Strategies for Senior Housing Communities during COVID-19 from Coursera

SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, poses a high risk for senior housing communities and the people who live and work there. The COVID-19 response has largely focused on nursing homes, leaving independent living communities serving older adults in the United States with fragmented guidance on how to respond to COVID-19 challenges. This course provides comprehensive instruction and resources for property owners and managers, senior housing staff, service coordinators and providers, community housing leaders, and other senior housing stakeholders to build upon their emergency preparedness and response strategies related to COVID-19. The course lectures, interviews, and assignments are largely geared toward federally-subsidized, multifamily senior housing providers, but the material is relevant for all senior housing providers.

Learners will hear from experts about best practices to prevent COVID-19 outbreaks and promote well-being. Topics discussed include unique challenges for senior housing communities, development of emergency preparedness plans, outbreak prevention, and coronavirus-adapted housing operations. The course also covers strategies for communicating with stakeholders, promoting pandemic-safe behavior on site, and leveraging health departments and other agency resources, including a collection of resources for COVID-19 vaccination guidance. Learners are encouraged to concurrently develop and enhance their own community’s policies, procedures, and practices.

This course was developed in partnership with the Baltimore City Health Department.

What's inside

Syllabus

COVID-19 Background and Senior Housing Challenges

This module provides a foundational understanding of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19), challenges specific to Senior Housing communities, and how to structure your pandemic emergency preparedness response strategies.

Traffic lights

Read about what's good

what should give you pause

and possible dealbreakers

Develops practices to reduce COVID-19 transmission in senior housing communities, which is relevant to health care professionals

Discusses challenges specific to Senior Housing communities, which is relevant to senior housing providers

Provides resources about COVID-19 vaccinations, distribution, and messaging

Offers guidance on promoting pandemic-safe behavior on site

Promotes well-being among staff and residents during this time

Taught by experts in infection prevention, senior housing operations, and mental health

Reviews summary

Practical covid-19 strategies for senior housing

According to students, this course provides practical and comprehensive strategies for senior housing communities navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. Learners highlight its expert-led content from Johns Hopkins University and the Baltimore City Health Department, offering timely and actionable advice on outbreak prevention, operations, and mental health. While primarily geared towards federally-subsidized multifamily providers, students found the information broadly applicable and essential for enhancing emergency preparedness. It offers valuable resources, including vaccination guidance, making it a critical resource for stakeholders.

Primarily designed for federally-subsidized multifamily providers.

"While largely for federally-subsidized providers, I still found it broadly applicable to my community."

"I noted the focus on specific housing types, but the core principles translated well."

"My community isn't federally-subsidized, but I could still adapt most of the guidance provided."

Provides a wide range of topics essential for pandemic response.

"The course was very comprehensive, addressing everything from infection prevention to mental well-being."

"I appreciated the modules on senior housing operations and communication strategies with stakeholders."

"It truly covered the unique challenges for senior housing communities during COVID-19."

Benefits from insights provided by health experts and institutions.

"The interviews with experts were particularly insightful and added credibility to the material."

"It's great to learn from Johns Hopkins University and the Baltimore City Health Department."

"I found the advice on leveraging health departments and other agency resources very valuable."

Offers immediately applicable strategies for managing COVID-19 challenges.

"I gained practical tools and strategies that I could apply immediately to my work."

"This course provided me with actionable insights on outbreak prevention and operations."

"The guidance here is very helpful for enhancing our community's policies and procedures."

Addresses an urgent and critical need during the COVID-19 pandemic.

"This course is extremely timely and relevant for anyone working in senior housing today."

"The information on COVID-19 vaccination guidance was very useful given current events and needs."

"I found the course helped me navigate the challenges of the pandemic with more confidence."

Activities

Be better prepared before your course. Deepen your understanding during and after it. Supplement your coursework and achieve mastery of the topics covered in Strategies for Senior Housing Communities during COVID-19 with these activities:

Test basic concepts you may have forgotten

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Reviewing basic concepts you may have forgotten will help familiarize you with the topic of the course.

Browse courses on COVID-19

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Look over chapters in any relevant textbooks you may have
Go through your notes from previous relevant courses

Practice developing a communication plan for a COVID-19 outbreak

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Practicing developing a communication plan for a COVID-19 outbreak will help you prepare for a real-world scenario.

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Identify the key stakeholders who need to be included in the communication plan
Develop a plan for how to communicate with each stakeholder group
Create a template for communication materials
Practice delivering the communication plan to a group of people

Show all two activities

Career center

Learners who complete Strategies for Senior Housing Communities during COVID-19 will develop knowledge and skills that may be useful to these careers:

Health Director

Health Directors are responsible for developing and implementing policies, programs, and services that promote and protect the health of a particular population. If you are taking this course with the intent to manage senior housing facilities, you may find it helpful to learn about strategies for preventing and responding to pandemics and addressing the unique health challenges of senior citizens in order to fit into this role. This course can help you build a foundation in the best practices for outbreak prevention and pandemic response, as well as communication strategies and fostering collaboration with health departments.

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Nursing Home Administrator

Nursing Home Administrators plan, direct, and coordinate healthcare and other resident care services in nursing homes and other long-term healthcare facilities. If you are interested in managing a facility that provides housing and care to senior citizens, you may find this course helpful since it covers infection prevention, senior housing operations, and promoting mental health and wellbeing during a pandemic. These are topics that you will likely encounter throughout your career as a Nursing Home Administrator.

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Health Program Manager

Health Program Managers direct and manage healthcare programs in a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, and community organizations. If you are interested in designing, managing, and evaluating health programs that specifically address the needs of senior citizens, you will likely find this course helpful. This course can help you build a foundation in the unique challenges faced by senior housing facilities, as well as best practices for outbreak prevention, pandemic response, and promoting well-being.

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Epidemiologist

Epidemiologists investigate patterns and causes of disease and other health problems in order to develop and implement public health programs. If you are interested in researching and controlling the spread of infectious diseases, you will likely find this course helpful. This course can help you build a foundation in the best practices for outbreak prevention, pandemic response, and communication strategies, especially within the context of senior housing facilities.

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Infection Control Nurse

Infection Control Nurses develop and implement infection prevention and control programs in healthcare settings. If you are interested in working in a healthcare setting to prevent and control the spread of infection, you may find this course helpful. This course can help you build a foundation in the best practices for infection prevention, outbreak prevention, and pandemic response, which are all important topics for Infection Control Nurses to be familiar with.

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Public Health Nurse

Public Health Nurses provide healthcare and health education to individuals, families, and communities to prevent disease, promote health, and improve quality of life. If you are interested in working in a community-based setting to improve the health of senior citizens, you may find this course helpful. This course can help you build a foundation in the unique challenges faced by senior housing facilities, as well as best practices for outbreak prevention, pandemic response, and promoting well-being.

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Environmental Health Specialist

Environmental Health Specialists conduct inspections and investigations to identify and control environmental health hazards. If you are interested in working to improve the environmental health of senior housing facilities, you may find this course helpful. This course can help you build a foundation in the best practices for infection prevention, outbreak prevention, and pandemic response, as well as strategies for promoting mental health and well-being.

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Disaster Relief Specialist

Disaster Relief Specialists are responsible for planning, coordinating, and implementing disaster relief and recovery efforts. If you are interested in working in disaster relief and response, you may find this course helpful. This course can help you build a foundation in the best practices for outbreak prevention, pandemic response, and communication strategies, especially within the context of senior housing facilities.

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Health Educator

Health Educators develop and implement educational programs to promote health and prevent disease. If you are interested in working in health education and promotion, you may find this course helpful. This course can help you build a foundation in the best practices for outbreak prevention, pandemic response, and promoting mental health and well-being, especially within the context of senior housing facilities.

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Social Work Case Manager

Social Work Case Managers provide case management services to individuals and families who are facing challenges, such as poverty, homelessness, or mental illness. If you are interested in providing social and support services to senior citizens, you may find this course helpful. This course can help you build a foundation in the unique challenges faced by senior housing facilities, as well as best practices for outbreak prevention, pandemic response, and promoting well-being.

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Geriatric Social Worker

Geriatric Social Workers provide social and support services to older adults and their families. If you are interested in providing social and support services to senior citizens, you may find this course helpful. This course can help you build a foundation in the unique challenges faced by senior housing facilities, as well as best practices for outbreak prevention, pandemic response, and promoting well-being.

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Recreational Therapist

Recreational Therapists use recreational activities to help people with disabilities or illnesses improve their physical, cognitive, and emotional well-being. If you are interested in working in recreation therapy, you may find this course helpful. This course can help you build a foundation in the best practices for outbreak prevention, pandemic response, and promoting mental health and well-being, especially within the context of senior housing facilities.

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Occupational Therapist

Occupational Therapists help people with disabilities or injuries to improve their ability to perform everyday tasks. If you are interested in working in occupational therapy, you may find this course helpful. This course can help you build a foundation in the best practices for outbreak prevention, pandemic response, and promoting mental health and well-being, especially within the context of senior housing facilities.

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Registered Nurse

Registered Nurses provide a variety of healthcare services to patients in a variety of settings, including hospitals, clinics, and long-term care facilities. If you are interested in working as a nurse in a senior housing facility, you may find this course helpful. This course can help you build a foundation in the best practices for infection prevention, outbreak prevention, and pandemic response, as well as strategies for promoting mental health and well-being.

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Licensed Practical Nurse

Licensed Practical Nurses provide basic nursing care to patients under the supervision of a Registered Nurse. If you are interested in working as a nurse in a senior housing facility, you may find this course helpful. This course can help you build a foundation in the best practices for infection prevention, outbreak prevention, and pandemic response, as well as strategies for promoting mental health and well-being.

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