Brain Waves: UAB TBI Model System Newsletter Volume 18 | Number 1 | Page 3

TBI INFORMATION SPOTLIGHT
COVID-19
The Research & Training Center
on Disability in Rural Communities
(RTC:Rural) is part of the Rural
Institute for Inclusive Communities
at the University of Montana. We
are funded by National Institute on
Disability, Independent Living and
Rehabilitation Research (NIDILRR).
RTC:Rural has been working
to share relevant research and
information about how the COVID-19
pandemic is, and will continue, to
impact people with disabilities. Find
a curated list of our COVID-19 posts
here:
Skilled Nursing Facilities in Rural
Communities: Opportunities for
partnering on COVID-19 response
efforts
Nearly one-third of skilled nursing
facilities are located in rural counties.
The Centers for Medicaid and
Medicare Services and the Centers
for Disease Control and Prevention
have released guidance for
COVID-19 prevention and response
that rural communities can use to
address the needs of institutionalized
people with disabilities. Guest blog
post by Dr. Meg Ann Traci, RTC:Rural
Knowledge Broker.
COVID-19: An increased threat to
people with disabilities living in rural
institutions
Because people living in
institutional settings are more likely
to report disabilities than the general
population and these settings are
not evenly distributed between urban
and rural areas across the U.S.,
rural people with disabilities have
a lot at stake in efforts to address
the pandemic and outbreaks in
institutional settings. Guest blog post
by Dr. Meg Ann Traci, RTC:Rural
Knowledge Broker.
RTC:Rural research shows
higher risks for rural people during
COVID-19
Rural people with disabilities face
many barriers to accessing health
care, particularly Intensive Care
Units and hospital beds. Hospital
capacity varies greatly, as does
the prevalence of people with
disabilities. Typically, there are fewer
hospital beds and higher rates of
disability in rural places than urban
ones. Project Director Lillie Greiman
discusses some of these barriers in a
recent Public News Service article.
Recognizing people with
disabilities in the COVID-19
pandemic
To assess the impact of COVID
on people with disabilities and their
needs, it’s important to understand
the prevalence of disability by the
functional limitations of people living
with disabilities experience in their
communities.
The Administration for Community
Living (ACL) has updated its
information resource page, What
Do Older Adults and People
with Disabilities Need to Know
About Coronavirus Disease 2019
(COVID-19)? The page describes
actions that everyone can take to
prevent the spread of COVID-19,
frequently asked questions
on several programs for older
Americans, guidance on home and
community based services and
nursing home visitation, guidance
for organizations to prepare for an
outbreak, and a link to a Spanishlanguage
version. ACL will continue
to update this page as new guidance
on prevention, testing, and treatment
is issued. Individuals can also
subscribe to ACL Updates for email
alerts of new information.
All guidelines are posted, but ACL
offers some additional things people
with disabilities can do to prepare
during the COVID-19 outbreak:
• Plan what you will do if you or
your direct support provider
gets sick. Create a contact list
of family, friends, neighbors
and local service agencies
that can provide support
in case you or your direct
support provider becomes ill
or unavailable.
• Plan at least two ways of
communicating from home and
work that can be used rapidly
in an emergency (e.g., landline
phone, cell phone, textmessaging,
email). Write down
this information and keep it
with you.
• Have enough household items
and groceries so that you will
be comfortable staying home
for a few weeks, at least a 30-
day supply of over the counter
and prescription medicines
and any medical equipment or
supplies that you might need.
Some health plans allow for
a 90-day refill on prescription
medications. Consider
discussing this option with
your healthcare provider. Make
a photocopy of prescriptions,
as this may help in obtaining
medications in an emergency
situation
ACL also provides resources in
other important areas.
• Learning about COVID-19
• Staying Connected and Engaged
• Following your state’s guidance
• Resources for organizations that
serve older adults and people
with disabilities
• Protecting civil rights
• Protecting Personal Finances
• For Medicare, Medicaid, Social
Security and SSI beneficiaries
• Resources for veterans
Resources for families
• The Family Caregiver Alliance is
collecting COVID-19 resources
and articles for family caregivers.
• The ARCH National Respite
Network and Resource Center is
collecting resources on respite in
the time of COVID-19.
• The Caregiver Action Network
has developed a resource,
Tips for Family Caregivers and
COVID-19.
4 uab.edu/tbi