nursing homes

Gov. Ron DeSantis says, "I think that there’s going to be a concern among these institutions about maintaining all the staff.”

The federal announcement that nursing homes relying on Medicaid and Medicare funding must require staff members to get vaccinated will have a ripple effect through Florida.

The report covering a four-week period also showed Florida facilities had the second-lowest worker vaccination rate and lagged in vaccinating residents

Far more older adults who perished with COVID lived outside of institutions. People with dementia and other severe neurological conditions, chronic kidney disease and immune deficiencies were hit hard.

The decision is a possible shift in an industry that has largely rejected compulsory measures for fear of triggering an employee exodus that could worsen already dangerous staffing shortages.

The federal analysis showed that 284 of the 704 Florida licensed facilities had gone without surveys. Nationally, 71 percent of nursing homes had gone beyond 16 months.

The state plans to begin measuring the levels of disease-fighting antibodies in the blood of vaccinated nursing home residents, which could help indicate whether they need a booster shot.

Brian Lee with Families for Better Care says federal data on nursing home case rates lags and doesn't cover all of Florida's long-term care facilities.

High levels of community spread and low vaccination rates are putting many nursing homes in Florida at risk for COVID-19 outbreaks. Some facilities are taking extra precautions.

The 42 percent vaccination rate placed Florida second from last in the percentage as of June 20 and well behind the national average of 56 percent, according to an AARP study.