ARGENTUM ADVOCATES
Argentum Toolkits Supply Stakeholders with One-Stop Information Resource
By Dan Samson and Patrick Connole
toolkits is a facet of Argentum leadership that brings real results on both the advocacy and operational fronts. Mentioned below are just some of the ways in which toolkits play an important role in what Argentum and Argentum Advocates do to assist and promote senior living communities.
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ARPA Argentum’s State Partners have collectively secured more than $1 billion in relief tar- geted specifically for long-term care pro- viders through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) legislation signed into law by President Biden in March 2021. ARPA allocated $195.3 billion for state
governments to use at their discretion, including to direct funds for COVID-19 mitigation efforts and to “support industries hardest hit by the crisis.” While Argentum continued its efforts to secure targeted feder- al relief, at the same time, we and our State Partners got to work requesting funds from this new federal program. As part of these efforts, Argentum de-
veloped (and recently updated) a toolkit for State Partners to request funds and demonstrate the tremendous impact that COVID-19 has had on operators in the state—with little relief to show from the federal government. The results of this include nearly $90 million in Arizona for Home-and Com- munity-Based Services (HCBS) programs, $47 million in Georgia providing $100,000 grants per Assisted Living Community/ Personal Care Home, and $287 million in North Carolina through programs to offset costs incurred and to support the workforce.
ringing information to members and senior living stakeholders in the form of valuable ready-to-use
Our efforts to secure relief at the state
level augment the billions in relief that we secured at the federal level through the Pro- vider Relief Fund.
COVID Argentum recognized early on how impact- ful COVID-19 could be on the industry and acted quickly in March 2020 to create and regularly update a dedicated coronavirus toolkit. Well before much was known about the virus, Argentum’s toolkit provided op- erators, policymakers, and advocates with a single repository to learn more, action items to take, sample communications, and other resources. Later in 2020, with the impact of social
isolation and the need for more in-person visitation, Argentum worked with our State Partners to develop an Essential Caregiver Toolkit, providing resources for communi- ties and operators to establish programs that best suit their environment and residents and to help mitigate the mental health chal- lenges associated with months of distancing.
Workforce Earlier this year, when the impact of the “Great Resignation” and resulting up- ward pressure on wages and benefits was becoming increasingly clear, Argentum worked with expert labor relations part- ners to develop two toolkits, one for senior management and one for managers and supervisors, which provide general guidance for operators, addresses common scenarios
with recommendations for actions manag- ers/and supervisors might take, and what labor relations strategies senior manage- ment should consider for their companies.
DEIB Another recent development has been the Senior Living Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, & Belonging (DEIB) Action Toolkit for Op- erators. Developed by The Axela Group, it is the actionable element of the Coalition’s plan to help organizations advance DEIB practices. It is designed to inform, educate, encourage, and drive stakeholders to re- sources to assist them in DEIB pursuits.
Policymakers The most recent addition to Argentum’s suite of toolkits is the New Policymak- er Welcome Toolkit. This introductory package helps newly elected or appointed officials familiarize themselves with senior living communities in their state so they can hit the ground running on day one. Included within the toolkit is a customiz-
able welcome letter and other resources for conducting outreach to new policymakers. Educating officials early and often builds productive long-term legislative relationships at all levels of government, which is the key to advancing senior living issues in each state. As every priority is addressed, Argentum
will be there to provide a toolkit with the ready-made information stakeholders need at their fingertips. The toolkits are available to see on
www.argentum.org.
Argentum’s toolkit provided a single repository to learn more, action items to take, and sample communications.
44 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2023
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