For the Network

  1. Home
  2. Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)

coronavirus-19

Need help getting vaccinated?

Trained staff are standing by to help you find vaccine locations, make appointments, and connect to  local services and supports if you need them to access vaccines. They also can connect you to information to answer questions or concerns you may have about the vaccine. 

  • For people with disabilities: The Disability Information and Assistance Line (DIAL) can be reached by calling 888-677-1199 or by emailing DIAL@usaginganddisability.org at any time.

  • For older adults:  Call the Eldercare Locator at 800-677-1116 or visit the website to chat live or browse resources. 

Both phone lines are staffed Monday-Friday from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. (Eastern). Use this new infographic to help spread the word about DIAL. Find the latest vaccine-related information, guidance, and resources from ACL and our partners.

What's New (September 14 - September 24)

Here are the latest additions to this page. Sign up for ACL Updates to receive these and other updates via e-mail.

  • CDC recommends that older adults (65+), adult residents of long-term care facilities, and people aged 50–64 years with underlying medical conditions should receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 Vaccine at least 6 months after their second dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine. CDC also recommends that the following groups may receive a booster shot of Pfizer-BioNTech’s COVID-19 Vaccine at least 6 months after completing their Pfizer-BioNTech primary series: adults under 50 with underlying medical conditions and adults under 65 at increased risk for COVID-19 exposure and transmission because of occupational or institutional setting. (Posted September 24)

  • ACL has posted Frequently Asked Questions on COVID-19 Vaccine Access Funding for No Wrong Door Systems/Aging and Disability Resource Centers. (Posted September 24)

  • CMS is making it easier to check COVID-19 vaccination rates for nursing home staff and residents with a new feature on Medicare.gov's Care Compare tool. (Posted September 22)

  • The American Rescue Plan Act signed by President Biden in March provided $12.7 billion to increase access to home and community-based services for Medicaid beneficiaries. In May, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) provided states with guidance to receive the enhanced funding. On Thursday, September 30 from 3:00 - 4:30pm ET, ACL and CMS will host a webinar on ARPA Section 9817. The webinar will include presentations from Colorado and Massachusetts on innovative initiatives in their initial state spending plans. (Posted September 21)

  • CDC released materials to help parents or other caregivers of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD) navigate important conversations about COVID-19. CDC’s COVID-19 Materials for People with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities and Care Providers toolkit includes posters, fact sheets in multiple languages, web pages with answers to common questions, social stories, videos, and interactive activities. (Posted September 21)

  • On Thursday, September 30, 2021 at 11:00am ET, ACL, in partnership with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, the U.S. Department of Treasury and the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, will host a webinar to provide the tools and information you need to help the people you serve learn more about, and apply for, the Emergency Rental Assistance Program.  (Posted September 21)

  • Georgia Tech's Center for Inclusive Design and Innovation is offering braille resources. You can request resources to be mailed by filling out this form by September 30. Quantities are limited due to finite funding and braille resources can only be shipped to addresses within the United States. Georgia Tech has also added new ASL videos. (Posted September 20)

  • The Department of Housing and Urban Development has issued a statement affirming its commitment to use every tool at their disposal to help safeguard the millions of the nation’s individuals and families in danger of losing their homes In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision invalidating CDC's eviction moratorium. (Posted September 14)

  • To address COVID-19's dangerous health risks for people with IDD and the direct support workforce, the Institute on Community Integration is partnering with ARRM and the Association of University Centers on Disabilities on a series of public services announcements that encourage direct support workers and personal care attendants to get vaccinated. Watch the PSAs and spread the word. (Posted September 14).

Resources for people with COVID-related disabilities

On July 26, the White House published this comprehensive package of resources for people with disabilities, including people with COVID-related disabilities. We've created a page for these and other resources for people with COVID-related disabilities -- we'll add to it as more resources are available.

Additional recent additions

  • A recent ACL guest blog describes research on Training Volunteers to Support At-Risk Older Adults. This quote from the blog explains the importance of the work: "Older adults are at risk for social isolation and loneliness, which can lead to poor physical and mental health outcomes, including elevated risk of dementia, hopelessness, anxiety, and increased morbidity. These factors have only been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. However, the recent work of one ACL grantee shows one of the ways ACL’s networks can help combat the feelings of social isolation, loneliness, and elevated suicidality often experienced by older adults."  (Posted September 2)

  • The Social Security Administration (SSA) recently changed their rules about how pandemic-related financial assistance (including economic impact payments) can affect an individual’s eligibility for Supplemental Security Income (SSI) or their monthly SSI benefit amount. View a full list of COVID-19 financial assistance that no longer counts against SSI eligibility or SSI payment amount. ACL’s National Center on Law and Elder Rights (NCLER) has developed a “Practice Tip” with additional information on this change and its legal implications. (Posted April 25)

  • The NIDILRR-funded Collaborative on Health Reform and Independent Living has published a study, "Responding to the Needs of People with Disabilities in the COVID-19 Pandemic: Community Perspectives from Centers for Independent Living," in the Journal of Health Care for the Poor and Underserved. (Posted August 25)

  • The American Academy of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation (AAPM&R) has launched a dashboard that shows how many millions of Americans are estimated to be experiencing "long COVID" symptoms. The dashboard includes breakdowns by state and county. (Posted August 25)

  • To ensure Medicare beneficiaries who have difficulty leaving their homes or are otherwise hard-to-reach can receive COVID-19 vaccinations, CMS announced that health care providers can receive additional payments for administering vaccines to multiple residents in one home setting or communal setting of a home. This includes smaller group homes, assisted living facilities, and other group living situations. (Posted August 25)

  • CDC has released a toolkit to help you spread the word about their suite of COVID-19 materials—including posters, social stories, videos, and interactive activities—for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (IDD). (Posted August 24)

  • The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), is developing an emergency regulation requiring staff vaccinations within the nation’s more than 15,000 Medicare and Medicaid-participating nursing homes. (Posted August 24)

  • The Food and Drug Administration changed the status of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine from Emergency Use Authorization to Approved. In addition to first and second doses, the Approved status also applies to administration of a third dose in certain immunocompromised individuals. To read the FDA announcement, click HERE. (Posted August 23)

 

For Older Adults, People with Disabilities, Families, and Caregivers

  • Vaccine info
  • Staying safe
  • Your rights

Click here to learn more
Find resources on "Long COVID"

For the Aging and Disability Networks

  • ACL Program Guidance
  • Promising Practices: Innovative approaches that may work in your community
  • Guidance from other federal programs
Find more resources hereFind a listing of upcoming and archived webinars

Ensuring Equity and Inclusion

Resources for

  • State and local COVID-19 response planners
  • Healthcare professionals
  • Educators
  • Businesses
  • others who need to understand the needs and issues of older adults and people with disabilities

Click here to find more helpful tips


National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness

The National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness provides detailed information about the seven goals of Biden Administration's coordinated pandemic response. The 198-page strategy document begins with an overview of the goals, followed by details on a variety of topics, many of which intersect the core missions of the aging and disability networks. Among the topics covered are home and community based services, vaccination communication, impact on at-risk groups, equitable access to PPE, and community-based, multi-sector efforts to align health and social interventions. The strategy reflects the White House's priorities for addressing the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Follow your state's guidance

Decisions about community measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19, as well as vaccine prioritization and distribution, will be made by local and state officials, The links in this section will connect you to some state resources.

Links to state resources

Last modified on 09/27/2021


Back to Top