Scathing report from AG shows NYS reported severe undercount of nursing home deaths
A scathing report from New York Attorney General Letitia James reveals that New York State appears to have undercounted resident deaths associated with nursing homes by as much as 50 percent.
The report also says, preliminary data shows the many residents from nursing homes who died after being transferred from their nursing home to a hospital were not included in the New York State Department of Health’s published nursing home data.
CBS 6 requested the number of nursing home deaths that occurred in hospitals months ago, which the NYSDOH has not reported publicly. The state has only been reporting the number of deaths that actually occurred in the nursing home itself. It has been 178 days since the NYS Dept. of Health Commissioner said publicly he would release the total death county at a public hearing when he was called on lawmakers to release the true figures.
ALSO: NY Senate Minority Leader calls on DoH Commissioner to resign
The attorney general’s 76-page report released Thursday shows preliminary findings of the AG’s investigation which focused on 62 nursing homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Using the data from 62 nursing homes, the AG’s office looked at deaths reported by the nursing homes and then compared the data publicized by the New York State Department of Health. It also looked at total deaths reported to the Office of the Attorney General compared to total deaths publicized the NYSDOH.
The AG’s office found discrepancies in the reporting, including severe undercounts. A news release from the AG’s office reads:
“In one example, a facility reported five confirmed and six presumed COVID-19 deaths at the facility as of August 3 to DOH. However, the facility reported to OAG a total of 27 COVID-19 deaths at the facility and 13 hospital deaths — a discrepancy of 29 deaths.”
The report also found severe understaffing in nursing homes amid the pandemic. The report reads:
“Of the state’s 401 for-profit facilities, more than two-thirds — 280 nursing homes — have the lowest possible CMS Staffing ratings.”
The AG’s report says that a hotline set up to receive complaints while in-person visits to nursing homes were banned, received 770 complaints between April 23rd and August 3rd and an additional 179 complaints through November. The report says, “OAG also continued to receive allegations of COVID-19-related neglect of residents through pre-existing reporting systems.”
November 11th 2020: 100 Days later: Still no answers on nursing home patient deaths in NY
