During this critical time, Home Health Care News remains committed to bringing you all the essential news related to home-based care operations. At the same time, we also recognize the seriousness of the COVID-19 pandemic. In addition to our regular content, we’ll continue to highlight industry-related developments and mitigation strategies in this rolling bulletin.

What you need to know from Wednesday (June 17):

— While all 50 states have begun reopening efforts, 10 states are seeing their highest seven-day average of new COVID-19 cases a day, reports CNN. New data from Johns Hopkins shows that Alabama, Arizona, California, Florida, Nevada, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Oregon, South Carolina and Texas are seeing a record high when it comes to new cases of the virus. As of Wednesday, there were more than 2.1 million cases of coronavirus in the U.S. 

— Vice President Mike Pence recently called concerns over a second wave of the coronavirus “overblown” in an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal. In the piece, Pence says the media is “sounding the alarm bells.” Generally, Pence stated that the U.S. public health system has seen an improvement compared to four months ago.

— In May, assisted living occupancy declined to 85.2% across the 31 largest metropolitan areas in the U.S. That’s a decrease from 86.1% in April and 87.8% in March, according to data from the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC). The exodus of patients leaving long-term care facilities is primed to be a tailwind for home care agencies in 2020 and beyond.  

— Target announced it is raising its starting wage to $15 per hour, making the $2 COVID-19-initiated salary bump permanent. The announcement comes as its hazard pay period was set to expire. Retailers increasing wages or extending hazard pay could hurt the recruiting efforts of home-based care agencies, considering that some executives figured COVID-19’s hit on the retail industry may help their own. 

— On Monday, President Donald Trump hosted a roundtable discussion on protecting America’s seniors and the federal government’s efforts thus far. LeadingAge President and CEO Katie Smith Sloan described the event as “troubling” in light of the rising death tolls across nursing homes and other long-term care settings. “As new coronavirus cases are at 20,000 a day and hot spots are spiking around the country, the situation in nursing homes and other aging service providers remains very serious,” Sloan said in a statement. “Our government has failed to provide the leadership and critical resources they need, including personal protective equipment (PPE), testing and a comprehensive plan for emergency funding. And because the virus has been most deadly for older people of color, we must ensure that they are not overlooked.”

What you need to know from Tuesday (June 16):

— On Tuesday, a House subcommittee launched an investigation into the government’s handling of the COVID-19 crisis in long-term care facilities. Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) asked CMS Administrator Seema Verma to provide the subcommittee with information regarding its attempts to slow and stop the spread of COVID-19 in facilities, among other demands. “The Subcommittee is concerned that lax oversight by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the federal government’s failure to provide testing supplies and personal protective equipment to nursing homes and long-term care facilities may have contributed to the spread of the coronavirus and the deaths of more than 40,000 Americans in these facilities,” Clyburn wrote in a statement.

— Hospitals have begun to organize care plans for COVID-19 survivors that suffer from lasting effects of the infection, reports MedPage Today. The lasting effects could present a business opportunity for home-based care agencies as more patients begin to recover from the virus. “We have some insights from experiences around the world where the pandemic got a head start,” Matthew Tomey, director of the cardiac ICU at Mount Sinai St. Luke’s Hospital in New York City, told MedPage. “In New York, it’s still early in determining what the intermediate and, certainly, longer-term outcomes will be.”

— As COVID-19 increases in-home care demand, pricing could skyrocket, too. A pay option seniors are exploring is reverse mortgages. “Staying at home isn’t always affordable,” writes U.S. News’ Rachel Hartman. “Among older adults, 80% are concerned about being able to afford home health care costs, according to a 2019 SCAN Health Plan survey. Paying for personalized in-home senior care can add up quickly and isn’t always easy on a fixed income.”

— Recent changes in health care employment were caused by decreases in health spending, according to a new analysis. From February through April, home health care saw a 7% loss in employment. Overall, employment in health care drastically decreased from February through April, but rebounded slightly in May. HHCN has the story here.

For daily updates from the week of June 8, click here.

For daily updates from the week of June 1, click here.

For daily updates from the week of May 26, click here.

For daily updates from the week of May 18, click here.

For daily updates from the week of May 11, click here.

For daily updates from the week of May 4, click here.

For daily updates from the week of April 27, click here.

For daily updates from the week of April 20, click here.

For daily updates from the week of April 13, click here.

For daily updates from the week of April 6, click here.

For daily updates from the week of March 30, click here.

For daily updates from the week of March 23, click here.

For daily updates from the week of March 16, click here.

HHCN encourages you to reach out to us individually or at [email protected] for story ideas, tips or general feedback.