April 3, 2020 Washington D.C. — Statement from Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO, LeadingAge, the association of nonprofit providers of aging services, including nursing homes regarding CMS’ COVID-19 Long-Term Care Facility Guidance, issued April 2, 2020:

“We have said, and we repeat again, that our providers do not have sufficient supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) and other resources to adequately protect staff and to ensure the well-being of residents,” said Katie Smith Sloan, president and CEO of LeadingAge, the association of nonprofit providers of aging services. “Our members are doing their utmost to provide care for older adults in this unprecedented, challenging situation. We look to the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, to the members of the White House Coronavirus Task Force, as well as to our partners in state governments to work with us to make this recommendation feasible by collaborating with our provider members on securing resources — PPE and staff as well as necessary funding to pay for the costs these commendations will incur — so that they can realistically be implemented.”

Resources (find these and more on our COVID-19 Resources page):

LeadingAge Congressional Asks

LeadingAge Blanket Waiver Requests

LeadingAge Table of CMS Action on 1135 Waiver Requests 

We represent more than 5,000 aging-focused organizations that touch millions of lives every day. Alongside our members and 38 state partners, we address critical issues by blending applied research, advocacy, education, and community-building. We bring together the most inventive minds in our field to support older adults as they age wherever they call home. We make America a better place to grow old. For more information: www.leadingage.org