New AARP Data: Nursing Home COVID-19 Death and Case Rates Show Substantial Decline

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
April 15, 2021

CONTACT: Jamie Champion Mongiovi, AARP Florida
(850) 559-7003, jchampion@aarp.org 

ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. – The latest release of AARP's Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard shows that both cases and deaths in Florida nursing homes declined substantially in the four weeks ending March 21, falling to their lowest levels since AARP began releasing this information in June 2020.

AARP Florida State Director Jeff Johnson said, “This is encouraging news for Florida’s nursing home residents, staff and their families. However, statewide data from the last two weeks shows a slight increase in positive COVID-19 cases among Florida’s long-term care residents and staff, reminding us that we must remain vigilant as vaccination efforts continue across the state.

“Now is the time to ramp up the focus on increasing Florida’s reach to vaccinate those who still want the vaccine but have not been able to get it. Floridians who are homebound, mobility impaired and in need of transportation, should be elevated to priority status. This fight is not over, and AARP Florida will continue to support vaccine equity and access so any Floridian who wants a vaccine can get one.”

The latest dashboard release shows deaths of nursing home residents are substantially lower than what they were in the previous time period, dropping from a rate of .62 to .13 per 100 residents. New infections among residents and staff also declined by more than half of their previous levels. Resident cases fell from 3.3 to .39 per 100 residents, and new staff cases declined from 3.6 to .92 per 100 residents. More than 18 percent of Florida’s nursing homes continue to experience staffing shortages.

Using data released by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services—which is self-reported by nursing homes—the AARP Public Policy Institute, in collaboration with the Scripps Gerontology Center at Miami University in Ohio, created the AARP Nursing Home COVID-19 Dashboard to provide four-week snapshots of the virus' infiltration into nursing homes and impact on nursing home residents and staff. The dashboard will continue to be updated every four weeks. The complete dashboard is available at aarp.org/nursinghomedashboard.

The federal data do not include coronavirus cases among residents or staff of assisted-living facilities, group homes and other congregate elder-care facilities. That data is included in Florida government statistics.

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AARP is the nation's largest nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to empowering people 50 and older to choose how they live as they age. With a nationwide presence and nearly 38 million members, AARP strengthens communities and advocates for what matters most to families: health security, financial stability and personal fulfillment. AARP also produces the nation's largest circulation publications: AARP The Magazine and AARP Bulletin. To learn more, visit www.aarp.org or follow @AARP and @AARPadvocates on social media.