Safety and Privacy

Single-occupancy rooms are necessary for resident safety and to prevent infectious diseases from spreading in nursing homes. It is not a luxury or just a privacy concern. It should be the cost of doing business. Plante Moran observed in a new report that the need will accelerate in the future.

“Moving forward, private rooms will become non-negotiable, as will enhanced infection control and safety protocols that may not have been part of normal operations historically. Take a look at your dining and common areas. How can you balance opportunities for social interaction with infection control?”

Double, triple, or even four-person rooms with shared bathrooms is unsafe, and often disgusting. Plante Moran encourages operators to consider repurposing their existing structures. The Green House Project’s model should be the guide. Green house promotes the development of “small house” nursing home campuses. It is safer, cleaner, and better.

A recent study published in the Journal of the American Medical Directors Association found that 31% of coronavirus deaths in Ontario, Canada, would have been prevented if all residents had had single-occupancy rooms.