Over 374,000 New Yorkers have contracted the coronavirus since March. 

This includes Crystal Carmona who works at a nursing home in Troy. 

“The normal blue and white ones don’t particularly fit on my face,” Carmona, a CNA at Diamond Nursing Home and a 1199SEIU, United Healthcare Workers East member explained. 

“And they kind of fall and my nose is exposed” 

The coronavirus has taken a toll on nursing homes across the state. New York has not only the highest number of cornivirus cases, but also one of the highest number of deaths in longer term care facilities. 

Carmona admits her odds of catching the virus was higher, but explained the lack of proper PPE  and no training on how to use it, put her at a higher risk.  

“No one knows how to handle this. It’s something new, but you still have to show people what you expect. This is how you go in a room, this is how you take stuff off,” Carmona said. “I am hoping that they are preparing and not just taking it very lightly for this second wave, but we’ll see.”

Home care agencies have also been impacted  by the COVID-19. 

A survey of six home care agencies showed that 780 home health care aides caught COVID-19 and 33 home aides died. 

Yet, these six agencies were also able to take care of over 20,000 at risk adults, keeping them home and out of the hospital system. 

“By discharging them from the hospital, back home and skipping the step of the nursing home or rehab has really saved, I think, countless lives,” Michael Arnella, RN, Director of Clinical Services at Accent Care. “Home care plays a vital role in any type of emergency situation."

However, the Save NYC Home Care Coalition says many home care agencies are on a fixed budget. They are shouldering additional PPE costs and staffing shortages.  

“With a lot of turnover and the increased overtime costs they’re struggling but they’re still doing their mission, which is to take care of our loved ones in their homes,” Lisa Griffith, Council for Save NYC Home Care Coalition explained.