AARP Alabama Statement on State Allocation of $50 Million for Nursing Home Coronavirus Crisis

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

August 7, 2020

CONTACT:

Jamie Harding, 205-470-1265, JHarding@aarp.org, @jhardingAL

AARP Alabama Statement on State Allocation of $50 Million

for Nursing Home Coronavirus Crisis

MONTGOMERY—AARP Alabama State Director Candi Williams issued the following statement today in response to the announcement by Governor Kay Ivey on CARES Act Funding for nursing homes:

“We thank Governor Ivey for announcing today that an additional $50 million in federal CARES Act funding will be provided to the Alabama Nursing Home Association to assist in managing the COVID-19 infection crisis in those facilities. To date, approximately 42% of all COVID-19 deaths in Alabama have been residents of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities.

“While this funding will be critically important to protecting nursing home residents from sickness, isolation and neglect, specifics about how it will be used must be publicly available—and facilities must be held accountable for spending this funding for the health and safety of residents and staff.

“Long-term care facilities in Alabama are responsible for the health and safety of more than 23,000 individuals, along with those providing their care. With their safety in mind, AARP continues to call on the Governor to stem the loss of life and protect nursing home residents by:

• Ensuring new funding is used for regular, ongoing testing of all residents and staff of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, and also for ensuring that residents and staff in all facilities have and correctly use personal protective equipment (PPE).
  
• Ensuring residents of long-term care facilities are receiving the care they need and deserve by enabling the safe re-entry of Alabama Long-Term Care Ombudsmen to these facilities to do their job as advocates for residents and families.
  
• Requiring public reporting of COVID-19 cases and deaths daily. The Alabama Department of Public Health is still not releasing daily public reports on the numbers of confirmed cases and deaths by facility. Transparency and real-time data are necessary to protect residents, staff and surrounding communities.”
  
• Providing access to and facilitating virtual visitation so residents of long-term care facilities can connect with their families, even when in-person visits resume.
  
  

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About AARP AARP is the nation’s largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media.