Please keep reading our information because it changes every day. Below is the latest information provided to the association -- please note that we will continue to send updates as soon as we receive any new information.
Membership Matters Now More Than Ever

FSLA is Here for You 24/7/365

Dear ALF Colleagues,

We have all recently heard the buzzwords “new normal” more often than we would like to admit. However, there is a fundamental truth to this message and future changes are more significant than just a glib reference toward COVID-19 and infectious disease protocols.

COVID-19 has turned our lives upside down and forced us to concentrate on what is important. It has also put a lot of thought and what we do in perspective. 

In light of all the uncertainty, there's never been more demands on our profession. If FSLA's efforts are disjointed or weak, we will lose. If we lose, everyone loses: the residents, the providers, the staff and the vendor community. It’s just that simple.

In the good old days (actually, it seems like forever, but not too long ago), senior living communities had the ability to allocate dollars to multiple resources.

  • Want to send staff to weeklong conferences, Sounds great! 
  • Want to join the local business chapters – Absolutely! 
  • Want to join several associations – Wonderful! 
  • Want to attend workshops and happy hours – Sign us up!

When in good times, it may make total sense. But when the times turn tough, senior living communities must ask themselves,

  • Who can I support that will help me keep up with the latest regulations?
  • Who can I turn to provide the best value and the best return on my investment? 
  • Who will be there to help me focus on my core business, on my survival?
  • Who is consistently looking out for your best interests 24/7/365 and not afraid to speak up on your behalf?

It's often in challenging times that we are reminded of what's important -- keeping our residents and staff safe, providing the best care and services, constant communications with families, and our continued support with colleagues, friends and one another.

I have never been more proud and grateful for your unwaivering commitment and tireless efforts to care for your residents. Thank you for your sacrifices and for the work that you do on a daily basis. It has not gone unnoticed and we congratulate you on a job well done!! Just hang on, its been a tough few months but we will come out of this stronger, better, and together.

We are here if you need help, or just want to vent, call us at 850-496-2562. And we hope that our communications have helped. Please consider joining FSLA , getting involved and helping us continue to make a difference.

Gail
COVID-19 UPDATE 33
Updated Hospital Post-Acute Transfer Form

The Florida Hospital Association, in conjunction with the Florida Health Care Assocation and Florida Senior Living Association have updated the hospital transfer form. Please download a copy of the updated post acute hospital transfer form by CLICKING HERE.
Hot Off this Week's AHCA Conference Call

This week during the AHCA/Association weekly conference call, Surgeon General Scott Rivkees mentioned that the first round of testing would be completed next week. He also referenced the CDC recommendation for testing for staff every two weeks.

If you missed the call this week, please listen to the voice recording that will be posted on the following website .

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Weekly AHCA/Association Health Care Conference Calls are Ending . . .

(please remove the reocurring calls from your calendars)

The weekly AHCA/Association conference calls have now been discontinued. Calls will now be held as necessary.

FSLA Conducts 2-Part Webinars on COVID Challenges in Memory Care

The Memory Care units of Assisted Living Communities are unique, highly programmed areas that pose unique and serious challenges in keeping residents and staff protected from COVID-19 transmission.

In today’s FSLA's webinar, COVID-19 Memory Care Challenges in ALFs , presenters Janet Tiemeyer, BSN, and Shelley Esden, COO shared their experiences and interventions and managing these specialized environments.


This webinar is Part 2 of a 2-part training series developed to help ALFs mitigate the spread of COVID-19. Recordings of both Part 1, Early Identification and Rapid Response, and Part 2 are available now on FLSA’s COVID resource site. Questions related to the webinar series may be directed to staff at lgriffin@floridaseniorliving.org

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Updated: Important Funding Announcement for all Medicaid Providers

For all Medicaid and CHIP providers: The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has announced additional distributions from the Provider Relief Fund to eligible providers that participate in the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insurance Programs.

NEW! HHS has posted additional information to their website regarding this funding opportunity for Medicaid and CHIP providers.  The updated information includes:

Funding Overview:

On June 10, HHS is launching an enhanced Provider Relief Fund Payment Portal that will allow eligible Medicaid and CHIP providers to report their annual patient revenue, which will be used as a factor in determining their Provider Relief Fund payment. The payment to each provider will be at least 2 percent of reported gross revenue from patient care; the final amount each provider receives will be determined after the data is submitted, including information about the number of Medicaid patients providers serve.

To be eligible for this funding, providers must not have received payments from the $50 billion Provider Relief Fund General Distribution and must have billed their state Medicaid/CHIP programs or managed care plans for healthcare-related services from January 1, 2018 through May 31, 2020.

Other terms and conditions may apply. Please see the HHS announcement .

HHS has also posted FAQs on their website providing additional information that providers may find useful. Those FAQs can be found by CLICKING HERE:

Please note that the FAQs specific to Medicaid and CHIP providers are near the bottom of the FAQ page under the header, "Medicaid Targeted Distribution."

Agency COVID-19 Website: As a reminder, the Agency’s COVID-19 alert website ensures providers have all Agency guidance in one centralized location. The website can be accessed through the AHCA website .
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AHCA Regional Resource: COVID Isolation Centers

On June 5, AHCA issued guidance that requires testing by hsopitals of all patients, regardless of symptoms, prior to discharge to long-term are facilities. Download a copy of the order by CLICKING HERE .

The Agency has diligently been supporting the establishment of COVID isolation centers throughout the state and wants to ensure that you are aware of the availability of the these facilities as a potential resoure. Check out AHCA's isolation website HERE . .
Considerations for Residents in Memory Care Units
 
AHCA's new emergency rule ER 59AER20-1 prohibits a hospital from discharging any long-term care facility (ALFs are included in definition) resident who tests positive for COVID-19 to any long term care facility until the individual has two consecutive negative test results separated by 24 hours, unless the receiving long-term care facility has a dedicated wing, unit, or building with dedicates staff to accept COVID-19 positive residents.
 
The Companion Q&A (updated 6/1) offers clarification around the testing upon discharge requirement.

The CDC has introduced guidance Considerations for Memory Care Units in Long-term Care  t hat addresses the risk of moving persons with cognitive impairments from their single rooms:
 
Consider potential risks and benefits of moving residents out of the memory care unit to a   designated COVID-19 care unit.

  • Moving residents with confirmed COVID-19 to a designated COVID-19 care unit can help to decrease the exposure risk of residents and HCP; however,
  • Moving residents with cognitive impairment to new locations within the facility may cause disorientation, anger, and agitation as well as increase risks for other safety concerns such as falls or wandering.
  •  Additionally, at the time a resident with COVID-19 or asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 infection has been identified, other residents and personnel on the unit may have already been exposed or infected, and additional testing may be needed.
  •  Facilities may determine that it is safer to maintain care of residents with positive COVID-19 in the memory unit with dedicated personnel.

What A Community Should Do if Staff is Suspected of Exposure to COVID 19

Below are just a few ideas (the following is not required, just provided as suggestions -- be sure to check your community's policies and procedures) for what to do if a staff member is exhibiting symptions of COVID 19:

If staff member is exhibiting symptoms:

  • Notify supervisor and do not come to work if sick. If at work, notify supervisor and go home.
  • Begin an investigation of exposure and initiate “Contact Tracing”.
  • Educate staff member to notify their healthcare practitioner for direction on testing and to alert healthcare practitioner that they work with elderly residents.
  • Follow up with staff member to identify results of testing. Staff member will remain out of the community until they receive a note from physician or healthcare provider.
  • Notify Executive Director immediately upon identifying a resident or staff member with known or suspected coronavirus. Executive Director to notify Regional Director of Operations and Regional Director of Wellness immediately. Regional Director of Operations to immediately notify Chief Operating Officer.
  • Cancel group activities and congregate meals and ask all residents to stay in their apartments.
  • Implement Coronavirus Protocols and Check sheets and any other guidelines suggested by the CDC.

Please don't forget to train all of your staff on COVID protections, proper wearing of PPE, and deep cleaning and hot surface cleaning requirements.

Daily cleaning and disinfecting of your community is recommended. Please contact the following FSLA members for more information (in alphabetical order):


FSLA Invited to Participate in AIF RESET Task Force

FSLA is proud to announce that is has been asked to join Associated Industries of Florida’s Restore Economic Strength through Employment & Tourism (RESET) Task Force. The task force was formed to focus on providing industry-specific policy recommendations to the Florida Legislature and bringing forth initiatives that will seek to help all of Florida’s economy rebound from the effects of COVID-19 and future economic slowdowns. FSLA’s CEO, Gail Matillo, and Jason Hand, Vice President of Public Policy and Legal Affairs, was placed on the RESET Task Force’s Healthcare Workgroup and Legal Reforms/Liability Protection Workgroup.
 
The RESET Task Force brought on Dr. Ed Moore as the Executive Director and Craig Fugate as a senior advisor. “Governor DeSantis has led the recovery and reopening of our state with a steady hand, focusing on how we reopen our state for business and get Floridians back to work, all while continuing to focus on the management and containment of the virus. As RESET moves into its next phase and our growing membership comes together to share perspective and experiences, we look forward to echoing his leadership and exploring ways the business community can assist with future planning and recovery,” said AIF Senior Vice President of State & Federal Affairs Brewster Bevis.

Regarding legal reforms, FSLA would also like to provide the following information courtesy of the Florida Chamber of Commerce:

Virus-Related Class Action Lawsuit in Court

The Florida Chamber has warned about the tsunami of virus-related lawsuits headed our way, and legal eyes across the nation will be watching an Illinois court for a glimpse at how the court system will react to an SEIU labor union-backed class action lawsuit against Chicago-area McDonald’s restaurants . Read more on how this case will test the ‘public nuisance’ claim in workplace cases here .

The Florida Chamber’s Litigation and Regulatory Reform Center continues to defend job creators, and call on elected leaders in Tallahassee   and   Washington, D.C. to support targeted and timely protections against ‘gotcha lawsuits.’ We’ve joined our partners at the U.S. Chamber in calling on members of congress to provide businesses a safe harbor from unwarranted lawsuits, and we’re leading Florida’s efforts by encouraging local chambers to sign onto our letter supporting safe harbor protections from meritless lawsuits . Now is the time to do so.

Be sure to read Florida Businesses Need COVID-19 Liability Protections , the latest white paper from William Large and our partners at the Florida Justice Reform Institute .
 
A s part of our tort reform efforts, FSLA has joined Associated Industries of Florida, the Florida Chamber of Commerce, and Florida Justice Reform Institute. We will keep our members appraised of progress as we continue our actions in the tort reform arena.
New Staff Poster & Resource for Your Break Room: #High Alert

On Friday, June 5, Florida moved into the Governor's Phase 2 Economic Recovery Plan.

As Assisted Living Facilities welcome the Phase 2 progress, please acknowledge the increased risk to your communities.

Staff will now have opportunities to visit bars, gyms, vacation rentals and movie theaters. Today, the number and rate of new COVID-19 cases is on the rise statewide — a troubling indicator that the disease could be spreading more quickly. We have also heard that the numbers in the Palm Beach area are increasing as well.

More than ever, ALFs are daily screening staff and emphasizing the need for staff to observe social distancing and to use face masks when interacting in public spaces.

To support ALFs in this continued messaging throughout Phase 2, FSLA developed a flier appropriate for posting in break rooms, in payroll envelopes and on community bulletin boards – wherever your staff gather at work – to echo the message: Our Staff Works in Health Care and Serves a Vulnerable Population.

Governor Ron DeSantis Recognizes Elder Abuse Awareness Day

If you are a victim or suspect elder abuse, please contact the Florida Abuse Hotline at 1-800-96-ABUSE (1-800-962-2873). If you would like more information about the Department’s Elder Abuse Prevention Program, please contact the Department at 850-414-2000. Please share this information and see the Governor's Proclamation by CLICKING HERE.

Argentum's Standing With Seniors Campaign

This week, Florida has dropped to number 3.

Let's keep the letter writing campaigns going! Please write your Congressional leaders to request funding for ALFs!

Argentum is continuing to make progress on securing financial relief for senior living as part of the CARES Act provider relief fund. Among the most powerful tools available to help amplify our message on this request is our grassroots advocacy campaign, Standing With Seniors. Already, more than 46,000 messages have been sent to Capitol Hill, relaying our needs for financial relief and priority PPE and testing. But we need to keep the pressure up. Lawmakers are negotiating the details of what may be last major legislative package considered before the fall, and we need to ensure they are hearing from our communities.

Beyond the next legislative package, our advocacy campaign is helping raise awareness to legislators who are able to put pressure on the Trump Administration to allocate existing funding in the provider relief fund. Nursing homes recently received $4.9 billion and we are hopeful that senior living will be next, but policymakers need to continue hearing from their constituents on the needs facing our communities and the importance of providing financial relief.

Every community needs to do its part to reach our goal of 500,000 letters. Please call on all residents , residents’   family members , community staff , and other advocates to take action – it only takes a minute and a ll they need to do is enter their contact information to match with their lawmakers and click “send message.” These campaigns are mobile-friendly, so you may consider asking your community members to take action from tablets, cell phones, or other devices. We’ve also drafted a sample letter you may use to encourage those in your community to join us in this effort.