[Congressional Record Volume 167, Number 211 (Tuesday, December 7, 2021)]
[House]
[Pages H6917-H6918]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




              PROTECTING LONG-TERM CARE RESIDENTS TO DEATH

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentlewoman from 
New York (Ms. Tenney) for 5 minutes.
  Ms. TENNEY. Mr. Speaker, once again, I rise to call for immediate 
action on H.R. 3733, the Essential Caregivers Act. It is our sacred 
duty to protect and serve the American people, and this bill is an 
opportunity for this body to fulfill that duty.
  Over the course of this pandemic, thousands of our fellow Americans 
were left isolated in long-term care facilities. They were denied 
access to their friends and families.
  Alone and often confused, many suffered from depression and didn't 
receive the medical care they so desperately needed. Family members 
were forced to watch from behind plexiglass and webcams as their loved 
one's physical and mental health declined. Some even died frightened 
and alone because of the lack of care.
  In one California facility, Nancy Klein's son, who had suffered from 
a massive brain hemorrhage 6 years ago and has been bedridden ever 
since, contracted pneumonia three times while in isolation. Later, he 
contracted COVID.
  His mother asked: After all he has been through, don't you think he 
has done his time?
  Yes. I think he has done his time.
  Nancy's story and many others like hers are documented in the book 
``Protecting Them to Death,'' which was written by one of my great 
constituents, Karla Abraham-Conley, who lost her mother in a long-term 
nursing facility. I have shared some of the gut-wrenching stories from 
this book before, and I will continue to do so until the bipartisan 
Essential Caregivers Act is passed.
  It is imperative that we, the elected Representatives of the American 
people, stick up for the American people. The Essential Caregivers Act 
would ensure the senseless, counterproductive policies that were put in 
place during the pandemic are never repeated.
  The fearmongering led to situations where, as Veronica Myers put it, 
``fear of COVID-19 has put staff safety ahead of resident health, well-
being, and safety.''
  Veronica's 70-year-old father lives in a nursing home in Arkansas but 
was not allowed to see his family because of the antiscientific 
procedures of the facility. Veronica added that lack of continuity and 
communication play a major role in the isolation of residents 
because basic care and best practices are less important now than 
COVID-19 mitigation.

  Mr. Speaker, this is not how Americans care for their fellow 
citizens.
  All across the country, from my home State of New York all the way to

[[Page H6918]]

California, families were cut off from their loved ones living in long-
term care facilities. These decisions to isolate long-term care 
facility residents were fatal and will have long-lasting impacts.
  Think of the damage that has been caused to people like Melody Stark 
of California, whose husband had been living in a nursing home for 5 
years prior to the pandemic. In March 2020, Melody was on her way to 
the nursing home for their usual Friday night dinner date when she got 
a phone call informing her that nonessential visitors were no longer 
allowed due to COVID-19 lockdowns.
  Who could be more essential than one's lifelong partner and spouse?
  Melody recounted that ``what we thought would be a couple of weeks 
turned into months and months. There were no virtual or window visits 
facilitated, and it felt as if everyone except families were wholly 
unaware of the impact of isolation, depression, and lack of 
psychosocial support.''
  Melody continued by saying: ``My usually optimistic husband sounded 
increasingly sad and said things like: `This is no way to live,' and he 
would cry. Over time, this led to drastic decline that affected his 
physical health as well as his mental health. By November 22, 2020, his 
health had declined to the point that he was hospitalized and passed 
away. He did not die from COVID but from failure to thrive due to 
isolation in long-term care. The last time I hugged my husband was when 
I carried his ashes from the car to the church.''
  Mr. Speaker, Melody Stark's husband might still be with us today if 
he had been allowed access to an essential caregiver. That is why we 
must take action on H.R. 3733.
  I am urging all of my colleagues, both Democrats and Republicans, to 
join me because this is not a partisan issue. It is an issue of 
compassion and doing the right thing for our fellow Americans who so 
desperately need our help.
  Again, I am grateful to my cosponsor, Representative Larson, who has 
so graciously come on board, and so many other Members, in a bipartisan 
way.
  Mr. Speaker, you have heard me share these stories before, and I will 
continue to share them until the bipartisan Essential Caregivers Act is 
passed.

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