For Immediate Release: April 20, 2020

Contact: Dave Bruns, dbruns@aarp.org, 850.228.2759

Governor’s Action a Big Assist for Families and Residents of Nursing Homes & Assisted Living Facilities

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St. Petersburg, Fla. – AARP Florida State Director Jeff Johnson today endorsed Gov. Ron DeSantis’s recent action identifying names of Florida long-term care facilities which have had to date positive cases of coronavirus to date.

“On behalf of AARP’s 2.8 million members statewide, we thank the governor for this important step forward,” Johnson said. “Now families have some information about where the coronavirus has gained a foothold. We are grateful to the governor for his action.”

“This virus is a deadly threat to frail older Floridians,” Johnson said. “And it’s vital for families to have the best information available, both for their own peace of mind and to guide their decisions regarding the care of their loved ones.”

To check whether your loved one’s facility has been identified as having coronavirus cases, go to https://floridahealthcovid19.gov/ and scroll down about three quarters of the way down the web page. Look for “Review long-term care facilities that have or have had COVID-19 cases” and click on the orange box labeled “See the report.”

AARP Florida has strongly advocated for release of this information and sent a legal memorandum to the governor’s office April 15 urging this action.

Johnson noted that the list made available by the state provides information about the names and counties of facilities that have had a positive coronavirus test result for at least one staff member or resident. State officials have made clear that the list may include facilities that had a confirmed case in the past but no confirmed cases presently.

AARP Florida will continue to advocate for transparency of other data which could be helpful to long-term-care facility residents, their families, friends, neighbors and communities.

For example, AARP will seek release of information about the types of, level of and consistency of testing available and used in long-term care facilities for residents, staff, contractors and visitors. AARP also will seek information that families need to make care decisions, including the numbers of deaths that have occurred linked to each facility, breakdowns of how many confirmed cases for residents and how many for staff, and details on when testing has occurred, Johnson said.

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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.