ANNAPOLIS, Md.—The National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC) chose NORC at the University of Chicago as its research partner for a national study on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on seniors in different types of senior housing and care settings and in traditional residential settings.
“This research project gets to the heart of the mission of senior housing and care, and we wanted a globally respected research partner like NORC,” said Brian Jurutka, NIC’s president and CEO. “The health and housing sectors must better understand the incremental impact of COVID-19 in senior housing and care relative to a similar population in traditional residential settings in the context of what was known about the spread of the disease, local regulations, testing, and other factors. This study will seek to understand the impact of the disease by care setting and identify lessons learned to ultimately benefit older Americans by informing operators, investors, and policy makers.”
The study is expected in two phases. The first will be completed in the spring of 2021 and include analysis of NIC’s state-level data and the perspectives of stakeholders. The second phase will add data sources, including Medicare claims, and is expected to be completed by the end of 2021. The research will include learnings from the pandemic and practical steps to prevent and control future virus outbreaks.
The John A. Hartford Foundation, a national philanthropy dedicated to improving the care of older adults, is co-sponsoring the study and its president Terry Fulmer, PhD, RN, FAAN is a member of NIC’s COVID-19 research advisory committee. “Efforts to increase transparency in the senior housing and care sector require a close look at multiple data sources to understand what happened during the COVID-19 pandemic and what’s needed in the future,” said Fulmer. “This research will help protect older adults and ultimately save lives.”
Other members of the research advisory committee include: Dr. Ardeshir Hashmi, Chair for Geriatric Innovation and Director of the Center for Geriatric Medicine at Cleveland Clinic; Bob Kramer, Founder and Strategic Advisor to NIC, Founder and President of Nexus Insights; Dr. David Nash, Founding Dean Emeritus at Jefferson College of Population Health; Dr. Arif Nazir, Chief Medical Officer of Signature Healthcare and current President of AMDA, the Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine; Dr. Kevin O’Neil, Chief Medical Officer of ALG Senior; and Anne Tumlinson, Chief Executive Officer of ATI Advisory and Founder of Daughterhood.
NORC was selected in a competitive bid to lead the project’s initial phase. Caroline Pearson, NORC’s senior vice president, will direct the project, with Mairin Mancino as the project manager. Beth Burnham Mace, NIC’s chief economist, and Ryan Brooks, NIC’s healthcare principal, will oversee the project for NIC.
