page_title: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on long-term care facilities
section_title: Massachusetts
hierarchical_section_title: Impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on long-term care facilities / United States / Massachusetts
caption_attribution_description: English: LITTLETON, Mass. – A medic with the Massachusetts National Guard takes a nasal swab that will be used to test for COVID-19 with a resident of the Life Care Center of Nashoba Valley, Littleton, Mass., April 3, 2020. The Massachusetts National Guard worked with the facility’s staff to administer COVID-19 tests to help prevent the spread of the virus. (Army National Guard Photo by Staff Sgt. Kenneth Tucceri)
context_page_description: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted long-term care facilities and nursing homes around the world. Thousands of residents of these facilities, who are a high-risk group, have died of the disease.
context_section_description: Life Care Center of Nashoba Valley experienced an outbreak in April 2020. The nurse who reported the outbreak later died of the virus.
  One of the most severe outbreaks was at the state-run Holyoke Soldiers' Home for aging veterans. In late March, there were 210 residents; by late May, 74 of them had died with a COVID-19 diagnosis. Dozens of employees also tested positive. Because the facility is funded by taxpayers and not by Medicare, it is not subject to inspections by Centers for Medicare Services. It is not inspected by the Massachusetts Department of Public Health, either. Following the outbreak, at least four state and federal investigations were opened into the facility.
caption: A medic with the Massachusetts National Guard and a resident of the Life Care Center of Nashoba Valley nursing home handle a nasal swab that will be used to test for COVID-19
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