* Press release…

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), representing more than 14,000 nursing homes, assisted living communities and other long term care facilities across the country that provide care to approximately five million people each year, today called on state and federal government agencies to provide expanded and priority testing for nursing homes and assisted living communities and emergency funding to help the profession respond to the deadly outbreak of COVID-19 in long term care facilities across the country.

Despite recent data and reports showing the outsized impact of the novel coronavirus on long term care residents, particularly those with underlying health conditions, industry leaders say nursing homes and assisted living communities have not been a priority for supplies, testing or resources.

AHCA/NCAL President and CEO Mark Parkinson said the profession is doing everything it can with current resources, but it’s not enough to stop the spread of this virus within long term care facilities. […]

Parkinson stated that expanding testing remains a top priority as many long term care providers who have been able to expand testing are finding a high number of people who are positive, but asymptomatic. He said many residents and staff of nursing homes and assisted living communities across the country could be a carrier of the virus without symptoms, but contagious and at risk.

“Without access to more testing, nursing homes and assisted living communities are at a severe disadvantage in protecting our residents,” stated Parkinson. “Long term care facilities, especially ones with COVID-19 cases, need to be able to alert all residents and staff due to the fact that many individuals are not exhibiting symptoms.”

To help fund expanded testing and additional staffing needed to respond to the COVID-19 virus, Parkinson also called on the federal government to provide an emergency response fund for long term care facilities, much like the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) did for hospitals.

The group claims that testing every US nursing home resident and staff just once would cost $440 million at $150 per test. Testing all Illinois nursing home residents and staff one time would cost $21,441,150. Click here for the breakdown.