I think most Democrats accepted Andrew Cuomo's mean-spirited, arrogant, and bare-knuckles political style in exchange for getting things done — for example, same-sex marriage, gun-control legislation, and on-time budgets. And most NYS residents liked his "I'm in charge" approach to the Covid-19 pandemic. We didn't know, or want to know, who we were really supporting. Even after he told us who he was for the past 40 years.
I think Cuomo initially started out on the right track. The Tax cap was really important to us upstate and he looked like he might make a difference in political corruption. But when he abruptly disbanded the Moreland Commission, things seemed to change. He didn’t seem as interested in upstate issues. He also became more and more ruthless politically - remind you of anyone - and seemed more concerned about a presidential run. He was always very controlling with media and lacking in transparency.
I was a volunteer ombudsman for one year. The state has privatized supervision of elder care in Nursing homes. The Office for the Aging has abandoned their responsibility and lessened their liability by contracting out care for the elderly in Nursing homes. In the past every local county responded to issues of nursing homes in their county. Today the contractor that I reported to had several counties and could not adequately staff their paid positions .Long Term Care Ombudsman Program
The Long Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP) was created in 1972 and is established in all states under the Older Americans Act administered by the Administration on Aging. This advocacy program provides opportunities for residents of long term care facilities and their families to voice problems and concerns that impact their quality of life and care. The role of the LTCOP is important in helping ensure the safety and welfare of thousands of New York State long term care residents.
Catholic Charities Senior & Caregiver Support Services LTCOP is one of 15 regional programs statewide. The Program serves 10 counties – Albany, Fulton, Hamilton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren, and Washington – having been awarded the grant October 1, 2015. The program is dually funded by the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) and the Administration for Community Living (ACL).
What is an Ombudsman?
A Long Term Care Certified Ombudsman is a dedicated, trained staff or volunteer committed to improving the quality of care of residents in New York State long term care facilities. Ombudsmen make a difference in the lives of a vulnerable population by listening to residents and their families and helping them to understand and exercise their rights to quality care and quality of life. The Certified Ombudsman confidentially assist residents and family members with the following services:
Identifying, investigating, and resolving individual and systematic complaints around quality of care and resident rights
Educating residents and families in understanding their rights as residents
Connecting long-term care facility residents to the person(s) responsible for their care
Empowering residents and families on how to express their concerns and makes referrals to other appropriate community and advocacy agencies
Receiving and answering questions from individuals regarding financial, social, family, or legal issues
Protecting and advocating for the rights of persons living in long term care facilities
What is the Eligibility Requirement to Use the Program?
There are no age requirements or fees for this program, only that you or a loved one are a current resident or rehabilitation patient of a nursing home, adult home, assisted living residence, or licensed family type home.
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteer opportunities are available in Albany, Fulton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren, and Washington counties. Comprehensive training is required to become a Certified Ombudsman and is coordinated by the program. A weekly time commitment is also required to be a volunteer Ombudsman.
Watch our website for upcoming volunteer training dates.
Contact Us…
For more information about this program, contact Catholic Charities at (518) 372-5667.
It did appear to me that nursing home operators were writing the rules and regulations , not the states. Since I left the nursing home i volunteered with, there has been no ombudsman replacement. For the greater part of the year I served there was no director for the program, Long term care has become increasingly dangerous and home care is also difficult to staff.
i would like to add that nursing home operators in NYS made hefty campaign contributions to Cuomo. In many states ombudsman are paid ... it might improve supervision of nursing homes if that were the case in NY. I have little faith in Hochul who has her own conflicts of interest. IMHO Cuomo was definitely trying to cover for nursing home operators.
I supported him and enjoyed his daily press conferences, during the height of the pandemic. To a lot of us it showed leadership, and was reassuring. Particularly when contrasted with the hands off, seemingly disinterested approach of the President at the time, who would get hostile at the mere mention of a health crisis under his watch. BUT then I remember clearly being appalled when he discussed his plan to put recovering COVID patients in nursing homes throughout the state. I was walking across the living room with the TV on, and this actually stopped me in my tracks. Terrible idea! These facilities having some of the most vulnerable people we have. I also didn't think nursing homes were prepared to deal with that at all. I'm speaking from experience, as my dad was in a facility out of state and I was compelled to go there & get him out, and back into his own home, with nurses coming to care for him. Not everyone in that position is so fortunate. From an Associated Press article at the time, "The new number of 9,056 recovering patients sent to hundreds of nursing homes is more than 40% higher than what the state health department previously released. And it raises new questions as to whether a March 25 directive from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration helped spread sickness and death among residents.." "“The lack of transparency and the meting out of bits of important data has undermined our ability to both recognize the scope and severity of what’s going on” and address it, said Richard Mollot, the executive director of the Long Term Care Community Coalition, a residents advocacy group." It was a horrible idea, and they've been dodging responsibility ever since. Totally unacceptable. Cuomo has to be nuts if he thinks he should make a come back after that!
Not to totally defend Cuomo here as I feel there was some wrong decisions made in regards to nursing homes, particularly in reporting…Which by the way was also being done on the federal level under the Trump administration for political reasons…
I also feel. at this point, especially given the sexual misconduct findings, Cuomo is a liability to the Democratic Party and should at minimum leave public life…full disclosure I am a registered Democrat…and would not lose sleep if I never heard the name of Andrew Cuomo again…
However, with that said, I think there were other factors involved here that seem to be not as well talked about, and should be considered if we hope to prevent this tragedy in the future…
First is Cuomo’s March 25 order/decision to re-admit Covid patients back into nursing homes…
It should be remembered, at the time, hospital beds were at a premium and needed to be freed up to handle active cases of Covid. It should also be remembered that Cuomo was just following federal CMS guidelines for re-admittance at the time…
FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE FEDERAL CMS DOCUMENT REGARDING COVID GUIDANCE FOR NURSING HOMES.
“Note: Nursing homes should admit any individuals that they would normally admit to their facility, including individuals from hospitals where a case of COVID-19 was/is present. Also, if possible, dedicate a unit/wing exclusively for any residents coming or returning from the hospital. This can serve as a step-down unit where they remain for 14 days with no symptoms (instead of integrating as usual on short-term rehab floor, or returning to long-stay original room).”
Also...
“ When should a nursing home accept a resident who was diagnosed with COVID-19 from a hospital?
A nursing home can accept a resident diagnosed with COVID-19 and still under Transmission- Based Precautions for COVID-19, ( * in other words a patient that has Covid and can still possibly spread Covid), as long as the facility can follow CDC guidance for Transmission-Based Precautions.”
As Cuomo had said multiple times… if they ( the nursing home) can not provide the appropriate level of care for a patient that has Covid and can still possibly spread Covid, they were to contact the State Health Dept. and the state would make arrangements for the appropriate level of care.
To the best of my knowledge NO NURSING HOME, NOT ONE, EVER CONTACTED THE STATE SAYING THEY COULD NOT APPROPRIATELY CARE FOR THESE RESIDENTS. Why? because denying patients could have lead to a loss in revenue.....
Second… It is also worth noting here that, no, the USNS Comfort nor the Javitts center were initially an option to send these residents as they were not initially staffed or equipped to handle Covid patients and because of that, it made it an administrative nightmare to get patients into these options. Consequently they were both under utilized…It was also later discovered that staff on the Comfort had Covid themselves…
Third… Although the initial NYS OAG’s report said that the Cuomo administration had under reported nursing home deaths, it also stated that that Covid, regardless of re-admissions, was already in these in these facilities. 37,500 nursing home staff members-one in four of the state’s nursing home workers—were infected with COVID-19 and transmitting the virus to the residents. Add to this NY OAG’s report stated that lack of staff, under trained staff, improper use and lack of PPE, improperly isolating/not isolating patients, in NY’s nursing homes were also a contributing factor and one could conclude one of the main drivers of mortality.
So does Cuomo have some culpability here…IMHO I would say yes he does, although with the lack of contact tracing data, we will never know to what extent…and given the other extenuating circumstances I just listed above…I don’t think he bares all of the blame…plenty to go around, and I certainly think it points to the need for comprehensive long term care reform as well as oversight…
"It was a coverup plain and simple."
I think most Democrats accepted Andrew Cuomo's mean-spirited, arrogant, and bare-knuckles political style in exchange for getting things done — for example, same-sex marriage, gun-control legislation, and on-time budgets. And most NYS residents liked his "I'm in charge" approach to the Covid-19 pandemic. We didn't know, or want to know, who we were really supporting. Even after he told us who he was for the past 40 years.
I think Cuomo initially started out on the right track. The Tax cap was really important to us upstate and he looked like he might make a difference in political corruption. But when he abruptly disbanded the Moreland Commission, things seemed to change. He didn’t seem as interested in upstate issues. He also became more and more ruthless politically - remind you of anyone - and seemed more concerned about a presidential run. He was always very controlling with media and lacking in transparency.
Cuomo needs to go away- far away. That applies to Trump and Hillary. These folks don’t seem to get it.
Could not agree more.
I was a volunteer ombudsman for one year. The state has privatized supervision of elder care in Nursing homes. The Office for the Aging has abandoned their responsibility and lessened their liability by contracting out care for the elderly in Nursing homes. In the past every local county responded to issues of nursing homes in their county. Today the contractor that I reported to had several counties and could not adequately staff their paid positions .Long Term Care Ombudsman Program
The Long Term Care Ombudsman Program (LTCOP) was created in 1972 and is established in all states under the Older Americans Act administered by the Administration on Aging. This advocacy program provides opportunities for residents of long term care facilities and their families to voice problems and concerns that impact their quality of life and care. The role of the LTCOP is important in helping ensure the safety and welfare of thousands of New York State long term care residents.
Catholic Charities Senior & Caregiver Support Services LTCOP is one of 15 regional programs statewide. The Program serves 10 counties – Albany, Fulton, Hamilton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren, and Washington – having been awarded the grant October 1, 2015. The program is dually funded by the New York State Office for the Aging (NYSOFA) and the Administration for Community Living (ACL).
What is an Ombudsman?
A Long Term Care Certified Ombudsman is a dedicated, trained staff or volunteer committed to improving the quality of care of residents in New York State long term care facilities. Ombudsmen make a difference in the lives of a vulnerable population by listening to residents and their families and helping them to understand and exercise their rights to quality care and quality of life. The Certified Ombudsman confidentially assist residents and family members with the following services:
Identifying, investigating, and resolving individual and systematic complaints around quality of care and resident rights
Educating residents and families in understanding their rights as residents
Connecting long-term care facility residents to the person(s) responsible for their care
Empowering residents and families on how to express their concerns and makes referrals to other appropriate community and advocacy agencies
Receiving and answering questions from individuals regarding financial, social, family, or legal issues
Protecting and advocating for the rights of persons living in long term care facilities
What is the Eligibility Requirement to Use the Program?
There are no age requirements or fees for this program, only that you or a loved one are a current resident or rehabilitation patient of a nursing home, adult home, assisted living residence, or licensed family type home.
Volunteer Opportunities
Volunteer opportunities are available in Albany, Fulton, Montgomery, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Warren, and Washington counties. Comprehensive training is required to become a Certified Ombudsman and is coordinated by the program. A weekly time commitment is also required to be a volunteer Ombudsman.
Watch our website for upcoming volunteer training dates.
Contact Us…
For more information about this program, contact Catholic Charities at (518) 372-5667.
It did appear to me that nursing home operators were writing the rules and regulations , not the states. Since I left the nursing home i volunteered with, there has been no ombudsman replacement. For the greater part of the year I served there was no director for the program, Long term care has become increasingly dangerous and home care is also difficult to staff.
Some great information here. Thanks for sharing.
i would like to add that nursing home operators in NYS made hefty campaign contributions to Cuomo. In many states ombudsman are paid ... it might improve supervision of nursing homes if that were the case in NY. I have little faith in Hochul who has her own conflicts of interest. IMHO Cuomo was definitely trying to cover for nursing home operators.
Gov. Hochul needs to fix the Dept. Of Health.
Gov. Cuomo was extremely helpful getting the people info and encouragement and he actually passed a gun law. Among other things.
I supported him and enjoyed his daily press conferences, during the height of the pandemic. To a lot of us it showed leadership, and was reassuring. Particularly when contrasted with the hands off, seemingly disinterested approach of the President at the time, who would get hostile at the mere mention of a health crisis under his watch. BUT then I remember clearly being appalled when he discussed his plan to put recovering COVID patients in nursing homes throughout the state. I was walking across the living room with the TV on, and this actually stopped me in my tracks. Terrible idea! These facilities having some of the most vulnerable people we have. I also didn't think nursing homes were prepared to deal with that at all. I'm speaking from experience, as my dad was in a facility out of state and I was compelled to go there & get him out, and back into his own home, with nurses coming to care for him. Not everyone in that position is so fortunate. From an Associated Press article at the time, "The new number of 9,056 recovering patients sent to hundreds of nursing homes is more than 40% higher than what the state health department previously released. And it raises new questions as to whether a March 25 directive from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s administration helped spread sickness and death among residents.." "“The lack of transparency and the meting out of bits of important data has undermined our ability to both recognize the scope and severity of what’s going on” and address it, said Richard Mollot, the executive director of the Long Term Care Community Coalition, a residents advocacy group." It was a horrible idea, and they've been dodging responsibility ever since. Totally unacceptable. Cuomo has to be nuts if he thinks he should make a come back after that!
Sad those people. Were surposed too be protected
Why do voters continually give these lousy self serving politicians a pass on their substandard performances and despicable character?
Great observation!! Another brick in Cuomo's wall.
Not to totally defend Cuomo here as I feel there was some wrong decisions made in regards to nursing homes, particularly in reporting…Which by the way was also being done on the federal level under the Trump administration for political reasons…
https://nymag.com/intelligencer/2020/09/hhs-officials-altered-cdc-covid-19-reports-to-help-trump.html .
I also feel. at this point, especially given the sexual misconduct findings, Cuomo is a liability to the Democratic Party and should at minimum leave public life…full disclosure I am a registered Democrat…and would not lose sleep if I never heard the name of Andrew Cuomo again…
However, with that said, I think there were other factors involved here that seem to be not as well talked about, and should be considered if we hope to prevent this tragedy in the future…
First is Cuomo’s March 25 order/decision to re-admit Covid patients back into nursing homes…
It should be remembered, at the time, hospital beds were at a premium and needed to be freed up to handle active cases of Covid. It should also be remembered that Cuomo was just following federal CMS guidelines for re-admittance at the time…
FROM THE ORIGINAL SOURCE FEDERAL CMS DOCUMENT REGARDING COVID GUIDANCE FOR NURSING HOMES.
“Note: Nursing homes should admit any individuals that they would normally admit to their facility, including individuals from hospitals where a case of COVID-19 was/is present. Also, if possible, dedicate a unit/wing exclusively for any residents coming or returning from the hospital. This can serve as a step-down unit where they remain for 14 days with no symptoms (instead of integrating as usual on short-term rehab floor, or returning to long-stay original room).”
Also...
“ When should a nursing home accept a resident who was diagnosed with COVID-19 from a hospital?
A nursing home can accept a resident diagnosed with COVID-19 and still under Transmission- Based Precautions for COVID-19, ( * in other words a patient that has Covid and can still possibly spread Covid), as long as the facility can follow CDC guidance for Transmission-Based Precautions.”
As Cuomo had said multiple times… if they ( the nursing home) can not provide the appropriate level of care for a patient that has Covid and can still possibly spread Covid, they were to contact the State Health Dept. and the state would make arrangements for the appropriate level of care.
To the best of my knowledge NO NURSING HOME, NOT ONE, EVER CONTACTED THE STATE SAYING THEY COULD NOT APPROPRIATELY CARE FOR THESE RESIDENTS. Why? because denying patients could have lead to a loss in revenue.....
https://www.cms.gov/files/document/3-13-2020-nursing-home-guidance-covid-19.pdf
Second… It is also worth noting here that, no, the USNS Comfort nor the Javitts center were initially an option to send these residents as they were not initially staffed or equipped to handle Covid patients and because of that, it made it an administrative nightmare to get patients into these options. Consequently they were both under utilized…It was also later discovered that staff on the Comfort had Covid themselves…
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/04/02/nyregion/ny-coronavirus-usns-comfort.html
Third… Although the initial NYS OAG’s report said that the Cuomo administration had under reported nursing home deaths, it also stated that that Covid, regardless of re-admissions, was already in these in these facilities. 37,500 nursing home staff members-one in four of the state’s nursing home workers—were infected with COVID-19 and transmitting the virus to the residents. Add to this NY OAG’s report stated that lack of staff, under trained staff, improper use and lack of PPE, improperly isolating/not isolating patients, in NY’s nursing homes were also a contributing factor and one could conclude one of the main drivers of mortality.
https://ag.ny.gov/press-release/2021/attorney-general-james-releases-report-nursing-homes-response-covid-19
So does Cuomo have some culpability here…IMHO I would say yes he does, although with the lack of contact tracing data, we will never know to what extent…and given the other extenuating circumstances I just listed above…I don’t think he bares all of the blame…plenty to go around, and I certainly think it points to the need for comprehensive long term care reform as well as oversight…