Advocacy Help: Urge Lawmakers to Prioritize Vaccines for ALL Senior Housing

As you may know, we’ve had access to vaccinations for both the Lutheran Home and Rehabilitation Center as well as the Hultquist Place Assisted Living Program. The Edgewood Communities, an independent senior living community on the same campus, was not included. Those residents must search for vaccine access on their own in the community.

Elderly New Yorkers living in senior housing are at high risk for COVID-19 and have not been appropriately prioritized by the State of New York or the Federal Government for COVID-19 vaccination. These seniors are often in their 80s, and many need assistance from outside caregivers with activities of daily living. An estimated 38% of all residents currently living in the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Section 202 Housing for the Elderly program could be considered “frail” or “near-frail” putting them at risk of severe implications from coronavirus.

Additionally, just as staff in other congregate living settings with vulnerable populations have been prioritized for vaccination, staff in independent senior housing should be prioritized. Failing to prioritize senior housing residents and staff for vaccination is likely to mean significant delays in these seniors accessing the vaccine and, sadly, more hospitalizations and deaths.

With the importance of these individuals being vaccinated in mind, senior housing providers should have the opportunity to work with the Department of Health and Regional Vaccination Networks to begin planning vaccination clinics that can occur on site. Facilitating vaccination clinics on the campuses of senior housing settings in which a large number of seniors live would allow the state to efficiently vaccinate large numbers of people in priority populations in one clinic.

To submit a letter to the NYS Department of Health Commissioner, Howard Zucker, in support of our residents, please copy and paste this email below and send it to howard.zucker@health.ny.gov

I am writing to express serious concerns about the failure to prioritize senior housing residents, one of New York’s most vulnerable populations, for COVID-19 vaccination. The seniors living in this housing are often in their 80s, and many need assistance from outside caregivers with activities of daily living. An estimated 38% of all residents currently living in the Department of Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Section 202 Housing for the Elderly program could be considered “frail” or “near-frail.” The age and “frailty” of these individuals put them at grave risk for severe illness from COVID-19, and I would therefore recommend their prioritization in future vaccination plans. Additionally, just as staff in other congregate living settings with vulnerable populations have been prioritized for vaccination, staff in independent senior housing should be prioritized. Failing to prioritize senior housing residents and staff for vaccination is likely to mean significant delays in these seniors accessing the vaccine and, sadly, more hospitalizations and deaths.

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