As fall gets underway, we look forward to cooler weather, back-to-school shopping, football kick-offs and the long-awaited holiday season. But the start of fall also marks the beginning of respiratory virus season. For long-term care providers, this means one thing: It’s time for residents to #GetVaccinated with their annual vaccines.
As we all begin to spend more time indoors where viruses like influenza (flu), COVID-19 and respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) commonly spread, it’s time to reinvigorate those efforts. Against this triple threat, getting vaccinated remains our strongest defense.
Nursing homes and assisted living communities have consistently prioritized the safety and well-being of their residents. We learned invaluable lessons during the pandemic and saw countless lives saved and hospitalizations avoided in our settings after the vaccines first became available.
Flu, COVID-19 and RSV may be less severe than what we experienced in 2020, but each fall, they still pose a significant risk to our long-term care residents due to their age and chronic conditions. While these vaccines do not always prevent us from getting infected, they can reduce the severity and duration of illness, which given the frailty of our residents, lowers their risk of being hospitalized or even dying.
So, encouraging residents to get their annual vaccines this fall can make them feel better and avoid a trip to the hospital.
The persistent challenge we hear again and again is a reluctance to vaccines. A recent survey found that about half of Americans plan to skip getting their COVID and flu shots this fall. A number of reasons factor into this decision, including misinformation and a lack of trust in the vaccines; seeing people not get as sick as before; and believing that already being infected means vaccines are not required.
Residents and staff are a microcosm of their communities, and family members may often be the healthcare decision maker for residents. Addressing vaccine reluctance is a formidable task, but this year, there’s some additional help.
AHCA/NCAL has partnered with the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services on its vaccination campaign, Risk Less. Do More. The campaign aims to increase vaccine confidence and encourage vaccination among the country’s most vulnerable populations, including older Americans who receive care in long-term care settings.
HHS’ Risk Less. Do More. campaign recognizes that when we get vaccinated, we’re able to do more of the things we love. For residents, that means visiting with family members, sharing a meal with their fellow residents in the dining hall, or joining in on the group activities each day. They also have helpful resources about the vaccines to assist providers in educating our residents and family members, so they can make informed decisions.
We are helping to share these valuable resources through our #GetVaccinated initiative. Since 2020 when the COVID-19 vaccines first became available, AHCA/NCAL has been developing educational materials and updating technical guidance to help long-term care providers encourage residents and staff to roll up their sleeves and get vaccinated. From how to bill Medicare for all three vaccines to our Building Trust course, we’re proud to once again offer this one-stop-shop for vaccine resources for the 2024-2025 respiratory virus season.
While having credible information at hand is helpful, having the conversation is the most critical part. We have heard and seen that providers who spend time establishing a sense of trust with each resident, family member and staff member have higher vaccination rates. Seek to understand where they are coming from; each person has a unique perspective that contributes to their potential reluctance. It can go a long way to building trust by asking them about their concerns and addressing their specific questions or apprehensions about the vaccines.
And don’t go it alone! Work with your network of providers to encourage doctors, hospital staff, pharmacists, therapists and more to continue to have the conversation as well — at every appointment or before a hospital discharge. We’ve heard from numerous providers with high vaccination rates that it takes a village continually seeking to understand a resident or family member’s reasons for vaccine reluctance.
Long-term care providers have done an incredible job to sustain these vaccination efforts and frequently achieve higher vaccination rates than in the community — a significant accomplishment not always recognized by public health officials. Nonetheless, there is still progress to be made. So now it’s that time of year to put the foot on the gas.
We appreciate every nursing home and assisted living community doing their part. We encourage you to take advantage of the HHS and AHCA/NCAL educational resources to support your vaccination efforts at https://getvaccinated.us.
Each fall, long-term care is a critical component of helping to keep our communities healthy, preventing our hospitals from becoming overwhelmed, and most important, protecting our valued residents. Let’s all do our part to encourage residents to get #GetVaccinated
David Gifford, MD, MPH, is the chief medical officer of the American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL).
The opinions expressed in McKnight’s Long-Term Care News guest submissions are the author’s and are not necessarily those of McKnight’s Long-Term Care News or its editors.
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