Protecting Frail Older Adults: Long-Term Care Administrators' Satisfaction With Public Emergency Management Organizations During Hurricane Irma and COVID-19

Long-Term Services and Supports for Older Adults: A Position Paper From the American College of Physicians

The number of Americans aged 65 years or older is expected to increase in the coming decades. Because the risk for disability increases with age, more persons will need long-term services and supports (LTSS) to help with bathing, eating, dressing, and other everyday tasks. Long-term services and supports are delivered in nursing homes, assisted living facilities, the person's home, and other settings. However, the LTSS sector faces several challenges, including keeping patients and staff safe during the COVID-19 pandemic, workforce shortages, quality problems, and fragmented coverage options. In this position paper, the American College of Physicians offers policy recommendations on LTSS coverage, financing, workforce, safety and quality, and emergency preparedness and calls on policymakers and other stakeholders to reform and improve the LTSS sector so that care is high quality, accessible, equitable, and affordable.

Beyond Compliance: A More Integrated Public Health Approach To Outbreaks In Nursing Homes And Other Disasters

Nursing home residents are vulnerable to disproportionate harm during disasters and health emergencies, as evidenced by the recent impact of COVID-19 and extreme weather events. Evaluation of these disasters shows that the nursing homes in question were often in compliance with relevant regulations around emergency planning. However, advance planning for disasters cannot anticipate every contingency, leading to the need for flexibility and quick adaptation on the part of nursing home leaders. In addition, disasters often involve larger, regional problems and situations that individual providers cannot solve. We suggest that policy makers need to prioritize development and expectations around leadership skills in nursing home management and better integrate the long-term care sector into local, state, and federal public health planning for future pandemics and other disasters.