Michigan’s top health official says nursing homes are accurately reporting the number of coronavirus-related deaths, amid questions over whether the tally is low.

Here we are tracking the state of Michigan’s COVID-19 data for nursing homes, also referred to as long term care facilities. All long-term care facilities additionally have an obligation to report COVID-positive residents and/or staff to their Local Health Department. Skilled Nursing Facilities are facilities licensed to provide organized nursing care and medical treatment to 7 or more unrelated individuals suffering or recovering from illness, injury, or infirmity. This data set includes all licensed nursing facilities with the exception of hospice residences licensed as nursing homes. Adult Foster Care Facilities and Homes for the Aged provide care to persons not needing the 24 hour nursing care found in nursing facilities, yet need monitoring and assistance with activities of daily living.

Michigan will allow indoor visitation to long term care facilities for the first time since the coronavirus pandemic started in the state. The state had previously allowed outdoor visits and visits for terminally ill patients. Under the order, visitation rules are linked to the risk level of the county. Residential care visitation order infographic. Based on county risk levels and the type of visit, some visitors will be required to receive COVID testing prior to entry.

A new report finds Michigan’s plan to create “hubs” for nursing home residents with COVID-19 was “logical and appropriate,” and found no significant evidence of transmission of the virus between patients and residents. Whitmer for Michigan nursing home data linked to the coronavirus outbreak as part of an effort to find out if the state’s response warrants a federal investigation. No significant evidence of transmission of COVID-19 between patients admitted from hospitals to nursing home residents in hub facilities. Nursing home resident COVID-19 prevalence positively correlated with county COVID-19 prevalence rates for both hub and non-hub nursing homes. “We have taken great strides to protect families from the spread of COVID-19 in nursing homes,” said MDHHS Director Robert Gordon.

DETROIT – Michigan is easing restrictions on visiting nursing homes and other care facilities for limited circumstances as the coronavirus pandemic continues. The orders allow expanded visitation in long-term care facilities including nursing homes, and in facilities for youth who are in child caring institutions or juvenile justice facilities. One order applies to residential long-term care facilities, which include nursing homes, homes for the aged, adult foster care facilities, hospice facilities, substance abuse disorder residential facilities, independent living facilities and assisted living facilities. The other order affects youth in congregate care facilities – known as child caring institutions – and juvenile justice facilities – also known as juvenile detention facilities. Safety requirements that facilities must follow to allow visitors can be found in the epidemic orders for residential long-term care facilities and for congregate care facilities.

Gretchen Whitmer has extended an Executive Order that restricts visits to nursing homes and long-term care facilities. Executive Order 2020-136 extends existing safety measures to maintain restrictions regarding entry to care facilities designed to protect vulnerable populations. Whitmer also signed Executive Order 2020-135, which creates the bipartisan Michigan Nursing Homes COVID-19 Preparedness Task Force within the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS). The Michigan Nursing Homes COVID-19 Preparedness Task Force will be charged with, among other things, analyzing relevant data on the threat of COVID-19 in nursing homes, and making recommendations to the governor on improving data quality, and releasing periodic reports to the governor on its findings and recommendations. The task force must produce a recommendation to the governor for an action plan on how to prepare nursing homes for any future wave of COVID-19 cases by August 31, 2020.