Robyn Grant, Advocate

Robyn Grant is the Director of Public Policy and Advocacy at the National Consumer Voice. Prior to joining the National Consumer Voice, she was the Indiana State Long-Term Care Ombudsman and president of the National Association of State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs. Click the black squares below to hear and read about Robyn’s experience during the COVID-19 pandemic. The expanded interview (edited for clarity) is available at the bottom of the page.

[I] absolutely would have advocated right from the get-go for essential caregivers that there must be 1-2 visitors who have access to residents regardless of what else is going on in terms of COVID levels and community rates.

We have seen what has happened to the care and seen so much neglect when there hasn’t been eyes on and oversight in any meaningful way in the nursing homes so we would have really fought hard against that.

But it really became a focus or of particular concern when we saw the residents in Life Care Center in Kirkland, Washington, dying. Staff members dying and residents getting ill and just the dire, dire situation there. That’s when it was first you know, “oh my goodness, what is happening here” and look at this horrendous impact.

This is the time when we can get some real improvements in terms of staffing in the nursing homes. As you know, this has been a problem for decades and it just became absolutely exacerbated during the pandemic.

Click below for the expanded interview (10:47).