69 COVID-19 NURSING HOMES EXPERT PANEL REPORT IMPACT ASSESSMENT:

Abstract

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic disproportionately affected older people and had a profound impact on the nursing home and residential care sector. COVID-19 also exposed weaknesses in how our health systems support the nursing home sector that must be addressed. The National Public Health Emergency Team recommended the establishment of an Expert Panel to examine the issues regarding the management of COVID-19 in nursing homes. A report was published in August 2020 that contains a range of recommendations in line with lessons learned and best practice, to be implemented over the following 12-18 months. Methods: A review and analysis of the COVID-19 Nursing Homes Expert Panel Report and its 86 recommendations took place to understand the impact of implementing the recommendations on the nursing home sector, to understand the supports required to implement the recommendations and to outline an implementation framework to deliver the recommendations and to realise a sustainable change. Results: The impact Assessment revealed the following: 1. Community integration is required where nursing home residents have greater access to services and where adequate supports and collaboration across the continuum of care is realise. 2. A workforce strategy is required that considers recruitment, retention, training and education. 3. A funding model that ensures funding is based on an assessment of resident need and dependency level is required. Conclusion: While the long-term timeline and impacts of COVID-19 are still unknown, it is clear that health and social care services need to plan for future healthcare emergencies and the long-term sustainability of the nursing home sector. This pandemic and the Expert Panel's recommendations have reinforced the urgent need to create systems where collaborative actions and integrated care is resident focussed and will ensure 'care is better planned, coordinated, delivered and easier to access.