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Nursing home operators in New Jersey are required to develop an emergency response plan in the event of an outbreak of contagious disease under a new law.
State legislators drafted the legislation as a result of a viral outbreak at the Wanaque Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Passaic County, which sickened 35 children and one employee, and killed 11 children. have used fans to help them breathe.
"Although nearly a year has passed since the tragic outbreak of Wanaque, we have not forgotten the eleven children who were kidnapped to us too soon," Murphy said in a statement. "I am proud to sign today a law requiring long-term care facilities to put in place plans in the event of an outbreak to reduce the risks that a similar tragedy will happen again."
Emergency response plans should include how nursing homes will isolate "at-risk" residents and inform residents, families, visitors and staff in the event of an outbreak. in accordance with the legislation.
"If the appropriate plans and protocol had been established and implemented, it would be possible to avoid this tragedy," said Holly Schepisi, woman of the assembly, one of the sponsors of the law.
Delays in the hospitalization of patients, as well as the problems of separation of healthy children from those who were infected, were partly held responsible for the death toll in Wanaque. Many parents said they did not hear about the epidemic until they heard about it in the media.
Assembly Democrats and project sponsors, Herb Conaway, D-Burlington, Christopher Tully and Lisa Swain, both D-Bergen, said the demands that these plans "should be adapted to the facility, respect national standards and be developed in consultation with an infection control center on-site committee "should give" the peace of mind of the public ".
Nursing homes are required to submit plans to the Ministry of Health within 180 days in accordance with the law. More detailed plans are needed at facilities serving fan-dependent residents.
"Violations of infection control practices are a major factor contributing to the spread of the disease in health facilities," Interim Health Commissioner Judith Persichilli said in a statement. "Outbreak response plans help institutions stay aware of the need to contact and work with public health to implement practices to minimize the spread of the disease."
Editor-in-chief Ted Sherman contributed to this report.
Susan K. Livio can be reached at [email protected]. Follow her on Twitter @SusanKLivio. Find NJ.com The politics on Facebook.
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