AARP Texas Supports Austin City Council Nursing Home Resolution

AARP Texas voiced support Thursday (May 7) for an Austin City Council resolution that calls for more resources to combat the high numbers of COVID-19 cases in area nursing homes.

Sponsored by Council Member Ann Kitchen and other members of the council, a resolution listed as Item 59 on the Council’s Thursday agenda directs the city manager to “plan and collaborate with outside entities, develop, fund, and implement programs to prevent and mitigate the spread of COVID-19 among the residents and staff of nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, and other vulnerable persons.”

Jessica Lemann, an associate state director of outreach and advocacy at AARP Texas, praised the proposal during public testimony today as a crucial step toward improving protection of a highly vulnerable nursing home population.

“Because of the gravity of the present challenge, it will require both new policies and additional resources and investments to address the growing needs of Austinites,” Lemann said.

While severe health impacts of COVID-19 can occur at any age, Lemann noted that nursing home and assisted living facility deaths comprise nearly two-thirds of the COVID-19 related deaths in Austin, which is even higher than the state average of 46.1 percent.

The actions outlined in the resolution include providing comprehensive testing of staff and residents, assessing staffing and responding to staffing needs where it is determined that there is a shortage, and ensuring adequate access to personal protective equipment. “AARP feels these steps are critical to stopping the spread in facilities and also the general public because it keeps the essential workers in these facilities safe,” Lemann said.

“Nursing home residents are among our city’s most vulnerable," she added. "They do not have the ability to protect themselves from this virus, so the onus is us to do so.”