Rochester, N.Y. — Health leaders are issuing an expanded warning for local hospitals as we head closer to winter.
Hospitals are already at full capacity, which could worsen as the colder months bring the combination of flu and COVID cases, along with an already spiking number of child respiratory illnesses.
Health leaders said Tuesday they have large numbers of patients who are medically stable and no longer need to be in a hospital, but they are waiting for nursing home placement.
On average, 20-25 patients are awaiting nursing home placement at any time — but that number is currently four times higher in local hospitals.
"By law, hospitals cannot release nursing home patients unless they have a nursing home bed to go to," said Monroe County Public Health Commissioner Dr. Michael Mendoza. "Unfortunately, our hospital is having increasing difficulties finding open nursing homes beds, so nursing home patients are waiting in hospital beds that should be available for hospital patients who need them."
So hospitals are full from a lack of Nursing Home Beds, now from Covid, The Flu or RSV
Hospitals are already at full capacity, which could worsen as the colder months bring the combination of flu and COVID cases, along with an already spiking number of child respiratory illnesses.
Health leaders said Tuesday they have large numbers of patients who are medically stable and no longer need to be in a hospital, but they are waiting for nursing home placement.
On average, 20-25 patients are awaiting nursing home placement at any time — but that number is currently four times higher in local hospitals.
"By law, hospitals cannot release nursing home patients unless they have a nursing home bed to go to," said Monroe County Public Health Commissioner Dr. Michael Mendoza. "Unfortunately, our hospital is having increasing difficulties finding open nursing homes beds, so nursing home patients are waiting in hospital beds that should be available for hospital patients who need them."
So hospitals are full from a lack of Nursing Home Beds, now from Covid, The Flu or RSV