I. FOLLOWING THE NARRATIVE: A quick summary of national media trends last week.
(* indicates that LeadingAge is featured in the story.)
Ongoing coverage of possible impact of the Biden Administration’s decision to mandate staff vaccinations in nursing homes dominated coverage of our sector, followed by news of rising COVID cases and booster rollouts. Workforce shortages in long-term care continue to be a focus, along with continuing discussions on infrastructure, particularly affordable housing.
Employer vaccine mandates, rising COVID cases, booster shots and worker shortages:
- *McKnight’s Senior Living: Worker vaccine mandate policies continue to accumulate among senior living providers
- *McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: ‘Hundreds of thousands’ of long-term care employees could be lost, providers warn the administration about vaccine mandate
- USA Today: Nursing homes worry Biden’s vaccination mandate for workers could worsen staff shortages
- Wall Street Journal: Nursing Homes Keep Losing Workers
- *McKnight’s Senior Living: Senior living experts pin vaccine uptake hopes on ‘landmark’ approval of Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine
- *The Washington Post, Most Nursing Homes Won’t Use Pharmacy Chains to Administer Coronavirus Booster Shots
- *McKnight’s Senior Living: Start planning now to secure, administer COVID-19 booster shots: LeadingAge
- *McKnight’s Senior Living: Major home care organization calls for vaccine mandate
- *McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Grabowski: Too many loopholes in federal vaccine mandate may retain staff, but endanger residents
- The Seattle Times: Washington COVID vaccine mandate stresses long-term care facilities struggling to keep staff
- WBIW: Staff vaccine mandate could lead to shortages, even closure for some Kansas nursing homes
- Home Health Care News: CMS Study Shows Astonishing Disparity Between COVID-19 Cases in Nursing Homes and the Community
- CNBC: Kroger plans for 1 million Covid-19 booster shots a week, including in nursing homes
Infrastructure and Housing:
- *McKnight’s Senior Living: Senior living industry pushes infrastructure agenda during budget talks
- *McKnight’s Senior Living: Home care advocates keeping an optimistic eye on $3.5T budget deal
- The Hill: Biden’s infrastructure bill doubles down on bad housing policy
- Multi-Housing News: Timeless Structures Finding New Life as Affordable Senior Housing
- USA Today: Biden’s COVID-19 eviction freeze is back at the Supreme Court. Here’s how it got there
- Roll Call: Senate’s internet access plan rests on better broadband maps
II. Other Clips that Influenced the Week: LeadingAge is a sought-out, reliable source for multiple trade and national media outlets (see that coverage posted in our LeadingAge Press Room). Other key clips that shaped the narrative last week:
- Vox: The staggering, exhausting, invisible costs of caring for America’s elderly
- *McKnight’s Senior Living: ‘Commonsense immigration reform’ still a key to addressing workforce shortages in long-term care
- Skilled Nursing News: Federal Bill Could Beef Up State Funding for LTC Workforce
- McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: States would get more funding to expand long-term care workforce under new proposal
- *McKnight’s Senior Living: 516 days and counting on wait for Provider Relief Fund dollars: Argentum
- Skilled Nursing News: Push for Nursing Home Alternatives Made on The Hill as Financing, Staffing Remain Obstacles
- Home Health Care News: ‘It’s Inherently Unfair’: Home Health Stakeholders Slam Portions of the Proposed Payment Rule
- Washington Post: Long-term care facilities are using the pandemic as a shield, even in lawsuits unrelated to COVID-19
III. What’s On Our Radar — this week’s likely priorities:
- Ongoing discussions on reconciliation and infrastructure — NOTE: telepresser Tues. Aug. 31 on impact of historic investments in care and services for older Americans (see related Reconciliation Media Toolkit, below)
- Emerging details on CMS’s vaccine mandate regulation
- Details on HHS’ plan to offer COVID-19 booster shots next month
- Continued advocacy on Provider Relief Funds
- Impact of Supreme Court’s ruling on CDC eviction moratorium
IV. National Statements & Products (all posted on the Press Room page)
