An outside probe examining why more than 60 percent of Connecticut’s deaths from coronavirus occurred in long-term care facilities will also examine the state’s response to the pandemic.
The state has released its request for proposals for a company to conduct the independent analysis announced by Gov. Ned Lamont last week. Bids are being solicited through this Friday, according to the RFP document.
The state is looking for recommendations for immediate changes to its own response, as well as that of the long-term care industry, no later than Aug. 15, to prepare for a potential second wave of the new coronavirus pandemic.
A final report on preventing future infectious disease outbreaks would be due by Sept. 30.
“We need to know what happened — what worked, what didn’t work, and what could we learn from it,” said state Rep. Rosa Rebimbas, R-Naugatuck, who is co-chair to the bipartisan Women’s Caucus, during a press conference organized by the caucus on the steps of the capitol building in Hartford on Tuesday.
Lamont said the review will also analyze how nursing homes will provide care going forward and “make sure that if there is a second wave we’re going to be ready for it.”
The request for proposals states that the firm or organization chosen will need to provide the state with an overall review of the virus’ impact on nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Connecticut compared with other states.
State Rep. Michelle Cook, D-Torrington, said she asked for a statewide investigation of nursing homes after her own father-in-law, a Korean War veteran, contracted the virus while living in a nursing home and later succumbed to the disease.
Cook said she and her husband were repeatedly told by the home that there were no cases of COVID-19 in the facility.
“The interesting part — when my father-in-law entered the emergency room, the nurse told my husband that in fact there was COVID in the nursing home that Pops had come from,” Cook said, using his family nickname.
She said that as of June 3, 63 percent of the state’s deaths attributed to COVID-19, the disease caused by coronavirus, had occurred at nursing homes or assisted living facilities “where our elderly go to be safe and be taken care of.
“We will do better,” she said.