Home Health & Hospice Week

VNA starts distributing vaccinations in major Texas city.

Now that COVID vaccinations are becoming widely available in most areas of the U.S., home health and hospice agencies are turning to tackle a looming problem — patients and especially staff declining to get vaccinations.

The Department of Health and Human Services is trying to help. It's partnering with “medical experts and prominent influencers and organizations” in its “We Can Do This” initiative to educate the public on the safety and importance of vaccinating the nation, an agency release says. Guidance and toolkits are available for providers at https://wecandothis.hhs.gov/resources.

And a consortium of HHS agencies are working together to ensure people often served by home health and hospice agencies have ready access to the COVID-19 vaccine with legal resources and funding. “It is crucial that states and local health authorities take affirmative steps to ensure equitable vaccine access to older adults and people with disabilities, particularly those who may face additional barriers due to race, ethnicity, income, language, or other factors,” said Alison Barkoff, acting administrator of the Administration for Community Living (ACL) in an HHS release.

Meanwhile, such programs continue to launch around the country. For example, Dallas just began an in-home vaccination program utilizing six teams formed by Dallas Fire-Rescue and the Visiting Nurse Association of Texas, reports The Dallas Morning News. VNA President Katherine Krause said they intend to vaccinate 500 residents via their Meals on Wheels program by the end of the month.

“We know that our seniors ... don’t have access to transportation or are challenged with technology and are alone,” Krause told the Morning News.

Additional resources are in the HHS release at https://www.hhs.gov/about/news/2021/04/13/new-legal-guidance-and-resources-to-ensure-and-expand-access-to-covid-19-vaccines-for-people-with-disabilities-and-older-adults.html .