As if the great State of California’s RCFE Certification wasn’t stringent enough, it’s about to get even harder. Why you ask? Well, you can probably figure that out without us explaining it to you, but for all of you who are not yet in the industry let’s spend a few moments to discuss it.
We all know that the coronavirus took a huge toll on retirement communities, old folks’ homes, nursing homes, and residential care facilities for the elderly (RCFE). In New York nearly 25% of all coronavirus deaths occurred in a nursing home. In Kirkland, WA we saw nearly 30% of the elderly in one of the facilities perish from coronavirus. In California, even with our strict adherence to virus protocols, the coronavirus managed to find its way into a large number of certified RCFEs.
Once the virus gets in and infects both residents and staff, it spreads quickly, often before anyone detects it, and by the time symptoms show up, it’s too late – there are so many infected, you may as well turn the facility into a covid-19 hospital. Those who oversee the regulations of RCFE Certification are getting a lot of attention now from State Legislators who want answers and want to know how we are going to prevent something like this from happening in the future.
Luckily, regulators are working with the RCFE Industry to come up with new rules, procedures, and protocols. There is a team already working on ways to detect the spread of virus, this virus or any other early on with rapid testing. In the future RCFEs will be the first to be alerted and thus, able to move fast to prevent such a calamity. There is no doubt that RCFEs will be required to have test kits, PPE, and other equipment on hand for rapid deployment.
The RCFE Certification will be harder to attain in the future, and there will be more rules and regulations, and more costs and time will be added to comply. Some in our industry believe California is among the toughest states for RCFE Certification, which is true enough, but we can expect things to get even harder due to what’s transpired. Although there were some mistakes made along the way by RCFE operators, state regulatory health authorities, and even politicians this is no time to place blame.
Our industry has its work cut out for us, we must rise to occasion and continue our mission, press on against the adversity and emerge stronger than ever. We will, we must, and we are up for the challenge. Let us help you with your RCFE Certification, let’s be great, and protect our most vulnerable from any future virus.