30% of nursing homes don't have N95 masks, survey finds

Mackenzie Bean (Twitter) -

Many senior living facilities are struggling to access personal protective equipment and other necessary supplies amid the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a survey from Premier.

For the survey, Premier polled 179 skilled nursing and assisted living facilities nationwide with more than 267,000 beds from March 6-15. 

Five survey findings:

1. About 43 percent of senior living facilities do not have a consistent ordering history for PPE.

2. Of the facilities that do have a consistent purchasing history, 87 percent are not receiving the full quantity of products they ordered.

3. Thirty percent of senior living facilities did not have N95 masks in their inventory, while 68 percent said they had limited or no ability to access more masks.

4. Nearly 60 percent said they had limited or no ability to access medical gowns. 

5. Sixty-five percent of respondents said the same for supplies like disinfectant wipes or hand sanitizer.

Copyright © 2024 Becker's Healthcare. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy. Cookie Policy. Linking and Reprinting Policy.