I. FOLLOWING THE NARRATIVE: A quick summary of national media trends last week.
(* indicates that LeadingAge is featured in the story.)
Reconciliation talks in the House intensify as a potential Sept. 27 vote approaches; other areas of focus included the impact of employer vaccine mandates in long-term care and the FDA/CDC booster approval process (ending with CDC’s decision on Sept. 24 to recommend Pfizer boosters for people whose jobs put them at risk for infections, as well as for people age 65+, nursing home residents, and older people with underlying medical conditions). Finally, interest in the caregiving crisis and workforce shortages in long-term care has not waned.
Reconciliation
- Washington Post: Opinion: The great, good, bad and unknown in the reconciliation bill
- *McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: ‘Clock is ticking’: House lawmakers urged to include support for long-term care in reconciliation bill
- The Hill: The hospital’s case for funding home care
- The Hill: Manchin suggests pausing talks on $3.5 trillion package until 2022: report
- The Washington Post: A once-in-a-decade chance to overhaul health care gets personal for Democrats and advocates
- *Forbes: House Tax Bill Would Help Not For Profit Low Income Housing Sponsors
- The White House: FACT SHEET: How the Build Back Better Framework Will Support the Sandwich Generation
- PennLive.com: ‘Care can’t wait’: Sen. Bob Casey Jr. fights for more money for home care aides
- ThinkAdvisor: White House, Life Insurers Fight to Keep Caregiver Aid in Spending Bill
Vaccine Mandates & Booster Shots
- The Washington Post: Pfizer booster now available to older Americans and those at higher-risk, including on the job, as CDC chief partly overrules panel
- NPR: A CDC Panel Backs Booster Shots For Older Adults, A Step Toward Making Them Available
- The Hill: Confusion reigns over vaccine booster rollout
- The New York Times: New York weighs using the National Guard to replace unvaccinated health care workers
- NPR: Nurses Are In Short Supply. Employers Worry Vaccine Mandate Could Make It Worse
- The New York Times: These Health Care Workers Would Rather Get Fired Than Get Vaccinated
- CNBC: CDC says nursing home residents are still at risk for Covid with low vaccination rates among staff
- *McKnight’s Senior Living: Senior living providers plan COVID-19 booster clinics in advance of federal recommendations
- JD Supra: Nursing homes misdiagnose and sedate residents with strong drugs but lag on vaccinating staff
Caregiving Crisis & Workforce Shortages
- *McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: ‘More than warm bodies’ needed to address LTC workforce crisis, congresswoman, industry experts advise
- The Concord Monitor: Nursing home staffing shortage at the forefront
- Forbes: Staff Shortages Are Hammering Long-term Care Facilities, Home Care Agencies, and Families
- WIBW: New survey finds that nearly every U.S. nursing home is facing a staff shortage
- PennLive.com: Pa. lawmakers know a dementia care crisis is coming. Will they agree on a response?
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:
- *McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Smaller providers will get bigger share of latest Provider Relief Funds, but all get less time to apply
- *McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: CDC to fund LTC infection control strike teams nationwide starting in October
- Fortune: Medicare debuts new online tool allowing users to access nursing home vaccine data
- *McKnight’s Long-Term Care News: Feds must collaborate — not punish — providers under new $500 million investment plan
- NPR: The Push For Nursing Home Reform In The Middle Of A Pandemic
- The Hill: Pandemic or not, it’s time to make affordable housing a bipartisan priority
- Health Affairs: Beyond Broadband: Equity, Access, And The Benefits Of Audio-Only Telehealth
- The Washington Post: Opinion: Virginia is leading on ending the broadband divide
- *McKnight’s Senior Living: $275K LeadingAge grant targets long-distance caregivers of seniors with dementia
- Senior Housing News: 2Life Communities CEO: New Opus Model Aims to Fill Middle-Market ‘Abyss’
III. What’s On Our Radar — this week’s likely priorities:
- Specifics in House reconciliation legislation; push to keep aging services a priority in House legislation with deadline to move to Senate this week looming
- Impact of vaccine mandates on staff
IV. National Statements & Products (all posted on the Press Room page):
