AHCA/NCAL Applauds The Keeping Seniors Safe From COVID-19 Through Home Design Act

WASHINGTON, D.C. - The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) released the following statement on H.R. 8540, the Keeping Seniors Safe from COVID-19 Through Home Design Act. The bill, introduced by Representative John Katko (R-NY) and cosponsored by Representatives Antonio Delgado (D-NY), Max Rose (D-NY) and Ann Kuster (D-NH), would commission a study by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the U.S. Department of Agriculture that would develop best practices in senior housing design to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 and other contagious diseases.

The following statement is attributable to Mark Parkinson:

“We applaud Representative Katko for introducing this bipartisan measure that will help protect long term care residents. Since the start of the pandemic, long term care providers have done everything in their power to protect residents and staff, but the highly contagious nature of COVID-19 in congregate settings like long term care facilities has contributed to the disproportionate impact the virus has had on our nation’s seniors. Examining ways we can improve the design of long term care housing is a positive first step in preventing the spread of communicable diseases and keeping our most vulnerable citizens safe.

 

“As we look to the future, we must take the lessons from we’ve learned from the COVID-19 pandemic to adopt meaningful reforms that will ensure long term care providers are equipped to handle future public health crises. We look forward to working with Members of Congress on long-term solutions that will help strengthen the high-quality care we provide."

The American Health Care Association and National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL) represents more than 14,000 non-profit and proprietary skilled nursing centers, assisted living communities, sub-acute centers and homes for individuals with intellectual and development disabilities. By delivering solutions for quality care, AHCA/NCAL aims to improve the lives of the millions of frail, elderly and individuals with disabilities who receive long term or post-acute care in our member facilities each day. For more information, please visit www.ahcancal.org or www.ncal.org.