Malthusian Murder of the Most Vulnerable ElderlyMalthusian Murder of the Most Vulnerable Elderly

April 15, 2020 (EIRNS)—Fifty years of monetarist and Malthusian policies, since President Richard Nixon launched the “health maintenance organization” (HMO) systems to generate profits for insurance firms, have created an angel of death that is now stalking the halls of senior living facilities in the United States and Western Europe. Many of these facilities depended on the very low payments from Medicaid, and have been bought out by for-profit hedge-fund outfits.

On April 13, Britain’s daily Guardian ran the headline, “Half of Coronavirus Deaths Happen in Care Homes, Data from EU Suggests,” with the kicker: “Figures from Italy, Spain, France, Ireland and Belgium suggest U.K. may be underestimating care sector deaths.” The article reports that about half of COVID-19 deaths appear to be happening in senior facilities in several European countries. The International Long-Term Care Policy Network, based at the London School of Economics, examined data from official sources and reports that in Italy, Spain, France, Ireland, and Belgium between 42% and 57% of the COVID-19 deaths in those countries have been in senior facilities.

The New York Times on April 14 reported that it had identified more than 2,500 nursing homes and other long-term care facilities across the United States with coronavirus cases. More than 21,000 residents and staff at those facilities have contracted the virus, of whom more than 3,800 have died. Of those 3,800 deaths, some 2,700 were in New York, comprising 25% of the deaths from the disease in the state.

The Times reporters believe that its figures are an undercount, because it was only using figures that it could confirm with state or county authorities, or with the particular facility. However, they point out, many states, counties and facilities had declined to provide full information. The Times included nursing homes, assisted-living facilities, memory care facilities, retirement and senior communities and long-term rehabilitation facilities in its investigation.

As of this writing we have only compiled reports from Virginia and Iowa. The Times reports that 56 out of 102 reported outbreaks in Virginia have occurred in senior facilities. One underfunded nursing home in Virginia, which had been forced to house residents three to a room, now leads the nation in numbers of deaths in one facility. Nor have upscale locations been spared. Three deaths have occurred at the Falcons Landing retirement community in wealthy northern Virginia’s Loudoun County, which was built to serve retired career military and their spouses.

Iowa officials reported on April 14 that six long-term care facilities are now experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks according to Iowa Public Radio. The state reported 202 positive cases across the six facilities as of April 14. Despite significant mitigation measures taken early on, including restricting visitors and screening staff at all shifts, the virus has still been introduced into some facilities resulting in devastating consequences, Gov. Kim Reynolds said this week. An Iowa Department of Health spokesperson said 51% of the state’s 49 reported COVID-19 deaths were residents of long-term care facilities.

April 15, 2020 (EIRNS)—Fifty years of monetarist and Malthusian policies, since President Richard Nixon launched the “health maintenance organization” (HMO) systems to generate profits for insurance firms, have created an angel of death that is now stalking the halls of senior living facilities in the United States and Western Europe. Many of these facilities depended on the very low payments from Medicaid, and have been bought out by for-profit hedge-fund outfits.

On April 13, Britain’s daily Guardian ran the headline, “Half of Coronavirus Deaths Happen in Care Homes, Data from EU Suggests,” with the kicker: “Figures from Italy, Spain, France, Ireland and Belgium suggest U.K. may be underestimating care sector deaths.” The article reports that about half of COVID-19 deaths appear to be happening in senior facilities in several European countries. The International Long-Term Care Policy Network, based at the London School of Economics, examined data from official sources and reports that in Italy, Spain, France, Ireland, and Belgium between 42% and 57% of the COVID-19 deaths in those countries have been in senior facilities.

The New York Times on April 14 reported that it had identified more than 2,500 nursing homes and other long-term care facilities across the United States with coronavirus cases. More than 21,000 residents and staff at those facilities have contracted the virus, of whom more than 3,800 have died. Of those 3,800 deaths, some 2,700 were in New York, comprising 25% of the deaths from the disease in the state.

The Times reporters believe that its figures are an undercount, because it was only using figures that it could confirm with state or county authorities, or with the particular facility. However, they point out, many states, counties and facilities had declined to provide full information. The Times included nursing homes, assisted-living facilities, memory care facilities, retirement and senior communities and long-term rehabilitation facilities in its investigation.

As of this writing we have only compiled reports from Virginia and Iowa. The Times reports that 56 out of 102 reported outbreaks in Virginia have occurred in senior facilities. One underfunded nursing home in Virginia, which had been forced to house residents three to a room, now leads the nation in numbers of deaths in one facility. Nor have upscale locations been spared. Three deaths have occurred at the Falcons Landing retirement community in wealthy northern Virginia’s Loudoun County, which was built to serve retired career military and their spouses.

Iowa officials reported on April 14 that six long-term care facilities are now experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks according to Iowa Public Radio. The state reported 202 positive cases across the six facilities as of April 14. Despite significant mitigation measures taken early on, including restricting visitors and screening staff at all shifts, the virus has still been introduced into some facilities resulting in devastating consequences, Gov. Kim Reynolds said this week. An Iowa Department of Health spokesperson said 51% of the state’s 49 reported COVID-19 deaths were residents of long-term care facilities.