An Urgent Need for Public “Perception” Reform

Media outlets are frequently reporting about the disproportionally large number of COVID-19 cases and deaths in nursing homes. Most discussions understandably seem to focus on an urgency to “get something done” to fix this problem. In response, multiple potential policy reforms for the long-term care industry have been recently proposed. Missing from the public policy discussion is the need for “public perception reform” of nursing homes and nursing home health care professionals. Effective public discussion about LTC policy reform cannot occur in a society where LTC facilities are often perceived as “dirty,” “depressing” places where the most vulnerable individuals are “neglected.” The fact that the virus is transmitted into the facility from COVID-positive staff or from residents admitted from local hospitals reinforces the misguided concerns that nursing homes are not doing enough to protect their residents.