ALEXANDRIA, Va. — Argentum, an Alexandria-based national association serving senior living providers, has called for transparency in COVID-19 reporting among the states.
“Since the beginning of the pandemic, we’ve been encouraging openness and transparency in reporting among our members and have shared our guidance on reporting and leadership communication,” says James Balda, Argentum president & CEO.
A recent survey of Argentum’s members showed that 100 percent of respondents that had COVID-19 positive cases in their communities were reporting data to state agencies, families, staff and residents. In addition, nearly half were sharing updated COVID-19 data publicly.
“We grieve with those who have experienced tremendous loss from COVID-19, but we are pleased to see these results and encourage Argentum members to continue taking the important steps to report and communicate cases,” says Balda. “We are, however, seeing discrepancies in how and which states across the country are publicly reporting data, and we are asking the states to offer full transparency. Not only is it important to maintaining trust and integrity, it’s also the right thing to do.”
The number of recoveries from COVID-19 is one of the most critical data points being omitted from most state reporting, according to Argentum. Reporting recoveries, along with positive cases and fatalities among residents and staff, will provide a broader understanding of COVID-19’s full impact across the senior living industry.
“There are a significant number of residents and staff recovering from COVID-19 in senior living communities who are continuing to live healthy, fulfilling lives,” says Balda. “It’s important that we continue to see accurate and complete data reported so it can inform critical decisions now and as we continue to fight the pandemic.”