VACCINE NEWS

Vaccine rates becoming widely publicized: AARP Vaccination Dashboard
Today, AARP released its updated Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard. The Dashboard uses publicly available NHSN data to provide snapshots every four weeks. Yesterday’s update shows cases of COVID-19 continue to rise among nursing home residents and staff, by 50% and 60% respectively in the middle of July compared to the week before.

A Member Asks if All Staff and Residents Were Vaccinated, Would They Still Need To Wear Masks? Short Answer: Yes.
CMS requires that you follow CDC guidance on what activities are allowed for vaccinated individuals in long term care. Here is the link for more information.

Additional information:

• Staff, regardless of vaccination status, must wear masks when working and around residents. Staff can take off their masks in a breakroom or during a meeting only if all staff present are vaccinated.
• Vaccinated residents can take off their masks in a communal activity (dining, activities) if everyone present is also vaccinated. That includes both residents and staff being vaccinated.
• Visitors must wear a mask and be socially distanced from others.  Resident and visitor can only take of their masks and be physically close if both are vaccinated and they are in the resident’s room.

LEADINGAGE KANSAS NEWS

Recording Available from Today’s Webinar
This week’s guest was KDHE Lab Director Myron Gonsalus who provided info on new types COVID tests, electronic reporting and courier services being offered at the state lab.

Listen to the recording and download the handouts.

Make plans to join us each Friday at 10 AM. Register here. Let Nicole know if you have specific topics we should add to the agenda.

LEADINGAGE NATIONAL NEWS

LeadingAge National Member Snap Survey: Vaccine Mandates
As vaccine mandates continue to roll out across industries, LeadingAge is taking a quick pulse-check to gather information on vaccine mandates among members. Please take a moment to complete the survey by Tuesday, Aug. 17th.

LeadingAge Calls for Release of Remaining Provider Relief Funds
In a letter sent to President Biden and HHS leaders on Tuesday, LeadingAge joined leading health care organizations calling for the release of an estimated $24 billion remaining in the federal Provider Relief Fund (PRF) to support long-term care providers who continue to fight on the front lines of COVID-19.

Coronavirus Policy Calls

August 16th, 2:30 PM Central – Topic: What’s new with the Delta Variant (it changes daily) and what does the surge mean for aging services providers? Dr. Megan Ranney, an emergency room physician and researcher who will share her thoughts on what is happening on the ground with the surge in new cases. She also is the founder of Get Us PPE and will share her thoughts on resources to help providers obtain PPE.

August 18th, 2:30 PM Central – Topic: Dr. Ali Mokdad from the Institute of Health Metrics and Evaluation at the University of Washington will provide the latest updates on COVID trending data and take your questions on what we can expect in the fall.

If you haven’t registered for the calls, you can do so here.

RESOURCES

Sample Vaccine Mandate Communication Tools
In response to member inquiry and following his appearance on a recent LeadingAge national coronavirus call, Mark Beggs, CEO of Edenwald Senior Living (Townson, MD) has made available the six communication tools they created to institute a staff vaccine mandate in his community. These include a first and second email announcement; an email announcement for a staff discussion; a mandate policy; and religious exemption and request for medical accommodation forms. He has given permission to share these resources and they are intended as helpful member to member templates only. (Note, these are not created by LeadingAge; they are one member’s materials.)

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