Argentum COVID-19 Announcements

Users of the BinaxNOW™ COVID-19 Ag Card are urged to check the lot numbers and expiration dates of their tests. Abbott has informed users that further testing has authorized use of some tests up to nine months, three months beyond the original expiration dates.

Visitation is essential to the health and well-being of senior living residents. Argentum's latest guidance, "Model Visitation Protocols For Vaccinated Senior Living Communities," provides protocols, considerations, and general practices designed specifically for visitation in the variety of spaces and circumstances in senior living communities. This guidance was compiled by clinical experts, risk managers, and other stakeholders who have in-depth knowledge of senior living. 

The CDC has updated its infection prevention and control recommendations for fully vaccinated people in healthcare settings. These include recommendations for safe visitation in long-term care communities, as well as updated guidance on work restrictions and quarantine for fully vaccinated healthcare providers and residents in healthcare settings.

Today, the CDC has released the first set of public health recommendations for those who are fully vaccinated. This guidance will be updated and expanded as more information becomes available.

(Alexandria, Va.) -- Seniors and their caregivers will be left behind in a $1.9 trillion rescue package that Congress is expected to pass this weekend. Last week, the only proposed funds to support long-term care providers in the American Rescue Plan were eliminated due to “jurisdictional issues,” prior to the House advancing it to the Senate. Now, as the Senate is poised to pass their version of the legislation, the anticipated final package fails to provide any dedicated relief to senior living communities that have been on the front lines, despite their pleas.

Today, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued an emergency use authorization (EUA) for the single-dose Janssen COVID-19 vaccine from Johnson & Johnson. This authorization suggests that the benefits outweigh its risks for use in individuals 18 of age or older and permits the vaccine to be distributed in the U.S., making it the third vaccine available in the country.

“After a thorough analysis of the data, the FDA’s scientists and physicians have determined that the vaccine meets the FDA’s expectations for safety and effectiveness appropriate for the authorization of a vaccine for emergency use,” said Peter Marks, M.D., Ph.D., director of the FDA’s Center for Biologics Evaluation and Research.

Now a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, thousands of assisted living facilities are still waiting for federal COVID-19 relief, and for over half of them, closures are imminent, according to a recent Argentum member survey. They have faced over $15 billion in increased expenses and lost revenue, and these figures are increasing substantially each month. Meanwhile, provisions in the current COVID-19 relief package negotiated in the House of Representatives fall woefully short in protecting these seniors and caregivers.

Loneliness and social isolation have emerged as a serious threat to health and well-being—and the pandemic has exacerbated this in senior living communities. Argentum’s latest COVID-19 guidance, "Resident Engagement and Socialization During COVID-19," presents a solution: Activities that promote engagement and socialization while maintaining resident safety.

Today, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) updated the Provider Relief Fund (PRF) Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) with numerous additional questions and answers. The list of new questions added is below, and you can find the full list with answers here.

HHS has made a few noteworthy changes to Provider Relief Fund (PRF) reporting guidelines in accordance with the Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act of 2021. It’s possible that the new administration will amend some of this guidance, but here is a summary of key updates in the interim:

Application of Payments
Former guidance states that PRF recipients may apply payments toward lost revenue, up to the amount of the difference between their 2019 and 2020 actual patient care revenue. However, the new guidance states: