Identifying Predictors of COVID-19 and Associated Risk Factors in Long-term Care and Retirement Homes using Facility Administrative Data

Older adults are most vulnerable to developing complications from COVID-19 leading to hospitalization or death. Among older adults, the COVID pandemic has had a profound impact on long-term care/nursing home residents who account for 60% of all COVID related deaths in Canada, and internationally. By virtue of living in congregate settings nursing home residents are more likely to contract COVID, and the underlying medical conditions that cause them to need nursing care make them particularly susceptible to COVID complications. This context requires knowledge of both i) individual-level chronic conditions, cognitive and physical impairments, and age-related disabilities, and ii) home-level factors including the physical environment, and staffing levels and mix. Moreover, individual- and home-level characteristics interact and must be studied jointly to understand, and reduce, COVID infections and complications. To date, these forces affecting resident vulnerability have not been addressed jointly.