New AARP Dashboard shows that 84% of Montana’s Nursing Home Residents and 59.3% of Nursing Home Staff have been Fully Vaccinated

Helena, Mont., July 19, 2021.  The latest release of AARP’s Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard incorporates new data on vaccination rates and finds 84.3% of residents have been vaccinated in Montana and 59.3% of staff. Nationally, slightly more than half of health care workers in nursing homes were fully vaccinated (56%) and about 78% of residents were fully vaccinated as of the week ending June 20. 

The data also shows that only 16.7% of Montana nursing homes meets an industry benchmark of having at least 75% of staff fully vaccinated. 

At the national level, COVID cases and deaths have dropped significantly from the previous dashboard release. Deaths of nursing home residents in Montana continue to decrease from what they were in the previous period, dropping from a rate of 0.11 to 0.0 per 100 residents. New infections among residents and staff have begun to rise. Resident cases went from 0.0 to 0.3 per 100 residents, and new staff cases increased from 0.3 to 0.8 per 100 residents.  

The latest release of AARP's Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard reveals continued staffing shortages in nursing homes even as COVID deaths decline and cases rise. In Montana, during the four weeks ending June 20, 19% of nursing homes reported a shortage of nurses or aides, representing a 3.8% decrease from the previous reporting period. In addition, 6.3% of nursing homes in Montana had an urgent need for PPE in the four-week period ending June 20.  

 “The drop in deaths in Montana nursing homes is certainly welcome news,” said Tim Summers, AARP Montana State Director, “But we need to remain vigilant in encouraging residents and especially staff in long-term care facilities to get a free COVID vaccine to better protect themselves, their families and the community”.

AARP recently submitted a letter to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) recommending the federal government commit to working with states, long-term care facilities, and other entities to ensure that facilities can access and administer vaccines on a continuing basis for the foreseeable future. The letter also applauds CMS for publishing data on nursing home vaccinations, and calls on the agency to offer that data in a more user-friendly format. AARP has repeatedly urged transparency and public reporting about the impact of COVID on nursing facilities. 

The AARP Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard analyzes federally reported data in four-week periods going back to June 1, 2020. Using this data, the AARP Public Policy Institute, in collaboration with the Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University in Ohio, created the dashboard to provide snapshots of the virus' infiltration into nursing homes and impact on nursing home residents and staff, to identify specific areas of concern at the national and state levels in a timely manner. 

The complete Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard is available at www.aarp.org/nursinghomedashboard. For more information on how COVID is impacting nursing homes and AARP's advocacy on this issue, visit www.aarp.org/nursinghomes. 

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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, www.aarp.org/espanol or follow @AARP, @AARPenEspanol and @AARPadvocates, @AliadosAdelante on social media.  

About AARP Montana:
For nearly 50 years, AARP has been working right here in big sky country to improve the lives of the 50 plus. As a non-profit organization, AARP Montana advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. By fighting on issues that matter most to Montana families and providing trusted information, we’re helping to empower Montanans to choose how they live as they age. Today, nearly 148,000 strong, AARP Montana is one of the largest membership organizations in the state.  As a nonpartisan organization, AARP does not endorse candidates for public office or make contributions to political action committees, campaigns or candidates. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org/MT or follow @AARPMontana on social media.