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Coronavirus Commission on Safety and Quality in Nursing Homes
- Call for nominations: CMS is
launching an independent commission to conduct a comprehensive
assessment of the nursing home response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
This assessment will inform efforts to safeguard the health and
quality of life of vulnerable Americans as CMS continues to battle
COVID-19, as well as prepare for future threats to resident safety and
public health. Nominations for the commission can be submitted through
Friday, May 22, 2020.
CMS also has produced a new toolkit covering actions states
can take to address the COVID-19 pandemic in nursing homes.
An update on FEMA's Public Assistance Program: Last
month, FEMA authorized the purchase and distribution of food as an
emergency protective measure for its Public Assistance Program. Under that
policy, applicants (including state, local, tribal, and territorial
government entities and certain private non-profit organizations) could
receive funding for an initial 30-day period and could request one
30-day extension. FEMA is clarifying that extensions beyond the initial 60
days (in increments of 30 days or fewer per extension) are allowable when
necessary through the duration of the COVID-19 Public Health
Emergency.
For Older Americans Act programs: This
week, ACL provided new guidance addressing common questions about providing
groceries and updated guidance on reporting requirements for Title III and
Title VI programs.
Promising practices: There isn't enough
space to list all of the outstanding examples of how the aging and
disability networks are adapting and innovating to meet the needs of older
adults and people with disabilities, but we're sharing a small sampling
from around the country in a new "promising practices" section.
Staying connected and engaged during the pandemic:
Staying at home and social distancing are critical to avoiding exposure to
the coronavirus, but social isolation and loneliness can be a devastating
result. In fact, a recent study showed that they can be as bad for your
health as smoking 15 cigarettes a day. There are many ways to stay engaged,
active, and connected -- both with and without technology. We've created a
new section with resources to help you get started.
Reopening resources: We're continuing to add
resources to help states and programs plan for a safe reopening, including
guidance from the CDC and a FEMA planning fact sheet for organizations.
Community-based testing options: HHS is
partnered with pharmacy and retail companies to provide COVID-19 testing in
community settings. We've added a link to a website where you can find
up-to-date information on each company's efforts and how to schedule an
appointment for testing.
Avoiding discrimination during medical rapid response: The
University of Miami’s Mailman Center for Child Development has created
a training on avoiding discrimination against people with disabilities. The
training is designed for triage team members tasked with making resource
allocation decisions during shortages.
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