VIEWPOINTS

Protecting seniors from COVID-19 is a top priority, Michigan policy is right on

Eric Schneidewind, guest writer
Eric Schneidewind

As the former national president of AARP, former president of AARP Michigan and a volunteer with the organization for more than a decade, I have tirelessly worked to advocate for Americans age 50 and older, including residents who live in nursing homes.

Because of this, I am proud to stand with Gov. Gretchen Whitmer and her efforts to protect Michigan’s vulnerable elderly population from the spread of COVID-19.

Despite weeks of partisan attacks alleging that an Executive Order issued by Gov. Whitmer forced nursing homes to accept COVID-19 positive residents, even Republican Sen. Ed McBroom has said they "have not seen any evidence or testimony that says that a nursing home was forced to take someone against their will."

Attacks on the state’s nursing home policies are false. The state never forced a nursing home to accept COVID-19 positive residents. In fact, the Whitmer administration implemented an aggressive nursing home strategy that closely followed CMS and CDC guidance. And the governor’s 'Stay Safe, Stay Home' order helped limit the spread overall and therefore mitigated the harm nursing homes would have felt.

I strongly believe protecting the health, safety and well-being of our senior citizens has been a top priority for the governor and our state from the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic and remains top-of-mind today.

I wish I could say the same for President Trump.

A recently released U.S. Senate report on President Trump and his administration’s handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in nursing homes found the Trump Administration failed to adequately prepare for and respond to the pandemic, despite early warning signs and overwhelming evidence COVID-19 would have a devastating impact on residents and nursing home workers.

The first known COVID-19 outbreak at a U.S. nursing home happened on Feb. 29 in Kirkland, Wash. More than 37 people died. This should have served as an urgent warning to the president and his administration. Sadly, this warning — and many more like it — were ignored.

If nursing homes had access to adequate tests, and proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) when they needed them most, we could have avoided unnecessary deaths in nursing homes here in Michigan and across the country.

In April, Michigan offered and prioritized nursing home testing for every resident. As a result of that commitment to protecting our most vulnerable residents, the state has facilitated testing for over 35,600 residents and staff in nursing homes.

Under the governor’s leadership, the state has made a commitment to expand testing to contain the disease, while prioritizing and protecting our most vulnerable populations and the front-line workers who care for them.

More from LSJ opinion

The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services required testing of all nursing home residents and staff going forward — and many nursing homes are already doing this. In fact, thanks to the brave men and women who serve in the Michigan National Guard, Michigan has tested nearly 5,000 nursing home residents and staff at 199 facilities in 41 counties. And the Guard has provided more than 26,000 test kits for nursing homes to test their residents and staff.

Michigan also recently completed 100 percent of the federally required infection control surveys of nursing homes, more than two months before the deadline.

A new toolkit launched by CMS on mitigating COVID-19 in nursing homes recognizes Michigan's leadership in keeping nursing home residents and staff safe.

I want to thank Gov. Whitmer for taking this virus, and the threat it poses to our seniors, seriously from the start — and for her efforts every step of the way to protect the residents and staff of Michigan’s nursing homes.

And to Republicans, both in Washington and here in Lansing: It’s time to stop the partisan games and instead focus on bipartisan solutions to protect our seniors and those who care for them.

Eric Schneidewind is the former national president of the AARP and former president of AARP Michigan.