ABSTRACT

Italy was the first western country strongly hit by the COVID-19 outbreak. This Perspective focuses on the large number of deaths that occurred in nursing homes during the first wave of the pandemic, and the weak capacity of public policy to provide them with adequate protection. The analysis focuses on the case of the Lombardy Region, where the mortality rate due to COVID-19 in nursing homes was the highest in Europe. In the search for possible causes, we investigate the situation of such facilities before the pandemic. Two aspects are analyzed: their institutional embeddedness and recent trends in their management. We conclude by arguing that the negative impact of COVID-19 stems from the poor development of long-term care policy and from the marginality of residential institutions within the healthcare system.

摘要

意大利是第一个受到 COVID-19 疫情严重打击的西方国家。本视角关注第一波大流行期间养老院发生的大量死亡，以及公共政策为他们提供足够保护的能力薄弱。分析的重点是伦巴第大区的案例，该地区疗养院中 COVID-19 的死亡率是欧洲最高的。为了寻找可能的原因，我们在大流行之前调查了此类设施的情况。分析了两个方面：它们的制度嵌入性和管理的最新趋势。我们得出结论认为，COVID-19 的负面影响源于长期护理政策的发展不畅以及医疗系统中住宿机构的边缘性。