A NIC report to provide insight into COVID-19 among current residents and to more clearly understand existing conditions by care setting.
NIC’s monthly Executive Survey Insights: COVID-19 of seniors housing and skilled nursing operators is designed to bring awareness to the operators, their capital providers and business partners, and the general public, on the current COVID-19 penetration rates by care segment. Providing data on current penetration rates gives perspective on how the sector has adapted in the four months since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic. Providing data by care segment enables insights into how COVID-19 has impacted the different populations in each segment, which vary substantially in levels of health.
Wave 2 of the survey includes responses collected July 6-July 19, 2020 from owners and executives of 52 seniors housing and skilled nursing operators from across the nation. Detailed reports for this wave, along with past survey findings can be found on the NIC COVID-19 Resource Center webpage under Executive Survey Insights.
Summary of Findings of Staff and Residents in Place on June 30, 2020
Data collected in a survey of seniors housing and care operators by the National Investment Center for Seniors Housing & Care (NIC), shows operator average COVID-19 penetration varies by care setting among current residents, ranging from 0.4% in independent living, 2.9% in assisted living, and 3.9% in memory care. As was the case with Wave 1, operator average COVID-19 penetration rates were lowest in the least acute care setting of independent living and increased with acuity. Due to sample size limitations, operator averages for nursing care have not been included.
Wave 2 data shows higher COVID-19 testing across all care segments, with an operator average ranging from 18.5% in independent living up to 45.7% in memory care. Survey findings also show an operator average of 78.5% of community staff in place on June 30, 2020, regardless of care setting, had been tested for COVID-19.
Key Findings
Testing and Current Penetration of COVID-19 by Care Segment
Respondents were asked: “Distributed into the following categories, the total number of my organization’s (independent living, assisted living, memory care, nursing care) residents were: 1) Tested for COVID-19 with a PCR test, 2) Laboratory confirmed positive PCR test, and 3) Suspected COVID-19”
Testing and Current Penetration of COVID-19 Among Community Staff
Respondents were asked: “Distributed into the following categories, the total number of my organization’s staff were: 1) Tested for COVID-19 with a PCR test, 2) Laboratory confirmed positive PCR test, and 3) Suspected COVID-19”
Demographics
Methodology
Answering on behalf of their organizations, seniors housing and care owners and executives provided the COVID-19 incidence data shown above. The data is self-reported, non-validated, and based on a convenience sample.
Data is reported as operator averages to prevent the skewing of data that can be caused by larger-sized operators. Operator averages are obtained by first calculating rates for each operator survey response and then taking an average of those rates across the sample.
Definitions
The following definitions were included with the survey instructions to ascertain specific responses from operators:
NIC wishes to thank survey respondents for their valuable input and continuing support for this effort to bring clarity and transparency into the seniors housing and care space.
If you are an owner or C-suite executive of seniors housing and care properties and have not received an email invitation but would like to participate in the current Executive Survey, please click here for the current online questionnaire.