COVID-19 Resources for Nursing Homes & Long-Term Care (Updated 3/14)
Residents and staff of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities are facing incredible challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other federal and national organizations have released guidance and resources for the sector. Below are links to trusted resources that we are regularly updating.
Federal Guidance
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)
- CDC COVID Data Tracker - COVID-19 Vaccinations in the United States
- Long-Term Care Facility Toolkit: Preparing for COVID-19 Vaccination at Your Facility
- COVID-19 Vaccination Resources for Long Term Care Facilities
- Post Vaccine Considerations for Residents
- Nursing Home Covid-19 Data Dashboard
- Skilled Nursing Facility (SNF) Healthcare-Associated Infections (HAI) Measure Call for Public Comment
- Interim Guidance for Nursing Homes
- Guidance for Retirement Communities and Independent Living
- Interim Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations to Prevent SARS-CoV-2 Spread in Nursing Homes
Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ)
- National Nursing Home COVID Action Network in collaboration with Project ECHO and IHI, free training and mentorship for nursing homes
Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS)
- CMS Nursing Home COVID-19 Information & Resources for Patients and Caregivers
- CMS Nursing Home Regulations & Guidance for Providers & CMS Partners
- CMS Nursing Home Training & Resources for Providers & CMS Partners
- CMS Nursing Home Resource Center
- Biden-Harris Administration Takes Additional Action to Protect America’s Nursing Home Residents from COVID-19
- Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes Final Report
- Long-Term Care (LTC) Facility Testing Requirements for Staff and Residents (REVISED) (09/23/2022)
- Nursing Home Visitation - COVID-19 (REVISED) (05/08/2023)
- Nursing Home Visitation Frequently Asked Questions (3/10/2022)
- How to Safely Conduct Visits to Nursing Homes Infographic
- CMS Quality, Safety & Education Portal (QSEP) Targeted COVID-19 Training for Nursing Homes
- Trump Administration Announces New Resources to Protect Nursing Home Residents Against COVID-19
- COVID-19 Nursing Home Data
- Upcoming Requirements for Notification of Confirmed COVID-19 (or COVID-19 Persons under Investigation) Among Residents and Staff in Nursing Homes
- Long-Term Care Nursing Homes Telehealth and Telemedicine Tool Kit
- Toolkit on State Actions to Mitigate COVID-19 Prevalence in Nursing Homes
- Coronavirus Commission for Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes
- CMS Announces Membership of Independent Coronavirus Commission on Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes
- COVID-19 Survey Activities, CARES Act Funding, Enhanced Enforcement for Infection Control deficiencies, and Quality Improvement Activities in Nursing Homes
- Letter to State Survey Agency Directors: COVID-19 Survey Activities, CARES Act Funding, Enhanced Enforcement for Infection Control deficiencies, and Quality Improvement Activities in Nursing Homes
- Letter to Governors
Health and Human Services (HHS)
- HHS COVID-19 Long-Term Care Resources
- Office of the Inspector General, COVID-19 Had a Devastating Impact on Medicare Beneficiaries in Nursing Homes During 2020
- COVID-19 Healthcare Resilience Working Group, COVID-19: Considerations, Strategies, and Resources for Crisis Standards of Care in Post-Acute and Long-Term Care (PALTC) Facilities
- Trump Administration Announces Initiative for More and Faster COVID-19 Testing in Nursing Homes
Resource Hubs from National LTC Organizations
AARP Public Policy
American Health Care Association (AHCA)
- Coronavirus Information
- AHCA/NCAL Daily Member Email COVID-19 Updates
- Nursing Homes See Major Spike In New COVID Cases Due To Community Spread
LeadingAge
The National Long-Term Care Ombudsman Resource Center (NORC)
- Coronavirus Prevention in LTC Facilities: Information for Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs
- Tips for Ombudsman Program Communication with Residents, Long-Term Care Facilities, Families, and the Public During COVID-19
The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine (AMDA)
Resources for the Field
Webinars:
- The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) April 6, 2022 Report Release Webinar: The National Imperative to Improve Nursing Home Quality
Webinar & Event Recordings:
- The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) June 29, 2021 meeting, The Quality of Care in Nursing Homes: Meeting #4 (Day 2)
- The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) June 23, 2021 webinar, The Quality of Care in Nursing Homes: Public Webinar #5
- CMS-CDC Fundamentals of COVID-19 Prevention for Nursing Home Management recordings (scroll down)
- Green House Project event webinar series recordings, COVID-19 Best Practices in Long-term Care
- Consumer Voice April 30, 2021 webinar: Using the CMS Guidance to Open Nursing Home Doors
- The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) April 27, 2021 webinar, The Quality of Care in Nursing Homes: Public Webinar #4
- The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) April 13, 2021 webinar: The Quality of Care in Nursing Homes: Public Webinar #3
- The U.S. Senate Committee on Finance March 17, 2021 Hearing: "A National Tragedy: COVID-19 in the Nation’s Nursing Homes"
- The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) February 11, 2021 webinar: The Quality of Care in Nursing Homes: Public Webinar #2
- The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) January 26, 2021 webinar: The Quality of Care in Nursing Homes: Public Webinar #1
- Kaiser Family Foundation, January 14, 2021 webinar: A Shot in the Arm For Long-Term Care Facilities? Early Lessons from the COVID-19 Vaccine Rollout to High Priority Populations
- AHRQ ECHO National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network webinar, December 17, 2020 webinar: Vaccine Development, Distribution and Delivery
- CMS Podcast Nov 19, 2020, Nursing Home Series for Front Line Clinicians and Staff
- Alliance for Health Policy October 6, 2020 event, Pandemic Flexibilities in Long-Term Care
- Consumer Voice, Center for Medicare Advocacy, Long Term Care Community Coalition, and Justice in Aging October 2, 2020 webinar, COVID-19: Advocating for Nursing Home Residents
- Milbank Memorial Fund and The John A. Hartford Foundation September 30, 2020 webinar, Reimagining Nursing Homes in the Wake of COVID-19
- Gerontological Society of America September 17, 2020 webinar, Understanding the Value of Enhanced Influenza Vaccine Products in Long-Term Care Settings
- Health and Aging Policy Fellows September 11, 2020 webinar, Too Little Too Late: The Past, Present, and Future of Long Term Care
- National Nursing Home COVID-19 Safety Conversations TeleECHO Program August 25, August 26 and September 2, 2020 webinar mini series, Nursing Home Best Practices During the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Consumer Voice, Center for Medicare Advocacy, Long Term Care Community Coalition, and Justice in Aging August 28, 2020 webinar, COVID-19: Advocating for Nursing Home Residents
- Consumer Voice, Center for Medicare Advocacy, Long Term Care Community Coalition, and Justice in Aging July 31, 2020 webinar, COVID-19: Advocating for Nursing Home Residents
- GIA and AFAR July 21, 2020 webinar, COVID-19 Vulnerability and Mortality in Nursing Homes: Why Systemic Changes are Needed Now
- Consumer Voice, July 17, 2020 webinar, NH Staffing: Research Highlights Relationship Between COVID and Staffing
- Justice in Aging, June 30, 2020 webinar Advocating Today and for the Future: Nursing Homes and Home and Community-Based Services in a COVID-19 World
- Consumer Voice, Center for Medicare Advocacy, Long Term Care Community Coalition, and Justice in Aging webinar, June 26, 2020 part X of a webinar series, COVID-19: Advocating for Nursing Home Residents
- The Committee on Ways and Means Subcommittee on Health hearing, June 25, 2020, Examining the COVID-19 Nursing Home Crisis
- Consumer Voice, Center for Medicare Advocacy, Long Term Care Community Coalition, and Justice in Aging webinar, June 19, 2020 part IX of a webinar series, COVID-19: Advocating for Nursing Home Residents
- CDC Clinician Outreach and Communication Activity (COCA) webinar, June 16, 2020, Applying COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control Strategies in Nursing Homes
- Consumer Voice, Center for Medicare Advocacy, Long Term Care Community Coalition, and Justice in Aging webinar, June 12, 2020, part VIII of a webinar series, COVID-19: Advocating for Nursing Home Residents
- Select Subcommittee on the Coronavirus Crisis Member Briefing, June 11, 2020, The Devastating Impact of the Coronavirus Crisis in America’s Nursing Homes
- Consumer Voice, Center for Medicare Advocacy, Long Term Care Community Coalition, and Justice in Aging webinar, June 5, 2020, part VII of a webinar series, COVID-19: Advocating for Nursing Home Residents
- The National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine webinar, June 2, 2020, Keeping Nursing Home Residents and Staff Safe in the Era of COVID-19: Effective Testing and Cohorting to Minimize Risk of Transmission
- Consumer Voice, Center for Medicare Advocacy, Long Term Care Community Coalition, and Justice in Aging webinar May 29, 2020, part VI of webinar series, COVID-19: Advocating for Nursing Home Residents
- Axios live virtual event, May 28, 2020, Nursing Homes on the Frontline
- Consumer Voice, Center for Medicare Advocacy, Long Term Care Community Coalition, and Justice in Aging webinar May 22, 2020, part V of webinar series, COVID-19: Advocating for Nursing Home Residents
- The U.S. Senate Special Committee on Aging Hearing, May 21, 2020, Caring for Seniors Amid the COVID-19 Crisis, included R. Tamara Konetzka, PhD, Testimony on nursing homes in the COVID-19 pandemic
- AARP Tele-Town Hall, May 21, 2020, Caring for Loved Ones in Care Facilities, part of AARP Coronavirus Information Tele-Town Hall series
- Consumer Voice, Center for Medicare Advocacy, Long Term Care Community Coalition, and Justice in Aging webinar May 15, 2020, part IV of webinar series, COVID-19: Advocating for Nursing Home Residents
- Alliance for Health Policy, COVID-19 Webinar Series, session 13 May 8, 2020, Nursing Home Care
- Consumer Voice, Center for Medicare Advocacy, Long Term Care Community Coalition, and Justice in Aging webinar May 8, 2020, part III of webinar series, COVID-19: Advocating for Nursing Home Residents
- JAHF webinar May 1, 2020, Supporting Nursing Homes in the COVID-19 Crisis: A Rapid Response Network & National Nursing Home Huddles
- AARP Tele-Town Hall Live Q&A Event April 23, 2020, Coronavirus: Supporting Loved Ones in Care Facilities
- National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM) webinar April 22, 2020, Keeping Nursing Home Residents and Staff Safe in the Era of COVID-19
- Geriatric Emergency Department Collaborative (GEDC) webinar April 20, 2020, Optimizing Transitions between Nursing Homes and EDs in the age of COVID
- Grantmakers in Aging (GIA) webinar April 7, 2020, COVID-19 and Long-Term Care: Preparing and Supporting Families and Family Caregivers
The Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI), with support from The John A. Hartford Foundation as part of the Age-Friendly Health Systems movement, launched a free COVID-19 Rapid Response Network for Nursing Homes in May 2020. It featured daily 20-minute National Nursing Home Huddles with practical, real-time solutions that could be implemented immediately to address key challenges posed by COVID-19.
That work evolved into the National Nursing Home COVID-19 Action Network, a partnership between the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, Project ECHO and IHI.
Articles and Other Clinical Resources:
Altarum
- Study Report, Experiences of Nursing Home Residents During the Covid-19 Pandemic, October 2020
American Bar Association, National Center for State Courts and National Guardianship Association
American Geriatrics Society (AGS)
- Coronavirus Disease19 in Geriatrics and Long‐Term Care: An Update
- Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Geriatrics and Long‐Term Care: The ABCDs of COVID‐19
Ariadne Labs
Geriatric Emergency Department Collaborative
- Journal of Geriatric Emergency Medicine issue on COVID-19 in Older Adults, Transfers Between Nursing Homes and Hospitals, March 2020
GeriPal
- The Perfect Storm of COVID‐19 in Nursing Homes: A Podcast with Joe Ouslander, September 3, 2020
Health Affairs
JAMA
- Association of Nursing Home Ratings on Health Inspections, Quality of Care, and Nurse Staffing with COVID-19 Cases Aug 10, 2020
- Nursing Home Care in Crisis in the Wake of COVID-19, May 22, 2020
Journal of Aging and Social Policy
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society (JAGS)
- Willingness of Long‐term Care Staff to Receive a COVID‐19 Vaccine: A Single State Survey, December 28, 2020
- Staffing Levels and COVID-19 Cases and Outbreaks in US Nursing Homes, August 2020
- Characteristics of U.S. Nursing Homes with COVID ‐19 Cases
National Academy for State Health Policy
The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care
University of Maryland School of Pharmacy
World Health Organization
- Infection Prevention and Control Guidance for Long-term Care Facilities in the Context of COVID-19 Update
- Policy Brief: Preventing and Managing COVID-19 Across Long-term Care Services
- Statement to the Press by Dr. Hans Henri P. Kluge, WHO Regional Director for Europe
Policy and Advocacy Information
American Geriatrics Society (AGS)
- Policy Brief: COVID-19 and Nursing Homes and press release
- Policy Brief: COVID-19 and Assisted Living Facilities
- AGS Statement on National Nursing Home Safety Panel
The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-term Care (Consumer Voice)
- Report: The Devastating Effect of Lockdowns on Residents of Long-Term Care Facilities During COVID-19
- Summary of CMS Memo on COVID-19 Survey Activities
- State COVID-19 Nursing Home Policies
Kaiser Family Foundation (KFF)
- Issue Brief: Nursing Homes Experienced Steeper Increase In COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in August 2021 Than the Rest of the Country
- Chart: New COVID-19 Cases and Deaths Among Nursing Home Residents Have Dropped Since Vaccinations Began
- Policy Watch: Is the End of the Long-Term Care Crisis Within Sight? New COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in Long-Term Care Facilities Are Dropping
- Issue Brief: Patterns in COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in Long-Term Care Facilities in 2020
- Policy Watch: COVID-19 Has Claimed the Lives of 100,000 Long-Term Care Residents and Staff
- Issue Brief: Racial and Ethnic Disparities in COVID-19 Cases and Deaths in Nursing Homes
- Issue Brief: Key Questions About the Impact of Coronavirus on Long-Term Care Facilities Over Time
- Issue Brief: State Actions to Sustain Medicaid Long-Term Services and Supports During COVID-19
- Issue Brief: Key Questions About Nursing Home Regulation and Oversight in the Wake of COVID-19
- Data Note: Rising Cases in Long-term Care Facilities Are Cause for Concern
- Data Note: Under the Radar: States Vary in Regulating and Reporting COVID-19 in Assisted Living Facilities
- Issue Brief: COVID-19 and Workers at Risk: Examining the Long-Term Care Workforce
- Issue Brief: State Reporting of Cases and Deaths Due to COVID-19 in Long-Term Care Facilities and here
News Articles:
Annals of Long-Term Care
Kaiser Health News
- COVID-19 coverage
- August 20, 2021 article, After Pandemic Ravaged Nursing Homes, New State Laws Protect Residents
- March 15, 2021 article, Covid Cases Plummet 83% Among Nursing Home Staffers Despite Vaccine Hesitancy
- December 17, 2020 article, With Vaccine Delivery Imminent, Nursing Homes Must Make a Strong Pitch to Residents
- November 20, 2020 article, Nursing Homes Still See Dangerously Long Waits for COVID Test Results
- May 12, 2020 article, As Deaths Mount, Coronavirus Testing Remains Wildly Inconsistent In Long-Term Care
- May 4, 2020 article, As COVID-19 Lurks, Families Are Locked Out Of Nursing Homes. Is It Safe Inside?
- April 20, 2020 article, Before ‘Tidal Wave’ Of Illness, Nursing Home Thought It Had COVID-19 Contained
McKnight's Long-Term Care News
New York Magazine
- June 25, 2020 article, The American Nursing Home Is a Design Failure
New York Times
- June 1, 2021 (updated) article, More Than 100,000 U.S. Coronavirus Deaths Are Linked to Nursing Homes
- September 10, 2020 (updated August 21, 2021) article, ‘They Call Me a Criminal’: Nursing Home Workers Who May Spread the Virus
- June 9, 2020 article, Testing Nursing Home Workers Can Help Stop Coronavirus. But Who Should Pay?
- May 21, 2020 article, The Striking Racial Divide in How Covid-19 Has Hit Nursing Homes
- April 19, 2020 article, 70 Died at a Nursing Home as Body Bags Piled Up. This is What Went Wrong
- May 11, 2020 (updated) article, One-Third of All U.S. Coronavirus Deaths Are Nursing Home Residents or Workers
The Hill
- May 1, 2020 Op-Ed, Want to Slash Coronavirus Deaths? Start (Really) Caring about Long Term Care