Photos: The faulty protective gear sent to US care homes, from gowns without arm holes to strapless masks

• FEMA's $134 million shipment of PPE to COVID-19 frontline workers in nursing homes included expired surgical masks and "glorified garbage bag gowns."
• The federal government has distributed dozens of shipments of faulty PPE to nursing home staff across the country.
• FEMA said faulty PPE represented a minority of the shipments.

FEMA (The Federal Emergency Management Agency) has distributed $134 million-worth of personal protective equipment (PPE) to frontline workers in nursing homes across the country.

But some of the recipients weren't best pleased.

Dozens of the shipments were faulty— from sleeve-less plastic gowns that resemble jumbo garbage bags to expired surgical masks.

Two rounds of deliveries were made in late-May to early-June, then mid-June to late-July.

Brendan Williams, President & CEO of the New Hampshire Health Care Association, told Business Insider his facilities received two shipments of unusable PPE in May and June, including oversized gowns you need to punch armholes into.

When complaints were made to FEMA, the agency told caregivers they weren't wearing the gowns properly according to Williams.

"Roughly 92% of licensed nursing assistants in nursing homes are women, according to the Paraprofessional Health Institute. Most are women of color," Williams said. "To suggest that they should wear garbage bags — or, perhaps worse, didn't know how to wear garbage bags — is symbolic of the long-standing government marginalization of a workforce that cares for a population that is predominantly Medicaid."

Mike Pence arrived at a care home to help to deliver PPE, which typically includes N95 respirators and plastic surgical gowns.

Vice President Mike Pence carrying PPE      AP Photo/Susan Walsh

The Trump administration announced it would deliver PPE to over 15,400 nursing homes in light of COVID-19 in April.

Source: Insider

None of the shipments included N95 respirators. Instead, care centers were supplied with 'dumbo masks' — masks with paper earholes instead of elastic straps.

Brendan Williams/New Hampshire Health Care Association

"It lacks the elasticity of a real surgical mask that can actually comfortably fit on a human head," Williams told Insider.

"What I can't fathom is why I can purchase legitimate personal protective equipment — and have, as a stopgap for members — but the federal government can't or will not," Williams said. "Someone is making a fortune from this garbage.

Brendan Williams/New Hampshire Health Care Association

Masks made of Hanes underwear material have also been sent to nursing facilities, which state they should not be used in medical care.

Hanes underwear mask label.      Brendan Williams/New Hampshire Health Care Association

Workers received unmarked black gloves. It was not clear if they were medical grade or latex-free.

St. Paul Elder Services, Inc.

"We have never seen black gloves used in any healthcare setting, only in salons by colorists or in tattoo parlors," Norder told Insider.

Sondra Norder, President & CEO of St. Paul Elder Services in Wisconsin, told Business Insider multiple shipments of PPE came in damaged boxes.

St. Paul Elder Services, Inc.

A LeadingAge Member Nursing Home in Seattle, Washington received shipments of giant blue gowns with no armholes.

LeadingAge Member Nursing Home in Seattle, Washington      LeadingAge

St. Paul Elder Services, Inc. received a similar shipment of "glorified garbage bag gowns."

St. Paul Elder Services, Inc.

A FEMA spokesperson told Insider less than 10% of the gowns delivered in the second round of shipments were the blue sleeve-less sacks and less than 1% of the 15,400 nursing homes served filed complaints.

"We have received complaints on less than 1% of the total PPE shipments to nursing homes and continue to engage with nursing homes to keep lines of communication and feedback open at all times to help address concerns," a FEMA spokesperson said.