Caregivers today – in nursing homes, assisted living communities, and other long-term care settings – face significant risk of COVID-19. For many Americans who trust these vital caregivers with their loved ones’ lives, there is only one word that applies: HERO. But what is often less understood about the heroes working in long-term care is that there are many types of people working behind the scenes to provide 24-hour care in these communities. In addition to the people providing direct care, the people who are preparing food, cleaning rooms, and transporting residents all risk contracting the virus.
Over the last three months, over 40,000 long-term care facility residents and workers have died from COVID-19 – about 40% of the nation’s death toll. While most of the national focus right now is on how to help long-term care communities develop better testing strategies and infection control procedures, attention should also be paid to how to develop preventive therapies and vaccines for the people working in these settings. It is also vital that we support the emotional well-being of these individuals who have endured risk, stress, and in many cases witnessed the sickness and death of community residents who they may have known and cared for over many years.
The HERO Registry offers people working in long-term care communities an opportunity to participate in research that saves lives. Whether it’s answering surveys online or volunteering for a randomized controlled trial, these workers can help get the evidence we all need to navigate out of this pandemic and beyond. Furthermore, by adding their voices to the HERO community, they can push forward concerns and potential solutions to local and national leaders across healthcare and government.
Are you working in a long-term care community? Join the registry today and consider sharing your story.