Now that Sens. Warren and Markey and Rep. Maloney realize what the industry has been saying to anyone who would listen for months now — that senior living operators need resources to battle COVID-19, too — it’s time for them to convince their colleagues in the Senate and House of their discovery and then put their (our, actually) money where their mouths are.
Assisted living communities would be required to report confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 to federal, state and local health officials, as well as to residents and their families — and would have one day to do it — under legislation announced by two U.S. senators and one congresswoman. The report on which the bill is based, however, “falls short” and is “misleading,” according to one association representing operators.
Three members of Congress say they have introduced the Assisted Living Facility Coronavirus Reporting Act to address issues related to COVID-19 infections, hospitalization and fatality rates, sick leave policies for employees, testing and personal protective equipment in senior living communities.
Earlier this month, the Department of Health and Human Services announced that it would distribute approximately $15 billion in grants to eligible state Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Program providers, including assisted living operators. Payments from the distribution will be determined using data that eligible providers enter into an enhanced Provider Relief Fund portal.
As states continue rolling out reopening plans amid the COVID-19 pandemic, 10 states or jurisdictions have issued guidance to long-term care facilities that specifically mentions assisted living, according to a LeadingAge analysis.
The barriers and challenges to affordable senior living are numerous. But a New Jersey program addressing the increased health needs of low-income older adults outside of the traditional assisted living model is providing a potential model for other states to address the needs of an expanding population with increasingly complex healthcare needs.
With a nod to essential frontline caregivers battling COVID-19, “Caring is EssentiAL” has been announced as the theme of this year’s National Assisted Living Week.
The long-term outlook remains positive for the senior living industry, which is adapting to change brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, according to a new report.
A bill focused on regulatory reforms for assisted living community and personal care home operators in Georgia is back on the agenda when the legislative session resumes in June.
Although assisted living communities are home to residents who “are completely just as vulnerable” as nursing home residents to COVID-19, “we sort of tend to ignore them in these situations” because the communities are licensed by states instead of the federal government and don’t receive much funding from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, one expert witness told the Senate Special Committee on Aging on Thursday.
