharges and Admissions to Nursing Homes — New York State Department of Health

Summary

An advisory from the New York State Department of Health dated March 25, 2020, addressed to nursing home administrators, directors of nursing and hospital discharge planners, on hospital discharges and admissions to nursing homes during COVID-19. Citing the urgent need to expand hospital capacity, it directs that nursing homes must comply with the expedited receipt of residents returning from hospitals once a hospital physician determines they are medically stable. It states that no resident shall be denied re-admission or admission solely on a confirmed or suspected COVID-19 diagnosis, and that nursing homes may not require medically stable hospitalized residents to be tested for COVID-19 before admission. Needs for personal protective equipment are to go to local Offices of Emergency Management.

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Full text

DATE:
March 25, 2020
TO:
 Nursing Home Administrators, Directors of Nursing, and Hospital Discharge Planners
FROM:
New York State Department of Health

COVID-19 has been detected in multiple communities throughout New York State. There is an urgent
need to expand hospital capacity in New York State to be able to meet the demand for patients with
COVID-19 requiring acute care. As a result, this directive is being issued to clarify expectations for
nursing homes (NHs) receiving residents returning from hospitalization and for NHs accepting new
admissions.

Hospital discharge planning staff and NHs should carefully review this guidance with all staff directly
involved in resident admission, transfer, and discharges.

During this global health emergency, all NHs must comply with the expedited receipt of residents
returning from hospitals to NHs. Residents are deemed appropriate for return to a NH upon a
determination by the hospital physician or designee that the resident is medically stable for return.

Hospital discharge planners must confirm to the NH, by telephone, that the resident is medically
stable for discharge. Comprehensive discharge instructions must be provided by the hospital prior to
the transport of a resident to the NH.

No resident shall be denied re-admission or admission to the NH solely based on a confirmed or
suspected diagnosis of COVID-19. NHs are prohibited from requiring a hospitalized resident who is
determined medically stable to be tested for COVID-19 prior to admission or readmission.

Information for healthcare providers on COVID-19 is readily available on the New York State
Department of Health public website at https://coronavirus.health.ny.gov/information-healthcare-
providers. As always, standard precautions must be maintained, and environmental cleaning made a
priority, during this public health emergency.

Critical personal protective equipment (PPE) needs should be immediately communicated to your local
Office of Emergency Management, with the appropriate information provided at the time of request.
Requests MUST include:

o Type and quantity of PPE by size;
o Point of contact at the requesting facility or system;
o Delivery location;
o Date request is needed to be filled by; AND
o Record of pending orders.

Thank you for your ongoing support and cooperation in responding to COVID-19. General questions or
comments about this advisory can be sent to covidnursinghomeinfo@health.ny.gov.
Advisory: Hospital Discharges and Admissions to Nursing Homes
Please distribute immediately to:
 Nursing Home Administrators, Directors of Nursing, Directors of Social Work, Hospital
Discharge Planners

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