TALKING ABOUT GOWNS WITH NO
HOLES FOR HANDS, MASKS THAT
DON’T FIT, AND GLOVES THAT ARE
WAY TOO SMALL, THOSE ARE JUST
SOME EXAMPLES OF WHAT THE STATE
HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATION SAYS
NURSING HOME FACILITIES ARE
GETTING FROM THE FEDERAL
GOVERNMENT.
THIS IS BRENDAN WILLIAMS, THE
PRESIDENT OF THE NEW HAMPSHIRE
HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATION, TRYING
ON A FAULTY ISOLATION GOWN.
HE SAYS FEMA SENT THEM TO NEW
HAMPSHIRE NURSING HOMES.
THIS ONE DOESN’T HAVE OPENINGS
FOR HANDS.
BRENDAN: THIS IS THE GOWN, SO
THIS IS AS GOOD AS IT GETS.
JESSICA: HE SAYS FEMA IS ALSO
SENDING HUNDREDS OF PAIRS OF
EXTRA SMALL GLOVES, THAT DON’T
FIT ADULT HANDS, AND CLOTH FACE
COVERINGS THAT ARE NOT SUITABLE
FOR MEDICAL ENVIRONMENTS.
BRENDAN: OF COURSE, YOU KNOW,
THIS IS NOT GOOD, BECAUSE YOU
CAN SEE THERE’S A LOT OF A
THAT’S GONNA BE ABLE TO GET
THERE.
JESSICA: WILLIAMS SAYS THE LABEL
ON THE MASKS PACKAGING SAYS THEY
DON’T REPLACE N-95 MASKS IN
HEALTHCARE SETTINGS AND
SHOULDN’T BE USED WHEN CARING
FOR SOMEONE WITH COVID-19.
WILLIAMS SAYS THEY’VE ALSO
RECEIVED SURGICAL MASKS THAT
DON’T FIT.
HE LIKENS THE ISOLATION GOWNS TO
GARBAGE BAGS
BRENDAN: FOR US, IT SEEMS
SYMBOLIC.
WE’VE BEEN TREATED LIKE GARBAGE
BY THE FEDERAL RESPONSE THROUGH
THIS ENTIRE CRISIS.
THE EMPHASIS HAS BEEN ON
HOSPITALS.
NURSING HOMES HAVE BEEN
NEGLECTED, EVEN THOUGH NURSI
HOMES HAVE BEEN HARDEST HIT BY
THE VIRUS.
JESSICA: WHILE SOME LONG-TERM
CARE FACILITIES STRUGGLE TO GET
PROPER PERSONAL PROTECTIVE
EQUIPMENT, SOME ARE BEING
ALLOWED TO RELAX RESTRICTIONS.
LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES
OUTSIDE OF HILLSBOROUGH AND
ROCKINGHAM COUNTIES CAN
REINSTITUTE LIMITED GROUP
ACTIVITIES AND COMMUNAL EATING,
ALL WHILE MAINTAINING COVID-19
PRECAUTIONS.
DR. CHAN: THERE STILL NEEDS TO
BE SOCIAL DISTANCING, STILL
NEEDS TO BE HAND HYGIENE.
RESIDENTS STILL NEED TO BE
SPACED AT LEAST SIX FEET APART,
PREFERABLY STILL HAVE A CLOT
FACE COVERING OR MASK ON WHEN
THEY’RE OUTSIDE THEIR ROOM.
JESSICA: WE EMAILED AND
