I. FOLLOWING THE NARRATIVE: A quick summary of national media trends last week. (* indicates that LeadingAge is featured in the story.) Reconciliation talks again dominated as specifics on a final framework for legislation emerged and the possibility of a vote neared. Workforce issues in aging services and impact of vaccine mandates remained coverage topics.
Reconciliation & Vaccine Mandates:
- VOX: Democrats are setting up social policies for painful cliffs
- *McKnight’s Senior Living: ‘Going back to where we were is not an option’: LeadingAge CEO
- CNBC: Biden’s support is fading as concerns over the economy and Covid grow, CNBC survey finds
- Forbes: What Are States Doing With New Federal Funding For Medicaid Home-Based Long-Term Care?
- NPR: New federal funds spur expansion of home care services for the elderly and disabled
- CNN: For families like mine, the social services in Biden’s budget proposal are a choice between life and death
- *Bloomberg Law: Nursing Homes Fear Financial Blow From Expanded Home Care Bill
- Politico: Democrats weigh slashing $200B in housing aid from spending bill
- New York Times: Funding Fight Threatens Plan to Pump Billions Into Affordable Housing
- Human Rights Watch: US Should Invest in Home and Community-Based Services
- McKnight’s Long Term Care News: Members of Congress show support for affordable housing in bobbed Build Back Better Act
- USA Today: Biden caregiving plan: Housing availability, politics hinder transition to more in-home care
- Newsweek: Why Is Biden Mandating Vaccines for Workers Instead of Public Program Participants?
- The New York Times: Waiting on U.S. Mandate, Some Nursing Homes Are Slow to Vaccinate Staff
- *Skilled Nursing News: How One LTC Facility in Illinois Got 92% of its Staff Vaccinated After Two Clinics
- The Hartford Courant: A week after deadline for staff, about half of Connecticut nursing homes had vaccination rates under 96%
Caregiving Crisis & Workforce Shortages
- U.S. News & World Report: Choosing Senior Care? Consider Staffing
- *McKnight’s Long Term Care News: Federal Trade Commission must protect short-staffed providers from price gouging: AHCA
- McKnight’s Long Term Care News: Pleas answered: Texas providers set to receive nearly $400 million for staffing
- McKnights Long-Term Care News: Long-term care’s impending doom: staffing shortages
- McKnight’s Long Term Care News: ‘Fairly large contingent’ of National Guard will alleviate ‘healthcare backups’ at long-term care facilities
- Provider: Staffing Challenges in Long Term Care Facilities Continue to Threaten Resident Access to Care
- NPR: The federal government pledges $100 million to address health care worker shortages,
- McKnight’s Long Term Care News: Biden administration pledges $100M to boost recruitment, retention of healthcare workers
- The Seattle Times: Short on staff, some hospices ask new patients to wait
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:
- Kaiser Health News: ‘They treat me like I’m old and stupid’: Seniors decry health providers’ age bias
- McKnight’s Long Term Care News: Disclosures, fire safety, internal systems top challenges as assisted living providers implement new licensure rules
- McKnight’s Long Term Care News: Advocates push to include assisted living in legislation allowing cameras in nursing home rooms
- McKnight’s Senior Living: Unrealistic’ for providers to believe COVID-19 will be fully eliminated: expert
- New York Times: What Scientists Know About the Risk of Breakthrough Covid Deaths
III. What’s On Our Radar — this week’s likely priorities:
- Annual Meeting in Atlanta
- Continuation of reconciliation legislation negotiations
- Waiting for interim final rule details and implementation guidance from CMS and OSHA on federal vaccine mandates
- Impact of vaccine mandates on staff
IV. National Statements & Products (all posted on the Press Room page):
