A year full of lessons in COVID-19’s impact on older Americans
One year ago, the Wolf administration did something both unthinkable and absolutely necessary: It closed nursing homes to all visitors to combat the COVID-19 virus.
Long-term caregivers understood that isolating the residents from their families was vital in protecting them from a deadly illness, but it was an agonizing decision because of the human costs involved. Nursing home residents and staff have felt the brunt of this pandemic, not just in terms of illness and lives lost, but in the continued isolation so many residents continue to endure. COVID-19 is a killer, but so are loneliness and isolation.
Sadly, all too often, our policy leaders and society have not prioritized older Americans and the people who care for them. We hear demands for more regulation and harsh fines, but these same officials ignore how long-term care in Pennsylvania has been underfunded by the commonwealth for well over a decade. The current administration has flatfunded Medicaid during its time in office, and used millions in federal dollars during the pandemic to plug holes in the state budget, which had been earmarked by Congress for nursing homes.
But in recent weeks, we’ve also seen the progress we can make together when we do prioritize our long-term care system. The drive to put nursing home residents and staff at the front of the line for COVID-19 vaccinations has been a game-changer. The number of nursing home deaths has rapidly declined, and hopefully, federal and state governments will soon allow visitation to resume.
We’ve learned so much over the past year, and one of the important lessons is that when we prioritize the lives of older Americans, we can make real progress. When we fail to do so – when we fail to provide adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) and testing, when we fail to halt community spread of a virus that exacts a cruel toll on older patients, when we fail to invest in long-term care – then older Americans and their families pay a devastating price.
Right now, those investments must focus on vaccinations and resources for long-term care. Federal and state officials must not let up in the fight against community spread of the virus – and that starts with vaccinations. We’re pleased Gov. Wolf and the Pennsylvania General Assembly have passed legislation that will enable our commonwealth’s National Guard to assist with vaccinations. They have been an asset in assisting with testing at nursing homes, and can help ensure efficient vaccination in older adult settings that have not yet received adequate focus, especially some personal care homes, assisted living facilities, continuing care retirement communities, and senior affordable housing.
As the mass vaccination efforts continue, we also need to include a plan for vaccination of the new staff and residents joining longterm care communities, as well as the extraordinary ongoing cost of PPE and testing these communities absorb every month. If we truly learned our lesson in prioritizing our longterm care system and older adults in Pennsylvania, we wouldn’t fail to adequately fund its mission and their care.
This crisis has exacerbated long-standing problems, including an unsustainable system for financing long-term care. Federal and state failures to invest in the Medicaid resources necessary to allow facilities to hire more staff and retain them must end.
We may have a vaccine for COVID-19, but it isn’t going away. Vaccinations will likely be an annual effort to protect our most vulnerable. Still, it appears Pennsylvania hasn’t learned the lessons from the past year. Gov. Wolf introduced a pandemic budget for 2021-22 that again flatfunds Medicaid at a time when nursing homes and other long-term care facilities desperately need help.
It’s time we took the lessons of the past year to heart. As we’ve seen, lives literally do depend on it.
Aries (March 21-April 19):
You are rewarded for fulfilling the expectations of others, whereas serving yourself comes with very little fanfare. This is why you sometimes put yourself last, but should instead incentivize for prioritizing yourself.
Taurus (April 20-May 20):
Something you just found out about will keep showing up in multiple places. It’s as if the universe is saying, “Hey, this is for you.” Even so, ask to try before you buy or go in for a sample size.
Gemini (May 21-June 21):
It takes a big person to recognize that you don’t always have a good reason for not wanting to do something. A willingness to challenge yourself, fight laziness and generally motivate yourself will pay off big-time today.
Cancer (June 22-July 22):
While most people don’t like being bossed around, they do appreciate a person with a vision who is willing to take charge and execute it. You’ll be that leader-type today.
Leo (July 23-Aug. 22):
In your quest for truth and justice, stay aware of the silence. The quiet packs the most honesty per second than any words you’ll hear. Pay special notice of when and where it’s placed and how long it lasts.
Virgo (Aug. 23-Sept. 22):
You’re friendly to everyone and you don’t need a reason to be. There’s love in you and you want to give it — that’s reason enough. Tonight you get the feeling that your luck could spring from anywhere, and you’re right!
Libra (Sept. 23-Oct. 23):
Close relationships become competitive for stakes that are obscure to all. Vicinity and familiarity can be a threat to control and autonomy. Suffice it to say, everyone needs dominion over their space.
Scorpio (Oct. 24-Nov. 21):
Encouraging someone to change is an act of hope that will be spurred on by a positive response. Your chances of the change really happening are especially good when the “someone” happens to be you.
Sagittarius (Nov. 22-Dec. 21):
The day’s plot hinges on discerning truth. Lies of omission are harder to detect than those told out loud because they do not come with any tell-tale variances that give their recipient a fighting chance at detecting them.
Capricorn (Dec. 22Jan. 19):
Your intuition is spot-on this weekend, so all you have to do is follow it. That’s harder than it sounds though, with social influencers around you trying to impose their own agenda.
Aquarius (Jan. 20-Feb. 18):
When you think you might be missing something, you double back, pat yourself up and down, and ask questions out loud. Do that today even when you’re sure you’ve got it all together. There’s luck in the double-check.
Pisces (Feb. 19-March 20):
It’s one or the other: Take a leap of faith on a reality you can’t see, or accept the fact of the current one. It sounds dramatic, but the choice comes in details so small they are commonly overlooked.