A quarter of adult care centers not complying with COVID rules

As of October 28, all Adult Foster Care (AFC) facilities and Homes for the Aged (HFA) are required to test all staff and residents at least once per week and report results to the state.

One month later and a significant portion of those facilities are still failing to fulfill the requirements, according to a report in the Traverse City Record Eagle.

What’s Happening: Some owners of AFCs and HFAs that are out of compliance with COVID-19 rules have said they are having a hard time keeping up due to a lack of training.

“We’re willing to test, we’ve been sent the supplies but are at the mercy of the National Guard to train us,” said Brad Jewett, who owns two assisted living centers in Traverse City.

Other facilities are simply not up-to-date with the new rules.

“As facilities learn about the requirement they comply,” said Lynn Sutfin, a spokesperson for the state’s Department of Health and Human Services. “The biggest barrier is identifying the appropriate contact and method for electronic communication with facilities.”

Out of Compliance: Statewide, about 25% of AFCs and HFAs are out of compliance with state rules, but the rates vary by region.

Only 11% of Kalamazoo County facilities are out of compliance, according to the state’s reporting dashboard. There are four facilities:

• Directors Hall, a part of Heritage Community of Kalamazoo
• Fountain View Retirement Village of Portage #2
• New Friends Memory Care and Assisted Living #1
• North Woods Village of Kalamazoo

Not every adult care facility is required to follow state reporting requirements – only those licensed by the state and that have 13 or more residents.

You can read the full story here.