We’ve finally come to the time that Senior Living providers have been waiting for. Vaccination rollouts.
Unfortunately, the logistics haven’t been simple.
More than 44 million vaccine doses have been shipped across the country, but fewer than 24 million people received their first dose as of Jan. 26.
An increasing number of COVID-19 vaccination sites around the U.S. have canceled appointments due to unforeseen shortages. Adding to the worry, the new CDC director admitted she’s not certain how many shots will become available.
Navigating through these hurdles has been difficult for many. The ever-changing state distribution plans have slowed down vaccine rollouts. In Florida, vaccines have been available to people aged 65 and older for a month, while vaccines have only been available to people over 75 in Alabama for a couple of weeks. Some states have yet to distribute any.
The CDC recommends that states prioritize health care workers and residents and staff of long-term care facilities. Practically all states have taken this into account, so providers anticipate their facilities will be the first when the ball gets rolling. Before this happens, leaders need to be aware of who is slated to receive the vaccine and how to effectively vaccinate new residents or employees once the process starts.
How should facilities communicate to residents?
According to Senior Housing News, facilities like Brookdale Senior Living, have created “a culture of vaccine acceptance”, where the goal is to cultivate an environment that allows community residents to express their concerns and have open discussions about the process. Brookdale’s Senior Vice President of Clinical Services, Kim Elliott, has noted that the priority is to educate.
It’s important to realize that not all residents are comfortable taking the vaccine. Senior living providers need to follow this lead by being transparent and providing trustworthy information to their residents in order to address their concerns.
Regardless of some pushback, a recent survey from Sunrise found that more than 79% of respondents said they planned to receive the vaccine or get their loved ones vaccinated. In another survey by the Kaiser Family Foundation, 59% said they planned to get vaccinated if it was available to them at no charge. Out of the second group, 21% said they planned to wait to see how other people respond to it before deciding whether to get vaccinated.
With millions residing still waiting, providers continue to be on stand ready to help facilitate vaccinations. Communities are continuing to advocate for greater access to rapid-testing kits provided by the government.