More than 1.43 million people have been infected with the new coronavirus and are recuperating at home, the highest number ever, but the number of people recuperating in facilities for the elderly is also increasing.
Some people continue to be treated without finding a hospital, and staff are becoming infected one after another, and the effects of partial suspension of services at facilities are spreading.
At a special nursing home in Inage Ward, Chiba City, 21 out of 100 residents were confirmed to be infected from the 23rd of last month to the 10th of this month.
Eleven people were transported by ambulance because they needed hospitalization, but two hospitalizations could not be found, and they are continuing treatment at the facility with mildly ill patients.
Among them, a woman in her 80s has had symptoms of fever and difficulty breathing since the 2nd of this month, and her oxygen level in her blood has fluctuated between 88% and 92%. was used for treatment.
Despite measures being taken, employees continue to be infected
At the facility, in order to reduce the risk of infection from the end of last month, in addition to canceling visits between residents and their families, we have taken measures such as limiting the floors each staff member is in charge of and using the outside stairs to move. , Of the 75 staff, 8 were infected.
For this reason, it is necessary to rotate shifts with fewer people than usual, and the burden of nursing care staff is increasing, such as observing the physical condition of patients who are recuperating at night when nurses are not available.
Koichi Hirano, director of Todoroki Ichirinso, said, "Even if we want to hospitalize them, we can't. I would like you to review the handling of the facility and consider support for the operation of the facility."
Some businesses are reviewing some of their services
On the other hand, some business operators are reviewing some of their services.
At a special nursing home in Arakawa Ward, a social welfare corporation that operates seven elderly facilities in Tokyo, 16 people, including users and staff, were infected from the 25th of last month and were certified as a cluster.
Since there are many elderly people recuperating in the facility, staff and clerical workers from other facilities operated by the same corporation rush to support them, but when providing care, they need to put on and take off disposable gowns and disinfect. Due to the increase, we have temporarily stopped accepting short-term accommodation for the elderly from the 2nd of this month because of the lack of manpower.
Ryoichi Yanaginuma, general manager of the planning and development department of Sanko Fukushikai, which operates the facility, said, "We are responding with an unprecedented system of mobilization, but the staff shortage is so serious that they cannot take a day off, including during the Obon period. In that case, the quality of nursing care may be affected, such as reducing the number of bathing and diaper changes."