State must answer questions on nursing homes

Five months since New York’s first coronavirus case, 77 days since Long Island began reopening, and after about 23 hours of testimony over two days regarding how New York nursing homes handled the coronavirus pandemic, there needs to be an acknowledgment by the state, the industry, and all involved of what went wrong, a plan for what comes next, and answers to plenty of questions.

Instead, there are more questions — and no idea when we’ll know more. That’s unacceptable.

How many nursing home residents have died from the pandemic?

About 6,500 individuals died in nursing homes. The state hasn’t provided any specific numbers of how many nursing home residents who contracted COVID-19 in those facilities later died in a hospital.

Why hasn’t the state provided that data? And when can we expect it?

Health Commissioner Howard Zucker says he won’t provide the data until he can ensure its accuracy, and hasn’t provided a timetable for when we can expect it. That’s not good enough.

If the state is unwilling or unable to provide an accurate count of the total number of nursing home resident deaths, how can we know what protocols to put in place to stop this from happening again?

It’s awfully hard to develop policy based on inadequate or incomplete information.

Before the state’s March order to require nursing homes to accept COVID-19 patients, did the state know the capacity or ability of its 613 nursing homes to handle the directive?

Requiring nursing homes to accept infected patients so more hospital beds could be available relied on nursing homes to advise whether they could safely handle the influx. Some for-profit homes were already losing money, and others wouldn’t have wanted to appear unable to handle the situation. Most of them likely wouldn’t have refused the transfers.

Does the state have a better understanding of which nursing homes can handle coronavirus patients, and which can’t? Is the for-profit model of providing long-term care the best use of taxpayer money, and what are the alternatives?

This isn’t a one-size-fits-all situation. Some nursing homes handled this crisis well, and are prepared for the next one. Others didn’t, and it’s unclear whether they’re in better shape now.

Do nursing homes now have enough personal protective equipment, testing, training, staff, and other resources? Have the state and the nursing homes improved their communication efforts with each other, and with families and residents?

A public dashboard that provides detail on which nursing homes have adequate equipment and staff, how well they’ve weathered the pandemic, and their status, would help.

How do families now evaluate nursing homes?

The state’s own report said ratings on quality of care had no correlation with the number of coronavirus deaths. That could be accurate but the state’s rating system needs another look.

Should Gov. Andrew M. Cuomo find a way to allow for an independent investigation to determine what went wrong and how to prevent it?

To that question, the answer is yes.

— The editorial board