Hospitals did in fact need the beds (nursing home beds >>> hospital beds). Additionally they are ill-equipped for the skilled help these people needed. People suffer from dementia/alzheimers and hospitals only option is to handcuff people to their beds (which is inhumane long-term).

I don't want to play politics and I do think more could have been done here). Like: quickly granting nursing homes aid in terms of PPE + cash + national guard help. I'm just trying to change your mind that the situation was much more nuanced that the NYTimes is advocating for.