The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services unofficially deemed the COVID-19 vaccine a ticket to life this week. In new guidance to vaccinated people in non-healthcare settings, it allows vaccinated people to visit unmasked with fellow vaccinated people, among other loosened restrictions.
Not surprising to observers of long-term care, on the heels of the public announcement, CMS issued reopening guidance for nursing homes. While slightly less relaxed than the rules for non-healthcare settings, it still permits residents small luxuries many have not experienced for a year, such as hugging family members.
If the guidance is intended to be a nudge, it appears that the federal government still has work to do. Large numbers of homebound adults and their caregivers still have not been inoculated. The problem is concerning enough that heads of several large long-term care associations on Wednesday issued a call to action in the form of a letter to the Biden administration about it.
And whether it’s vaccine hesitancy or lack of access, barriers to receiving the COVID-19 may be especially severe in rural settings. A SCAN Health Plan survey revealed this week found that one-third of rural family caregivers indicated they would not take an older adult in their care to a vaccination. That’s a large enough group to keep the virus circulating and wreaking havoc.
If we want to nail this virus — as nursing homes showed that we can with its rapid drop in cases and deaths due to the vaccine — it’s imperative that associations and the federal government find a way to spread word out about the safety and effectiveness of the vaccine to all corners of the country.
Imagine a life where you can enter a senior’s home, greet them with a hug and sit down for a visit — all without facial protection. Normalcy seems to be just around the corner, but not quite in reach.
Liza Berger is editor of McKnight’s Home Care. Email her at [email protected] and follow her @LizaBerger19.
