“What we’ve got here is a failure to communicate.”
That famous line from “Cool Hand Luke” wasn’t meant to describe the relationship between senior living operators and federal agencies, but it fits all too well this week.
In the first days of the Trump administration, federal health agencies, including the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, were instructed to halt all external communications. Websites and data feeds for many agencies went partially dark between Monday and Tuesday, leaving critical resources inaccessible. The CMS newsroom, for instance, removed all posts except for a news roundup from Jan. 10.
The Washington Post reported late Tuesday that the administration had directed agencies to “pause all external communications, such as health advisories, weekly scientific reports, updates to websites, and social media posts.” Among the immediate impacts was the disappearance of key data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s National Healthcare Safety Network, a vital tool for tracking COVID-19 cases in skilled care settings. Where actionable charts once guided infection preventionists, error messages now sit in their place.
Senior living operators don’t just consume public health data — they depend on it to shape infection prevention and control measures, monitor vaccination progress, prepare for emerging threats and guide caregiving practices. This pause leaves operators flying blind.
To be fair, a presidential transition often brings reviews and changes to federal communication strategies. But the breadth and opacity of this particular pause are unusual — and dangerous. The public health community, including senior living operators, relies on steady, reliable information to guide decisions that impact lives.
This is not about sounding an alarm but about recognizing a clear and present risk. Communication delays may seem abstract at first, but their real-world implications — higher infection rates, missed vaccination targets, regulatory confusion and compromised care — can’t be ignored.
This would be a good time for senior living operators to speak up. Trade associations, advocacy groups and individual leaders in the sector must push for transparency and a swift resolution to this communication freeze. Public health agencies, for their part, must recognize that clear, consistent communication isn’t just a courtesy — it’s a lifeline for those responsible for the care and safety of millions of older Americans. The channels that have gone dark must be turned back on. Anything less would put senior living communities — and the vulnerable residents they serve — at unnecessary and avoidable risk.
John O’Connor is editorial director for McKnight’s Senior Living and its sister media brands, McKnight’s Long-Term Care News, which focuses on skilled nursing, and McKnight’s Home Care. Read more of his columns here.
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