Group launches fresh push to get caregivers in nursing homes vaccinated

A campaign is underway to persuade caregivers in long-term care facilities and nursing homes to get vaccinated against COVID-19.

When vaccines became available, many facility employees seemed hesitant to get vaccinated even though they were one of the first groups to have access.

The American Health Care Association, representing more than 14,000 nursing home and long-term care facilities in Illinois and the country, is currently promoting a “#Get Vaccinated” campaign.

“The COVID-19 vaccines have been the life saving turning point long-term care residents and staff have been waiting for,” AHCA Chief Medical Officer Dr. David Gifford said. “Since vaccine rollout began last December, the number of COVID cases and deaths within long-term care facilities have reached historic lows.”

Some companies are requiring their employees to get a shot. The Chicago-based Enlivant, which runs long-term facilities in Illinois, has told employees to get vaccinated or find another job.

Bloomington-based Heritage Operations Group, with about 4,000 employees at 53 senior care facilities, is also requiring all staff to get the vaccine.

The virus ravaged nursing homes all over the state. Gifford said there were so many ways the virus could get into a facility.

“We have seen various gatherings where young people spread it to people who then go home and spread to a health care worker who spreads it to a patient and the patient dies,” said Gifford.

A report his week from the inspector general of the Department of Health and Human Services found that about 4 in 10 Medicare recipients in nursing homes had or likely had COVID-19 in 2020, and that deaths overall jumped by 169,291 from the previous year, before the coronavirus appeared.

By the end of December, more than half of Medicare patients in nursing homes in Illinois had or likely had COVID-19.

The Illinois Department of Public Health issued guidance for essential caregivers (EC’s), which included:

ECs must be screened, tested, and provided PPE in accordance with the health care personnel guidance in the facility’s COVID-19 plan. The facility must document that it has trained the EC on proper infection control, including hand hygiene and appropriate use of PPE. LTC facilities licensed by IDPH must test ECs for COVID-19 as required by emergency rule.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services recently report nearly 80% of nursing home residents, but only 55% of staff, are now vaccinated.