As states and local public health agencies reclaim unused vaccines from the federal Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care program and the Federal Retail Pharmacy Program gets ready to roll out, attention is finally turning to opening up vaccination in a big way to independent living residents.
Independent living communities were not included in the federal Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care program that brought on-site vaccination clinics to assisted living communities and skilled nursing facilities, despite the fact that some live within continuing care retirement community campuses that include multiple levels of care and services.
Creative outreach
Holiday Retirement announced Friday that it has secured access to COVID-19 vaccines at 100 of its independent living communities. The Winter Park, FL-based company, which serves more than 30,000 residents in 43 states, said it worked to educate vaccine clinic providers about the vulnerability of the population as the sector was passed over for vaccinations by the long-term care pharmacy program.
“We are just as disappointed as our residents, resident family members and community employees that independent living has not been prioritized through the federal government,” Holiday CEO Lilly Donohue said in a statement. “Through our own creative local outreach, we have been able to secure providers and / or complete vaccination clinics for more than a third of our communities.”
Holiday’s goal is to reach 100% of its communities by the end of the month. The company is working toward that goal by having its team work with state decision-makers and local county health departments, grocery store pharmacies and other providers to request vaccination clinics onsite at the communities.
“We believe that every resident should have access to safely receive the vaccine in our community without the headache of travel, long lines and additional risk exposure,” Donohue said. “We will continue local outreach for each community until a federal program prioritizes independent living across the nation, or until access to the vaccine is provided to all Holiday Retirement communities.”
State attention
Maryland is one state turning its attention to vaccinating older adults in independent living communities. Jan. 31, Gov. Larry Hogan sent a memorandum to local health and aging officials directing them to prioritize independent living in the coming weeks.
Maryland’s Department of Aging is working with local agencies on aging and local health officials to identify independent living communities where residents have not been vaccinated, as well as with local COVID-19 vaccine providers to arrange vaccination clinics. The state said it will focus on vaccinating residents at at least one independent living community in each local jurisdiction per week.
Jefferson’s Ferry, a not-for-profit life plan community in New York, recently expanded its COVID-19 vaccination program to include residents in its independent living cottages and apartments, as well as employees responsible for maintaining those residents, buildings and grounds.
Vaccination of skilled nursing residents and staff members at the retirement community’s Vincent Bove Health Center was completed through the federal program for long-term care, along with first doses for assisted living residents and staff members. Independent living vaccinations began Jan. 27 and 28, and second doses are scheduled for Feb. 17 and 18.
“We are excited about what the vaccine has to offer in health and in re-establishing normalcy within our community,” Jefferson’s Ferry President and CEO Bob Caulfield said in a statement. Vice President of Resident Life Linda Kolakowski added that the vaccine clinic “represents an important milestone” for residents and staff.
The Ohio Health Care Association reported that the state has a plan for vaccinating people in congregate care settings, including independent living residents, after the federal Pharmacy Partnership in Long-Term Care ends. The Ohio Department of Health indicated that the plan will involve long-term care pharmacies and will roll out in the next week or two.
The Colorado Department of Public Health said it is trying to pair independent living communities with local vaccination providers, hosting pop-up vaccine clinics. One Lakewood, CO, provider isn’t waiting, according to media outlet KDVR. Carmel Oaks’ staff members are finding appointments for their residents, even driving them across town to get shots.
Independent living residents at Westminster Canterbury Richmond, an independent living community in Virginia, received their first doses last week after CVS Health reversed a decision to cancel previously scheduled clinics. The national pharmacy chain canceled plans for the community, saying it was following guidance that did not prioritize independent living.
CVS has since agreed to vaccinate residents and staff members at Westminster Canterbury Richmond and sister site Westminster Canterbury of Rappahannock. The Virginia Department of Health also is working with local pharmacies to schedule vaccination clinics at 31 independent living communities across the state that are not covered by the national pharmacy program.
Mobile clinics
Meanwhile, Sanford Health used its mobile clinic to take COVID-19 vaccines on the road to two of its independent living communities in Sioux Falls, SD. The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society’s Prairie Creek Lodge and Meadow Stone communities had 108 residents vaccinated. The mobile clinic will return to the two campuses in the coming weeks to administer second doses.
In California, Marin County public health officials are using a mobile unit staffed with doctors from MarinHealth Medical Center and Kaiser Permanente to vaccinate approximately 80 residents and staff at Deer Park in Novato. There are plans to move on to other independent living communities as the county receives additional vaccine doses.
