[Congressional Record Volume 166, Number 82 (Friday, May 1, 2020)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E419]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 HONORING LONG-TERM AND SKILLED NURSING EMPLOYEES AS IOWANS OF THE WEEK

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                           HON. CYNTHIA AXNE

                                of iowa

                    in the house of representatives

                          Friday, May 1, 2020

  Mrs. AXNE. Madam Speaker, our elder Americans are among the highest 
risk for COVID-19. During this outbreak, our seniors need the continued 
support from their communities.
  That is why I rise today to ask the House of Representatives to join 
me in recognizing the dedicated employees of lowa's 444 long-term and 
skilled nursing facilities as they face new and unforeseen challenges 
in providing care for their patients and residents.
  Social distancing is not an option for these health care workers. 
Every day, these essential workers show up at work, receive their 
screenings at the door, and suit up in their protective equipment--
often homemade--so they can continue to serve and provide the same 
level of care for their residents--our parents, grandparents, our 
family, friends, and beloved community leaders. They show up despite 
the lack of personal protective equipment and show great ingenuity as 
they find new ways to protect their patients and themselves. Daily, 
they are working to protect our most vulnerable Iowans.
  Employees at skilled nursing facilities have very difficult jobs. 
They carry the responsibility of caring for our loved ones as they face 
the uncertain challenges of aging. They bathe, dress, feed, engage--and 
love--their residents to keep them happy and healthy. Administrators 
and their assistants balance tight budgets and shuffle schedules to 
accommodate severe staffing shortages. Chefs and cooks create menus 
with quality meals to accommodate many dietary restrictions and daily 
needs to ensure our seniors are leading healthy lives. All these 
difficult tasks are only compounded by the stress of added protective 
measures and coping with the anxieties that come as a result of the 
crisis we now find ourselves in.
  I am grateful for the strength and resiliency that our workers in 
long-term and skilled nursing facilities have shown during this crisis. 
While we are not able to visit our loved ones in these facilities, we 
can rest assured they are continuing to receive quality attention and 
care during this time. So today, I'm asking my colleagues here in the 
House to join me in honoring the remarkable employees who are keeping 
our long-term and skilled nursing facilities in Iowa up and running in 
the face of unprecedented challenges.

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