ANNAPOLIS, Md.—The National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC) issued a request for proposal (RFP) for a national study on the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on older Americans.
The study, funded by a grant from NIC, is expected to track incremental fatalities as well as issues such as mobility at independent living, assisted living, memory care, and skilled nursing properties, and compare them to metrics of people of similar age and health characteristics in non-congregate care settings.
“Preparing for the future means learning as much as we can about the impact that COVID-19 has had on older Americans in context of their care setting as well as local and state responses,” said Brian Jurutka, NIC’s president and CEO. “Understanding the impact is a critical piece of a complicated puzzle that is sorely needed for senior living and skilled nursing property operators and policymakers to best prepare for future health crises.”
Like the rest of the nation, senior housing and skilled nursing property operators have been challenged to protect residents and caregivers from the coronavirus. Many operators have encountered shortages of personal protective equipment, lack of access to testing, slow turnaround times on testing results, and a patchwork of local and state government rules and regulations. The study seeks to understand COVID-19’s impact on senior housing and care properties in the context of these challenges.
Though fatalities will be the primary focus of the study, it will also examine other ways the coronavirus is impacting senior housing and skilled nursing residents, such as mental health, functional impairment and mobility measurements. The results of the study will be used to educate the public, policymakers, and the sector about the breadth and depth of the impact the virus has had on older Americans in the settings in which they live.
NIC expects to award the research contract on or around September 4, 2020, with results anticipated March 2021. Additional research may be funded as a follow-on to this grant.
