Despite the end of the public health emergency in May, COVID-19 is still a significant issue. To combat the virus’ spread, the National Council on Aging (NCOA) is distributing Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) grants to organizations across the nation. It aims to improve vaccine access and education.
“Those who are living at home are less likely to have access to the pharmacy,” Josh Hodges, Chief Customer Officer at NCOA told McKnight’s Home Care Daily Pulse. “They’re less likely to be able to interact with their community as a whole so bringing the vaccine into the home is part of what a lot of our organizations are doing. It’s not only important for the individual themselves, but the caregivers, the family members and those who are surrounding the older adult.”
With $50 million in federal funding from the HHS’ U.S. Administration for Community Living, the largest grant in its history, NCOA will provide funding and technical assistance to hundreds of diverse community-based organizations, enabling them to conduct tailored outreach, host vaccine clinics and offer services many older adults need to get vaccinated. These services include transportation and assistance in scheduling appointments. Organizations have 15 months to use the funds.
One grantee, Senior Friendship Centers in Sarasota County, FL, hopes to serve approximately 3,000 low-income, minority and homebound older adults through two vaccine clinics, outreach and distribution of educational materials, as well as referral services that help with scheduling and transportation. This is especially crucial in Florida where 74% of older adults have not received their COVID-19 bivalent booster shot. According to Hodges, total team effort and collaboration will be critical to the success of the initiative.
“There’s a lot of confusing messages out there so part of this work is focusing on education and giving them a sense as to ‘What do we do now?’ and ‘How do I distill all this complex information into actionable work?’” Hodges said. “What you’re going to see across all of our different subgrantees is helping meet people where they are and helping educate them on the importance of getting vaccinated but staying backstage. And again, the overarching goal is helping people be protected and vaccinated.”
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