After a Covid-19 outbreak in a Massachusetts veteran home that led to 80 coronavirus-related deaths, two administrators have been charged with mishandling the outbreak. This is believed to be the first criminal charge in the United States brought against nursing home administration in light of the Covid-19 pandemic. Both the Superintendent and Medical Director were indicted by a grand jury “on charges stemming from their decision in March to combine two dementia units,” placing residents who tested positive for the coronavirus in the same unit as those with no symptoms.
Since March, 76 veterans have died at the facility. Staff reports packed rooms and community spaces to accommodate the decisions made by the administrators. They argue that instead of working to prevent the spread, leadership prepared for the deaths of the veterans.
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