Health & Safety

DISCLAIMER: Many links contained on this page are specific to the COVID-19 pandemic and may have expired; however, there are many links contained on the page to refer visitors to agencies and resources that are still operating and applicable. 

The Virginia Assisted Living Association (VALA) consulted with multiple government agencies, industry stakeholders, and providers regarding the current health alerts on the Coronavirus 2019 disease (COVID-19). Below is information and links that may be helpful in the prevention and treatment of COVID and other transmittable infections. Since there are numerous agencies and organizations publishing facts about infection prevention and treatment, VALA has provided the below links as a sample to some of the most helpful resources currently available. 

For public health concerns, please consult your local health department and licensing agencies.  

Quick Links to Resource Areas Listed Below:

• COVID-19 Recommendations, Regulations, & Resources for Senior Living Communities 
• Staffing, Supplies (Including PPE), Infection Control, & Testing Resources
• Communication Resources with sample letters, checklists, & policies

INDUSTRY RECOMMENDATIONS, REGULATIONS, & RESOURCES

• Virginia Specific Links & Resources 
  • Virginia - assistance, resources, and requirements
    • Virginia Long-Term Care Task Force
      • LTCF Task Force Monthly Newsletters: 12/2022, 10/2022, 09/2022
      • VA LTC Task Force Presentations: 12/16/2021, 11/18/2021, 10/28/2021, 09/23/2021, 08/26/2021, 05/20/2021, 04/15/2021
    • Executive Orders Issued by Governor Youngkin
  • ​​Virginia Department of Health - Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
    • FAQs Regarding COVID-19
    • Local Health Department Locator
    • Clinician Letters
    • VDH COVID-19 Vaccination Response
      • Vaccination FAQ including FAQs for Long-Term Care Facilities 
    • COVID-19 Testing
      • ​Testing, Laboratory, and Therapeutics 
      • LTCF COVID-19 Test Reporting Requirements (4/16/2022)
      • COVID-19 POC Antigen Testing Supply Resources Update for Residential Care Facilities (SNFs, ALFs, LTCFs) (1/11/2022)
    • VDH COVID-19 Webinar Q&As: CDC & CMS COVID-19 Infection Prevention Updates (11/9/2022)
    • VDH COVID-19 Guidance for Nursing Homes (6/13/2023)
    • Visiting a Loved One in a Nursing Home? Tips for a Safe Visit (3/23/2022)
    • Closing a Healthcare Facility to New Admissions or Readmissions during the COVID-19 Pandemic (2/14/2022)
    • FAQs Regarding Infection Prevention and Control in Healthcare Facilities & CDC Updated Isolation and Quarantine Guidance for Healthcare Personnel (1/7/2022)
    • Considerations for PPE and Cohorting during COVID-19 Response in LTCFs (10/21/2021)
    • Recommendations for Hospitalized Patients Being Discharged to a Long-Term Care Facility During the COVID-19 Pandemic (6/2/2021)
    • Management of Hemodialysis Patients Residing in Long-Term Care Facilities (4/8/2021)
    • Quarantine Recommendations for Exposed Individuals in Healthcare Settings (4/8/2021)
    • VDH Supplemental Form for Reporting a COVID-19 Outbreak in a Long-Term Care Facility Post-Vaccination (3/30/2021)
    • Virginia COVID-19 Long-Term Care Facility Task Force Playbook (1/21/2021)
    • Additional Rules and Regulations of the Board of Health - Commonwealth of Virginia 
      • Regulations for Disease Reporting and Control
      • Outbreak Reporting Requirements for Facilities and Programs
    • Clinical Laboratory Improvement Amendments (CLIA) - In general terms, the CLIA regulations establish quality standards for laboratory testing performed on specimens from humans, such as blood, body fluid and tissue, for the purpose of diagnosis, prevention, or treatment of disease, or assessment of health.
      • CMS CLIA Website
        • Quick Start Guide to CMS CLIA Certification
        • How to obtain a CLIA Certificate of Waiver
      • VDH CLIA Website
  • Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS)
    • COVID-19 and Communicable Disease Outbreak Reporting Memo (2/14/2023)
    • Return to Full Onsite Inspections (11/17/2021)
    • Memo to Assisted Living Providers on Reopening (6/23/2020)
    • ALF Recommendations on Reopening (6/23/2020)
    • Temporary Procedures for Conducting Licensing Inspections (4/7/2020)
  • Virginia Department of Health Professions
    • General COVID-19 Informational Page
    • Board of Long-Term Care Administrators
  • Virginia Department of Labor and Industry (DOLI)
    • OSHA COVID-19 Vaccination and Testing ETS - Withdrawn effective 1/26/2022
  • Virginia Department for Aging and Rehabilitative Services - Office for Aging Services
    • COVID-19 Updates on ALF Assessments/Reassessments, APS Investigations, & Auxiliary Grant Program (March 27, 2020)
  • Virginia Medical Reserve Corps (MRC) - dedicated volunteers who are medical and public health professionals
    • Requesting MRC Volunteers for COVID-19 Medical Staffing Support - to request and mobilize volunteers to provide long-term care and medical surge support needed for COVID-19 response in the Commonwealth
  • Virginia Department of Medical Assistance Services
  • Virginia Healthcare Emergency Management Program (VHEMP)
    • Virginia Healthcare Alerting & Status System (VHASS) - enhances the distribution of critical emergency management information needed by Virginia hospitals and healthcare providers, including long term care communities.
  • Virginia Emergency Operations Center (VEOC)
• Federal Links & Resources
  • Provider Relief Fund (PRF) - Health Resources & Services Administration (HRSA)
    • Phase 4 Provider Relief Fund 
    • Post-Payment Reporting Requirements (7/1/2021)
  • Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
    • Frequent Questions Related to COVID-19
    • Frequent Questions about Disinfectants and COVID-19
    • Guidance for Cleaning and Disinfecting Public Spaces, Workplaces, Businesses, Schools and Homes 
    • Indoor Air and COVID-19
    • List N: List of Disinfectants for Use Against COVID-19
  • Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP)
    • COVID-19 ACIP Vaccine Recommendations 
    • Influenza ACIP Vaccine Recommendations
  • ​Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) 
    • What's New - listing of recent CDC updates
    • CDC COVID Data Tracker & Community Tramission Levels by Locality 
    • Frequently Asked Questions About COVID-19 Vaccination 
    • Long COVID Basics
    • People with Certain Medical Conditions and COVID-19 Risk Factors (6/24/2024)
    • Underlying Medical Conditions and the Higher Risk for Severe COVID-19 (7/30/2024)
    • Testing and Management Considerations for Nursing Home Residents with Acute Respiratory Illness Symptoms when SARS-CoV-2 and Influenza Viruses are Co-circulating (11/14/2023)
    • Interim Guidance for Managing Healthcare Personnel with SARS-CoV-2 Infection or Exposure to SARS-CoV-2 (3/18/2024)
    • Strategies to Mitigate Healthcare Personnel Staffing Shortages (9/23/2022)
    • Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) Vaccine Safety (10/30/2024)
    • Project Firstline - CDC's National Training Collaborative for Healthcare Infection Prevention & Control 
    • Interim Guidelines for Collecting, Handling, and Testing Clinical Specimens for COVID-19 (10/29/2024)
    • COVID-19 Vaccines (9/10/2024)
    • Guidance for SARS-CoV-2 Rapid Testing in Point-of-Care Settings (8/22/2024)
    • Healthcare Professionals: Information on COVID-19 
    • U.S. COVID-19 Vaccine Product Information (9/27/2024)
    • Additional Tools and Resources (8/1/2024)
    • Basic Information about COVID-19
      • Communication Resources (COVID-19) (7/11/2024) - Includes Guidance Documents, Videos, Print Resources, & Public Service Announcements
    • Health Alert Network (HAN) - CDC's primary method to share cleared information on urgent public health incidents 
  • CMS Emergency Preparedness & Response Operations: Current Emergencies
    • Open Door Forum Transcripts
    • Nursing Home Visitation - COVID-19 (5/8/2023)
    • Nursing Home Visitation FAQs (3/10/2022)
    • Over the Counter Home Testing and CLIA Applicability FAQs (3/4/2022)
    • FAQs - CMS Omnibus COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination Interim Final Rule (2/7/2022)
    • COVID-19 Health Care Staff Vaccination IFC-6 National Stakeholder Call Slides (11/5/2021)
    • Toolkit on State Actions to Mitigate COVID-19 Prevalence in Nursing Homes (includes information for ALFs) (3/2022 Version 26)
    • Interim Final Fule - COVID-19 Vaccine Immunization Requirements for Residents and Staff (5/11/2021)
    • Infographic: Coverage of Monoclonal Antibody Products to Treat COVID-19 (5/6/2021)
    • Infographic - Nursing Home Visitation (3/12/2021)
    • Nursing Home COVID-19 Testing FAQs (12/7/2020)
    • Point of Care Antigen Testing FAQ (10/7/2022)
    • New COVID-19 Testing and Reporting Requirements (9/8/2020)
    • FAQs: COVID-19 Testing at Skilled Nursing Facilities/Nursing Homes (8/5/2020)
    • Talking Point for Providers (7/27/2020)
    • Counseling Checklist (7/27/2020)
    • FAQs for Non Long-Term Care Facilities and Intermediate Care Facilities for Individuals with Intellectual Disabilities (6/10/2020)
    • Release of COVID-19 Nursing Home Data (6/4/2020)
      • COVID-19 Nursing Home Data (Updated weekly)
    • Nursing Home Reopening Recommendations Frequently Asked Questions (5/18/2020)
    • COVID-19 Long-Term Care Facility Transfer Scenarios (4/13/2020)
    • Long-Term Care Facility Guidance (4/2/2020)
    • Additional Background: Sweeping Regulatory Changes to Help U.S. Healthcare System Address COVID-19 Patient Surge (3/30/2020)
    • Medicare Telemedicine Health Care Provider Fact Sheet (3/17/2020)
    • Memorandum: Guidance for Infection Control and Prevention of Coronavirus Disease 2019 in Nursing Homes (3/13/2020)
    • Memorandum: Information for Healthcare Facilities Concerning 2019 Novel Coronavirus Illness (2019-nCoV) (2/6/2020)
  • Administration for Community Living (ACL) - COVID-19 website
    • Mobilizing and Empowering the Nation and Technology to Address Loneliness & social isolation (MENTAL) Health Innovation Challenge
    • ACL's COVID-19 Resources: What's New
      • ACL COVID-19 Resources Page
    • Emergency Preparedness and Response: Model Policies and Procedures for State Long-Term Care Ombudsman Programs
  • HHS - US Department of Health & Human Services
    • HHS News - Includes updates from a variety of agencies including ACL, AHRQ, CDC, CMS, FDA, HHS, NIH, OCR, and OSG
    • Vaccines.gov - Provides messages and graphics to help spread awareness about catching up on vaccinations
    • HRSA's Provider Relief Bureau (PRB) - Portal Access, Data, FAQs, and more
    • HHS Telehealth guidance and information
  • National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) 
    • National Healthcare Safety Network (NHSN) LTCF Component - includes links for COVID, C. difficile infection, UTIs, and more
    • Enrollment steps for LTCFs submitting data in COVID-19 Module
    • ​Enrollment Guidance for LTCFs - April 2020 Slideset
    • Module Overview for LTCFs - April 2020 Slideset
    • Resident Impact and Facility Capacity Pathway Form
    • Staff and Personnel Impact Pathway Form
    • How to Change LTC Facility Type
    • Conferring Rights to VDH in the NHSN - Long-Term Care Facilities (6/2020)
    • COVID-19 Nursing Home Data (Data updated weekly)
• U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
  • TRACIE Healthcare Emergency Preparedness Information Gateway - Novel Coronavirus Resources
  • U.S. Department of Labor: Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) - COVID-19 Information
    • COVID-19 Guidance for Nursing Home and Long-Term Care Facility Workers (05/2020)
    • Protecting Workers: Guidance on Mitigating and Preventing the Spread of COVID-19 in the Workplace
    • Argentum outside counsel, Foley Hoag LLP - Memo Regarding Forthcoming Federal Vaccine Mandates
  • U.S. Congressional Actions:
    • Families First Coronavirus Response Act (FFCRA) {H.R.6201}
      • FFCRA Q&A (refer to questions 56 & 57 for definition of health care provider)
      • FFCRA Fact Sheet: Employer Paid Leave Requirements
      • FFCRA Fact Sheet: Employee Paid Leave Rights
    • Coronavirus Preparedness and Response Supplemental Appropriations Act {H.R.6074}
    • CARES Act {H.R.748)
  • U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC)
    • What You Should Know About COVID-19 and the ADA, the Rehabilitation Act, and Other EEO Laws (5/15/2023)
  • U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) - COVID-19
    • Press Announcements 
    • Emergency Use Authorizations (EUAs) - For medical devices, therapeutics, and test performances (8/27/2024)
    • Letters to Health Care Providers (2/22/2024) - The FDA posts the letters it sends to health care providers about safety concerns with medical devices used in health care facilities. 
    • COVID-19 and Medical Devices (10/4/2024)
    • FDA Updates on Hand Sanitizers Consumers Should Not Use (7/22/2024)
      • Searchable listing of hand sanitizers recommended by FDA to discontinue use (scroll to the bottom for listing)
    • White House Guidelines - Opening Up America Again
  • World Health Organization (WHO) COVID-19 pandemic

• Argentum
  • White Paper: Senior Living Staffing Solutions in the COVID-19 Crisis (10/2020)
  • White Paper: Argentum Guidance for Managing COVID-19 Restrictions (6/10/2020)
  • White Paper: The Need for A "Smart" Testing Strategy (5/22/2020)
• American Health Care Association
  • AHCA/NCAL Coronavirus Informational Page
• Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medical Association (PALT)
  • CPR Guidance During the COVID-19 Pandemic (AMDA)
• American Geriatrics Society (AGS)
  • AGS COVID-19 Policy Brief Offers Roadmap to Government Action in Oft-Overlooked Sphere: Assisted Living Facilities (4/28/2020)
  • AGS Position Statement: Resource Allocation Strategies and Age-Related Considerations in the COVID-19 Era and Beyond (5/6/2020)
• Association for Professionals in Infection Control and Epidemiology: Long-Term Care (APIC)
  • QIN-QIO: Infection Prevention and Control Post-Acute Plan Prioritized Risks, Goals, Strategies, and Implementation - Resource Collection (05//282020)
  • QIN-QIO: Establishing an Infection Prevention Program, and conducting ongoing Infection Surveillance in the Nursing Home (5/28/2020)
  • APIC Text Chapter Collection: Long-Term Care 
• National Restaurant Association - Restaurant Reopening Guidance (7/2021)
• NIC: COVID-19 Resource Center - delivering data, analytics, and connections

COMMUNICATION RESOURCES

• Sample Communications:
  • Employee Communication - COVID-19 Self-Quarantine Expectations (VALA)
  • Family Communication - Confirmed Case of COVID (VALA & Argentum)
  • Family Communication - Confirmed Case of COVID Nearby (VALA & Argentum)
  • Family Communication - No Spread of COVID (VALA & Argentum)
  • Family Communication - No Spread of COVID - Alternative (VALA & Argentum)
  • Family Communication - Resident Positive for COVID (VALA)
  • Media Communication - Statement & Talking Points for Communities with COVID-19 (VALA)
  • Visitor Communication - COVID-19 Screening Questionnaire (VALA)
• Checklists, Guidelines, Policies, & Procedures
  • Community Access and Infection Control (Argentum)
  • ​Guidelines for New Admissions and COVID Precautions (VALA)
  • Operational Readiness: Long Term Care Reopening Checklist (Ecolab)
  • Optimization Medication Management During the COVID-19 Pandemic: Implementation Guide for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Guide (University of Maryland School of Pharmacy)
  • Reporting Positive Cases and Leadership Communications (Argentum)
  • Sample Guidelines - Return of Beauty Shop Services (VALA) (6/12/2020)
  • VDH Facility Employee Daily Screening Form (Download, Excel Spreadsheet) (5/8/2020) 
  • VDH Guidance for Assessing and Managing Exposed, Asymptomatic Healthcare Personnel (6/12/2020)
  • VDH Guidelines for Cleaning and Disinfection for SARS-CoV-2 (6/7/2021)
  • VDH Infection Prevention and Control in Healthcare Settings for COVID-19 (4/28/2020)
  • VDH Staff Line List for COVID-19 Outbreaks (Download, Excel Spreadsheet) (5/8/2020)
  • White Paper: Argentum Guidance for Managing COVID-19 Restrictions (6/10/2020) (Argentum)
  • White Paper: The Need for A "Smart" Testing Strategy (5/22/2020) (Argentum)

Lessons Learned from Providers Impacted by COVID-19

• Monitor federal/state/local government websites routinely for updates on prevention, treatment, and restrictions. 
• Monitor Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) on a regular basis before and during any potential emergency and acquire additional supplies before being needed.
• Review and update as needed visitation policies to provide the best response for the optimal well-being of residents and staff.
• Communicate all visitation and emergency action policies whenever changed with residents, family members, volunteers, and community guests.
• Employees, residents, and guests need to be considered when planning for prevention and protection of any disease or emergency.
• Maintain an up to date listing of contact information for local Health Departments and emergency support organizations and have the listing readily available to appropriate staff members.

• Use discretion in the information reviewed to verify the validity of it as unfortunately, some misinformation has been shared.

Last Updated: November 11, 2024