Congress should provide at least $100 billion in funding for long-term care facilities, vaccination priority to residents and staff and financial support for testing, a national nursing home group on Wednesday said. 

The American Health Care Association and the National Center for Assisted Living wanted the aid package included in the next stimulus legislation, which is still under negotiations in Washington. 

Without replenishing funds for federal and state agencies, health care facilities, including nursing homes and assisted living communities, could find themselves less than completely prepared for the challenges of the upcoming cold and flu season, which could inevitably result in an uptick in new COVID cases," said the group's CEO and president, Mark Parkinson. 

Nursing homes were especially hard hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with at least 6,300 residents in New York dying from the virus. Congregate care facilities are especially vulnerable to the fast spread of COVID-19, especially among patients who are older. 

Congress earlier in the year provided temporary funding for long-term care facilities to manage the virus. But the concerns over another spike in cases in the cold weather months could also put nursing homes once again at risk.