biostudies-literatureUnknown68(12)Gibson DM<h4>Background</h4>It is crucial that nursing homes have adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) and staff to protect residents and staff from COVID-19. Some states have taken actions to mitigate shortages of PPE and staffing in nursing homes, including creating dedicated long-term care (LTC) teams and supporting staffing capacity.<h4>Objective</h4>To examine whether state actions and nursing home characteristics are associated with shortages of PPE and staffing.<h4>Design and setting</h4>Facility-level data, released July 31, 2020, from the Nursing Home COVID-19 Public File, were combined with data from other sources. Our sample was the 13,445 facilities with information about PPE and staffing shortages for each of the 5 weeks between the week ending June 21, 2020, and the week ending July 19, 2020. Associations between facility characteristics and shortages were examined using descriptive statistics and logistic regression models.<h4>Measurements</h4>Outcome variables were whether or not a facility lacked a 1-week supply of PPE ("PPE shortage") and whether or not a facility had a staffing shortage during 1 or more weeks over the 5-week study period.<h4>Results</h4>Over the 5-week study period, 27.6% of facilities reported 1 or more weeks of PPE shortage, 30.2% of facilities reported at least 1 week of staffing shortage, and 46.5% of facilities lacked PPE and/or staff. Facilities located in states in the Northeast PPE Consortium or with LTC teams were modestly less likely to have had a PPE shortage, and facilities located in states that implemented processes to match job seekers with LTC facilities were marginally significantly less likely to have had a staffing shortage.<h4>Conclusion</h4>Given that nearly half of U.S. nursing homes recently faced a shortage of PPE and/or staff, and that state budget deficits may limit further state actions, ongoing federal assistance with PPE and staffing of nursing homes is needed.Journal of the American Geriatrics Society2721-2726https://www.ebi.ac.uk/biostudies/studies/S-EPMC7675486biostudies-literatureState Actions and Shortages of Personal Protective Equipment and Staff in U.S. Nursing Homes.PMC7675486Gibson DMGreene JfalseState Actions and Shortages of Personal Protective Equipment and Staff in U.S. Nursing Homes.<h4>Background</h4>It is crucial that nursing homes have adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) and staff to protect residents and staff from COVID-19. Some states have taken actions to mitigate shortages of PPE and staffing in nursing homes, including creating dedicated long-term care (LTC) teams and supporting staffing capacity.<h4>Objective</h4>To examine whether state actions and nursing home characteristics are associated with shortages of PPE and staffing.<h4>Design and setting</h4>Facility-level data, released July 31, 2020, from the Nursing Home COVID-19 Public File, were combined with data from other sources. Our sample was the 13,445 facilities with information about PPE and staffing shortages for each of the 5 weeks between the week ending June 21, 2020, and the week ending July 19, 2020. Associations between facility characteristics and shortages were examined using descriptive statistics and logistic regression models.<h4>Measurements</h4>Outcome variables were whether or not a facility lacked a 1-week supply of PPE ("PPE shortage") and whether or not a facility had a staffing shortage during 1 or more weeks over the 5-week study period.<h4>Results</h4>Over the 5-week study period, 27.6% of facilities reported 1 or more weeks of PPE shortage, 30.2% of facilities reported at least 1 week of staffing shortage, and 46.5% of facilities lacked PPE and/or staff. Facilities located in states in the Northeast PPE Consortium or with LTC teams were modestly less likely to have had a PPE shortage, and facilities located in states that implemented processes to match job seekers with LTC facilities were marginally significantly less likely to have had a staffing shortage.<h4>Conclusion</h4>Given that nearly half of U.S. nursing homes recently faced a shortage of PPE and/or staff, and that state budget deficits may limit further state actions, ongoing federal assistance with PPE and staffing of nursing homes is needed.2020-01-01T00:00:00Z2020 Dec2025-05-18T12:43:40.552Z2025-05-18T12:43:40.552ZS-EPMC76754863302275710.1111/jgs.16883