Following the announcement of the coming COVID-19 booster shot as another tool to fight the spread of the virus, more states, providers and advocacy groups are joining the call for vaccine mandates for long-term care workers.
Transforming Age, based in Bellevue, WA, announced last week it is requiring all of its employees to be vaccinated by Oct. 15. Recent spikes in COVID-19 infections caused by the delta variant, and a desire to safeguard its residents, were factors in the new policy.
“We worked really hard with our community partner and local health organizations to get our residents vaccinated,” Transforming Age President and CEO Torsten Hirche said in a statement. “We’re now taking the next step in this process by requiring our team members to be vaccinated.”
A spokeswoman said the majority of employees already are vaccinated. Transforming Age is sharing information on local pharmacies providing COVID-19 vaccinations, paying for employees to take time to get vaccinated, and providing vaccinations in some of its communities. The employment of workers who choose not to be vaccinated will be terminated.
Transforming Age owns and operates 47 senior living communities and has more than 2,000 employees.
Industry support
Also last week, LeadingAge Virginia joined its national partner, LeadingAge, in calling for a vaccine mandate for all healthcare professionals throughout the commonwealth. The announcement follows President Biden’s announcement of a mandate for nursing home workers.
“The federal requirement for all nursing homes to mandate their staff be vaccinated against COVID-19 is a good step forward; however, we know that Americans throughout the entire healthcare system remain vulnerable,” LeadingAge Virginia President and CEO Melissa Andrews said in a statement. “By mandating these highly effective vaccines throughout the healthcare continuum, we can continue to deliver safe, quality care to older adults and others healthcare workers serve.”
The Kentucky Association of Health Care Facilities, in response to the federal vaccine requirement for nursing home workers, announced its support for all long-term care employers that mandate the vaccine for their employees.
“We have an expectation that all our healthcare workers receive the vaccine to protect themselves and the vulnerable populations that they serve,” KAHCF said in a statement.
Similarly, the Maine Health Care Association, Massachusetts Assisted Living Association and Illinois Health Care Association joined their national affiliates and partners in supporting vaccine mandates among long-term care staff.
Oregon update
Earlier this month, Oregon Gov. Kate Brown (D) announced a new rule requiring weekly COVID-19 testing for healthcare personnel, including senior living, which can be waived with proof of vaccination. Thursday, Brown updated the state’s vaccine requirement for healthcare workers to remove the testing opt-out option, a move the Oregon Health Care Association said it supports.
“Every healthcare worker who can be vaccinated, should be vaccinated,” OHCA CEO Phil Bentley said in a statement. “The governor’s updated measure to require vaccinations for all healthcare workers is a critical step to achieving this goal. Vaccinations are saving lives and restoring personal freedoms, and they are the only path to defeating the COVID-19 pandemic.”
Oregon healthcare workers are required to be fully vaccinated by Oct. 18, or six weeks after full FDA approval of the vaccines — whichever is later.
“We cannot wait for help to come. We must proactively implement solutions right now,” Brown said during a news conference on Thursday. “We need every single frontline healthcare worker healthy and available to treat patients.”
In Oregon, state law prohibits employers from independently mandating vaccines for certain categories of workers, including healthcare workers. Brown said she will work with the legislature on this issue in 2022.
