If you recently visited the websites of the Wall Street Journal, New York Times or Washington Post for news, you may have seen a video showing the important role senior living professionals are playing in the battle against COVID-19.
If you haven’t seen it yet, be sure to look for it. That also goes for viewers of content on the websites of the Boston Globe, Los Angeles Times, Dallas Morning News and Atlanta Journal Constitution. And visitors to the AARP’s news site, Facebook users overall and visitors to the American Seniors Housing Association’s “Where You Live Matters” campaign Facebook page. (Spoiler alert: It’s at the end of this column, too.)
The video, one minute and 23 seconds long, began running last week, David Schless, president of ASHA, the organization behind the effort, told me.
It’s a wonderful acknowledgement of the hard work that everyone at senior living communities is doing to keep residents safe and healthy. Importantly, however, it’s not just professionals in the industry who will see the video. (You, after all, already understand the importance of senior living.)
Residents, prospective residents and their families, as well as the general public, will see the message, too. That’s the point, of course, and it’s significant at a time when people are reading and seeing some negative things about long-term care and when providers and associations that represent them continue to have to make the case to state and federal officials about their needs for personal protective equipment, testing and funding.
“It’s imperative that we reach out nationwide to drive home the message that the senior living industry is a vital part of the solution to overcoming this crisis,” Schless said. “We are working around the clock to keep residents and staff safe and virus-free. We take extraordinary pride in meeting the day-to-day challenges head on and are grateful for those who are serving tirelessly and heroically during this unprecedented time.”
Thankfully, many adult children are coming to realize the value of senior living during the pandemic. This “Senior Living Today & Every Day” campaign, which Schless said will continue to be updated, is one of several ways the industry is working to make sure more people understand that value.
