PUBLIC POLICY


Mobilizing to Put Senior Living First in the COVID-19 Crisis


By Daniel Samson


Argentum’s annual Public Policy Institute & Fly-In were due to be wrapping up around this time, but the COVID-19 pandemic rapidly changed those plans. As news on the virus spread, Congress announced it would be formally closing offices to official visitors only, refocusing its attention on the sudden need for a response, and ending our plans to educate lawmakers on the importance of retirement income security and workforce development. State legislatures from coast to coast soon


followed suit, freezing work on assisted liv- ing issues including electronic surveillance, medical marijuana, and comprehensive regulatory reform. COVID-19 presents unique challenges to


the senior living industry, as individuals who are at the greatest risk from the virus include people over 60 years of age and those with underlying health conditions. More than half of the 800,000-plus


residents in senior living across the United States are over the age of 85, and another 30 percent are between the ages of 75 and 84. Many residents cope with multiple chronic


conditions that make them particularly sus- ceptible to the virus.


Resident and employee safety first Given this pressing concern for our com- munities, Argentum quickly mobilized our advocacy efforts to ensure that policymakers from across the administration, Congress, and agencies such as the Centers for Disease Con- trol and Prevention (CDC) heard our voice. As lawmakers crafted the initial $8.3 bil-


lion response, the follow-up “Families First” legislation, and $2 trillion stimulus pack- age, we urged lawmakers to prioritize the well-being of our most vulnerable and their caregivers and to ensure the long-term via-


38 SENIOR LIVING EXECUTIVE MARCH/APRIL 2020


bility of senior living to meet these needs— now, and after the pandemic recedes. The most important of these requests


was for preventing the spread of the virus, where we stressed the critical importance of adequate testing for suspected cases. Protecting healthy residents and staff re-


quires timely and verifiable testing, and we urged policymakers to prioritize these tests for our communities to enable fast launch- es of escalated infection control protocols where needed. Beyond testing, we underscored the ur-


gent need of our direct care staff for person- al protective equipment (PPE) to properly protect against the spread of the virus, such as face masks, respirators, eye protection, and gloves, as well as cleaning supplies and hand sanitizing products.


The childcare crisis As the scope of the pandemic became clearer and ordinary life ground to a halt, we recognized the need for safe childcare for our employees. In the course of a week, schools went from being in session to more than three in four of the country’s public and private school students facing mass closures. Ensuring that our nurses, care staff,


housekeepers, food service workers, and maintenance staff would not have to worry about keeping their children safe or risking a lost paycheck required immediate action to address the childcare crisis. With our member companies, state part-


ners, and other stakeholders, we worked to identify innovative solutions that would provide relief for our nation’s most essen- tial personnel, including first responders, hospital workers, and direct care workers in senior living.


Advocates Argentum For You As lawmakers moved onto the econom-


ic-stimulus package, Argentum focused its advocacy efforts to safeguarding the long- term financial viability of the industry. Senior living has been at the forefront


of the pandemic, and as a result, has experienced significant operational and financial stress. The extraordinary efforts by Argentum member companies to miti- gate COVID-19 has come at a high cost: additional supplies, paying overtime costs, and ensuring that our heroic employees can provide care to residents and address their childcare needs, for instance. To this effort, Argentum along with other


national provider associations specifically requested the government to intercede and provide relief, just as it is doing for other impacted industries. As a result of our efforts, senior living op-


erators can tap into a $500 billion liquidity and loan guarantee fund, as well as a $100 billion fund to offset increased expenses and revenue losses and to purchase PPE and supplies. The 2020 coronavirus pandemic is far


from over, but because of the actions taken by Argentum member companies to combat the spread of the virus wherever possible, we have been able to protect the well-being of nearly a million of our nation’s most vulnerable citizens. The immediate policy action was made


possible by advocates like you, who stepped up in a time of crisis and helped us spread the word on the critical needs of senior living. As Congress and the Trump admin- istration continue to respond to the crisis, Argentum will remain on the front lines to represent our industry and advocate for the resources to prevent and respond in this extraordinary, unprecedented event.


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