James Balda, president and CEO, Argentum, and David Schless, president of American Seniors Housing Association, in an April 2 letter to Alex Azar, Health and Human Services Secretary, Alex Azar, the pair wrote: "Senior living providers are on the front lines of the COVID-19 public health emergency by caring for 1.9 million seniors living in the United States. The senior living community industry will have an adverse economic impact over the next 12 months of approximately $40 billion to $57 billion [resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic.]”
“The cost of maintaining high quality of care and high quality of life for senior living communities has increased up to 73% for senior living communities that remain free of COVID-19 and up to 103% for COVID-19 positive senior living communities,” Balda and Schless continued. “Further, on average, labor costs have increased up to 8% for senior living communities that remain COVID-19 free and up to 18% for COVID-19 positive senior living communities."