Protecting Long-Term Care Residents to Death

Floor Speech

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Speaker, once again, I rise to call for immediate action on H.R. 3733, the Essential Caregivers Act. It is our sacred duty to protect and serve the American people, and this bill is an opportunity for this body to fulfill that duty.

Over the course of this pandemic, thousands of our fellow Americans were left isolated in long-term care facilities. They were denied access to their friends and families.

Alone and often confused, many suffered from depression and didn't receive the medical care they so desperately needed. Family members were forced to watch from behind plexiglass and webcams as their loved one's physical and mental health declined. Some even died frightened and alone because of the lack of care.

In one California facility, Nancy Klein's son, who had suffered from a massive brain hemorrhage 6 years ago and has been bedridden ever since, contracted pneumonia three times while in isolation. Later, he contracted COVID.

His mother asked: After all he has been through, don't you think he has done his time?

Yes. I think he has done his time.

Nancy's story and many others like hers are documented in the book ``Protecting Them to Death,'' which was written by one of my great constituents, Karla Abraham-Conley, who lost her mother in a long-term nursing facility. I have shared some of the gut-wrenching stories from this book before, and I will continue to do so until the bipartisan Essential Caregivers Act is passed.

It is imperative that we, the elected Representatives of the American people, stick up for the American people. The Essential Caregivers Act would ensure the senseless, counterproductive policies that were put in place during the pandemic are never repeated.

The fearmongering led to situations where, as Veronica Myers put it, ``fear of COVID-19 has put staff safety ahead of resident health, well- being, and safety.''

Veronica's 70-year-old father lives in a nursing home in Arkansas but was not allowed to see his family because of the antiscientific procedures of the facility. Veronica added that lack of continuity and communication play a major role in the isolation of residents because basic care and best practices are less important now than COVID-19 mitigation.

Mr. Speaker, this is not how Americans care for their fellow citizens.

All across the country, from my home State of New York all the way to California, families were cut off from their loved ones living in long- term care facilities. These decisions to isolate long-term care facility residents were fatal and will have long-lasting impacts.

Think of the damage that has been caused to people like Melody Stark of California, whose husband had been living in a nursing home for 5 years prior to the pandemic. In March 2020, Melody was on her way to the nursing home for their usual Friday night dinner date when she got a phone call informing her that nonessential visitors were no longer allowed due to COVID-19 lockdowns.

Who could be more essential than one's lifelong partner and spouse?

Melody recounted that ``what we thought would be a couple of weeks turned into months and months. There were no virtual or window visits facilitated, and it felt as if everyone except families were wholly unaware of the impact of isolation, depression, and lack of psychosocial support.''

Melody continued by saying: ``My usually optimistic husband sounded increasingly sad and said things like: `This is no way to live,' and he would cry. Over time, this led to drastic decline that affected his physical health as well as his mental health. By November 22, 2020, his health had declined to the point that he was hospitalized and passed away. He did not die from COVID but from failure to thrive due to isolation in long-term care. The last time I hugged my husband was when I carried his ashes from the car to the church.''

Mr. Speaker, Melody Stark's husband might still be with us today if he had been allowed access to an essential caregiver. That is why we must take action on H.R. 3733.

I am urging all of my colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans, to join me because this is not a partisan issue. It is an issue of compassion and doing the right thing for our fellow Americans who so desperately need our help.

Again, I am grateful to my cosponsor, Representative Larson, who has so graciously come on board, and so many other Members, in a bipartisan way.

Mr. Speaker, you have heard me share these stories before, and I will continue to share them until the bipartisan Essential Caregivers Act is passed.

BREAK IN TRANSCRIPT

Source