Aging

shows several empty rocking chairs on a porch

Health facility visitation becomes a legislative flashpoint

June 25, 2020 by Rose Hoban 3 Comments

Health facility visitation becomes a legislative flashpoint - North Carolina Health News

Even as lawmakers pass bills to require hospitals to allow visitors, they got an earful on how senior living centers would prefer to keep those facilities closed to visitors.

By Rose Hoban On Wednesday, lawmakers gave impassioned speeches on the floor of the legislature about patients who have endured hospitalizations and even deaths alone, without someone at their side. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, hospitals, in an effort to reduce the number of people infected with the deadly virus, have restricted visitation for their patients. […]

a woman standing at a podium takes off her mask worn against COVID-19

Coronavirus Today – June 22 – NCCARE360 expands; COVID clusters in childcare facilities, schools; proposed transit cuts

June 22, 2020 by Editor Leave a Comment

Coronavirus Today – June 22 – NCCARE360 expands; COVID clusters in childcare facilities, schools; proposed transit cuts - North Carolina Health News

A 100-county program designed before COVID-19 appeared could be useful to connect North Carolinians in need.

By North Carolina Health News staff Connecting North Carolinians to ‘whole health’ help in all 100 counties A mother of three went to a Johnston County church one Wednesday evening not too long ago and asked for the community there to pray for her because she wanted to get back on her feet. That church, […]

Members of the Henderson County Rescue Squad enter the decontamination tent outside Cherry Springs Village, an assisted living facility. The squad assist staff remove PPE.

WNC strike team fights back as long-term care residents contract COVID-19

June 11, 2020 by Hannah Critchfield

WNC strike team fights back as long-term care residents contract COVID-19 - North Carolina Health News

Residents of a Hendersonville assisted living home started testing positive for COVID-19 in early April. A carefully assembled “strike team” gathered diverse forces to keep the disease under some level of control.

By Hannah Critchfield and Thomas Goldsmith The calls from Cherry Springs Village came at night. Assisted-living roommates Alicia Rodgers, 50, and Margaret Osteen, 66, were getting results on April 4 from a test for the novel coronavirus that had been taken two days earlier. The disease had infected both women, family members learned. And they […]

Alicia Rodgers, a 50-year-old resident at Cherry Springs Village assisted living facility, beams for a photo taken at a socially-distanced strike team member. Rodgers contracted COVID-19 in the early days of the outbreak at the facility.

As COVID-19 threatened western N.C., a new approach to fighting it in long-term care

June 10, 2020 by Thomas Goldsmith

As COVID-19 threatened western N.C., a new approach to fighting it in long-term care - North Carolina Health News

When COVID-19 hit Henderson County, a newly coordinated “strike team” of medical professionals and others, from CNAs to hospice staff, formed to face the threat to endangered long-term care residents.

By Thomas Goldsmith and Hannah Critchfield Jan. 31: U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar declares a domestic public health emergency. Late in February, Mark Shepherd kept trying to tell people that Henderson County was heading for hard days, for trouble and sickness caused by a new virus that would spread like mountain wildfire. […]

Shows a large indoor arena fulled with people. If the RNC comes to Charlotte, this venue could be filled with about 19,000 Republicans, possibly putting them at risk for COVID.

Coronavirus Today – June 2 – GOP convention and NC demands; Cooper shares Bible story for Trump; COVID graph day

June 2, 2020 by Editor

Coronavirus Today – June 2 – GOP convention and NC demands; Cooper shares Bible story for Trump; COVID graph day - North Carolina Health News

Gov. Roy Cooper and President Donald Trump have different ideas for staging a GOP National Convention in Charlotte.

By North Carolina Health News staff Cooper, Trump and the RNC Convention Gov. Roy Cooper was on the phone with President Donald Trump on Friday evening, having a back and forth about the president’s demands for a no-holds-barred Republican National Convention in Charlotte this summer, despite COVID-19. North Carolina public health officials report they’ve been […]

a woman at a podium speaks to a mostly empty room. the only others there are wearing masks, as they're social distancing because of COVID-19.

Coronavirus Today – May 26 – Cooper, Trump, GOP convention; Alamance speedway defiance; Hang on Mandy, Mandy hang on

May 26, 2020 by Editor

Coronavirus Today – May 26 – Cooper, Trump, GOP convention; Alamance speedway defiance; Hang on Mandy, Mandy hang on - North Carolina Health News

Gov. Roy Cooper announces the creation of the North Carolina Pandemic Recovery Office.

Trump tweets, NC awaits GOP Convention plans Gov. Roy Cooper and his public health team are awaiting information from the Republican National Committee for how the political organization would stage its convention in August amid the coronavirus pandemic. President Donald Trump called out Cooper in a series of tweets on Monday, threatening to move the […]

How addiction recovery specialists adapted during COVID-19 pandemic

May 20, 2020 by Taylor Knopf

How addiction recovery specialists adapted during COVID-19 pandemic - North Carolina Health News

While some addiction service providers have been forced to cut programs, others have adjusted to the pandemic changes to assist people using drugs and those in early addiction recovery.

By Taylor Knopf In his 20 years at Healing Transitions, Chris Budnick has never turned away someone seeking help. But in late March after three false-positive tests for COVID-19 at the residential addiction recovery program in Raleigh, the program director made the tough call to stop all new admissions to the campuses and overnight detox. […]

shows a facemask used to prevent COVID 19 transmission. It's blue with an outline of the state of North Carolina with the flag colors inside the outline

Coronavirus Today – May 19 – Heated Lincoln County debate; nod to older North Carolinians; Avery County gets first COVID case

May 19, 2020 by Editor

Coronavirus Today – May 19 – Heated Lincoln County debate; nod to older North Carolinians; Avery County gets first COVID case - North Carolina Health News

Pressures mount to reopen restaurants, salons and churches as governor contemplates moving to the next phase.

By North Carolina Health News staff Defiance in Lincoln County A Lincoln County restaurant owner who also is a member of the county board of commissioners opened his restaurant in Vale on Monday in defiance of the governor’s statewide stay-at-home order. Carrol Dean Mitchem was cited by Sheriff Bill Beam for violating Gov. Roy Cooper’s […]

A skilled nursing facility sign is in the foreground and a building is in the background. The facility, A PruittHealth skilled-nursing facility in Orange County, is dealing with an outbreak of COVID-19, and has a history of poor staffing.

NC DHHS recommends testing all in long-term facilities for COVID-19, but questions remain

May 19, 2020 by Thomas Goldsmith

NC DHHS recommends testing all in long-term facilities for COVID-19, but questions remain - North Carolina Health News

NC health officials say all residents of long-term care centers, in dozens of which COVID-19 has run rampant, should be tested for the virus, but left several details vague.

By Thomas Goldsmith Dr. Mandy Cohen, director of the state Department of Health and Human Services, announced Friday that North Carolina is heading in the direction of universal testing of North Carolina nursing home residents and staff. That means that state health officials have issued guidance, or at least a recommendation, to follow the direction […]

photo shows a laptop with a zoom meeting of people who are meeting remotely because of COVID

As COVID-19 menaces NC, therapists reach out to people with speech, memory problems

May 13, 2020 by Thomas Goldsmith

As COVID-19 menaces NC, therapists reach out to people with speech, memory problems - North Carolina Health News

COVID-19 has brought changes in routine for people with dementia and other speech and memory problems. The community of speech therapy is offering new methods of care as the need continues to emerge.

By Thomas Goldsmith Solid communication can be tough with people challenged by the speech and comprehension problems that come with Alzheimer’s, dementia, stroke and aphasia. With the addition of COVID-19 to the mix, North Carolina speech therapists, along with some patients and caregivers, are offering grounding in this new health care landscape, along with practical […]

Additional Thanks

Categories