The COVID-19 pandemic has exposed the extent to which systemic underinvestment in long-term care for older adults has left them and their caregivers vulnerable. According to Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, president of The John A. Hartford Foundation, long-term care facilities have been the most susceptible to the coronavirus outbreak, yet they were late to receive personal protective equipment, testing access and funding. Skilled nursing facilities received some federal relief in late May, but they received only 3.2% of the $100 billion in advance payments distributed to Medicare and Medicaid providers earlier. “A lot of nursing homes aren’t going to make it through this,” predicted one CEO. Some observers hope the current crisis will spur overdue reform of the post-acute and long-term care sectors. (Modern Healthcare story, 6/6/20)
