ACL's COVID-19 Resources: Vaccine updates and more COVID-19 vaccines are safe and effective. They are saving lives, bringing hope, and helping many around the country resume regular activities. This is why we have dedicated most of this acl.gov/COVID-19 round-up to resources to help increase access to vaccines for older adults and people with disabilities. We have also created a new vaccine resource page so you can access all of these resources and more in one place. Upcoming webinars: Today, June 23, 2:00pm ET:: Connect+Conversations Webinar on Addressing Loneliness and Social Health hosted by Social Health Labs and the Foundation for Social Connection with support from the Commit to Connect initiative of ACL and the AARP Foundation. Today, June 23, 2:30pm ET: Vaccine Reluctance Among Older Adults with a History of Trauma: Diverse Concerns, Trauma-Informed Strategies, and Lessons for the Future hosted by the the Jewish Federations of North America (JFNA) Center on Aging and Trauma Thursday, June 24, 1:00pm ET: Motivate to Vaccinate: National Month of Action for COVID-19 Vaccinations hosted by the  CDC's Chief Health Equity Officer Tuesday, June 29, 1:30pm ET: Isolation and Depression in Elderly Populations During the COVID-19 Pandemic hosted by HRSA Region 10 Thursday, July 1, 3:00pm ET: Addressing Vaccine Hesitancy Among Direct Service Workers hosted by ACL and CMS Spread the word: Trained staff are standing by to help people with disabilities and older adults find vaccine locations, make appointments, and connect to local services and supports necessary to access vaccines. They also can provide information and address questions or concerns about the vaccine.  For people with disabilities: The new Disability Information and Assistance Center (DIAL) can be reached by calling 888-677-1199 or by emailing DIAL@n4a.org any time.   For older adults:  Call the Eldercare Locator at 800-677-1116 or visit the website to chat live or browse resources.  Both phone lines are staffed Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Eastern).  Even more vaccine resources: CMS is providing an additional payment amount for administering in-home COVID-19 vaccinations to Medicare beneficiaries who have difficulty leaving their homes or are otherwise hard-to-reach. CDC has the latest on what people with underlying health conditions need to know about the COVID-19 vaccine. HHS' We Can Do This campaign has developed English and Spanish vaccination education toolkits which include resources for older adults, caregivers, and aging organizations to build vaccine confidence. VaxForAll by InfiniTeach has a printable Vaccine Appointment Gameplan and Vaccine Appointment Checklist for people with autism. The National Center on Birth Defects and Developmental Disabilities (NCBDDD) has new COVID-19 vaccine materials specifically designed for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities who have extreme low literacy including "How I get my COVID-19 shot" and a "Stay safe from COVID-19 Poster" The National Aging and Disability Transportation Center has compiled a list of programs providing transportation or connecting older adults and people with disabilities to vaccination sites. The National Council on Aging is partnering with Lyft to provide older adults access to rides to COVID-19 vaccine appointments. Aging services professionals can help their older clients by using promo codes worth up to $25 per person each way. Guidance for ACL programs: ACL has released updated FAQs and Program Reporting Guidance for Adult Protective Services programs and FAQs for Older Americans Act Title VI grantees. New ACL testing fact sheet: Testing is an important way to help control the spread of COVID-19. Early detection through a positive test can identify people who need care so they can get treatment and don’t pass the virus on to others. This new ACL fact sheet provides an overview of COVID-19 testing, including when you should get tested, where tests are available, and who pays. Updates from CDC: CDC has been regularly updating its COVID-19 guidance and resources, including updated pages for people with disabilities, older adults, paratransit operators, and In-home Social service providers and clients From our federal partners: CMS has issued guidance on how states can receive enhanced funding, provided through the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 (ARP), to increase access to home and community based services (HCBS) for Medicaid beneficiaries. Read Acting ACL Administrator and Assistant Secretary for Aging Alison Barkoff's policy update for more on the guidance. CMS also updated its guidance memo on visitation at Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (ICFs/IID) and Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTFs). The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and HHS have released a toolkit to support community health centers and HUD-assisted housing and homeless programs to partner on COVID-19 vaccination delivery, COVID-19 testing, and health care for residents of public housing, low-income housing (including housing for older adults and people with disabilities), and people experiencing homelessness. The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) posted updated and expanded technical assistance related to the COVID-19 pandemic, addressing questions arising under the federal equal employment opportunity laws. The EEOC also posted a new resource for job applicants and employees, explaining how federal employment discrimination laws protect workers during the pandemic.  The U.S. Department of Education has published Questions and Answers on Civil Rights and School Reopening in the COVID-19 Environment.

ACL.GOV/COVID-19