State officials recently updated nursing home visitation guidance issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services. There is no substitute for physical contact, such as the warm embrace between a resident and a loved one. Therefore, if the resident is fully vaccinated, they can choose to have close contact, including touch, with their visitor while wearing a well-fitted mask. Visitors should physically distance from other residents and staff in the facility.
All long-term care facilities in Pennsylvania are encouraged to implement the new guidance immediately.
“We understand how difficult this past year has been on families and nursing home residents,” said Acting Secretary of Health Alison Beam. “This newly updated guidance is an important step as we continue to care for and protect the physical and mental health of our most vulnerable residents.”
The guidance also states that facilities should allow responsible indoor visitation at all times for all residents, regardless of vaccination status of the resident or visitor, unless certain scenarios arise that would limit visitation for:
– Unvaccinated residents, if the COVID-19 county positivity rate is greater than 10 percent and less than 70 percent of residents in the facility are fully vaccinated
– Residents with confirmed COVID-19 infection, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, until they have met the criteria to discontinue transmission-based precautions
– Residents in quarantine, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, until they have met criteria for release from quarantine
The updated guidance also emphasizes that “compassionate care” visits, such as an end-of-life situation or a resident in decline or distress, should be allowed at all times, regardless of a resident’s vaccination status, the county’s COVID-19 positivity rate or an outbreak.
“The restrictions on visitations in long-term care facilities during the past year have been extremely difficult for residents, their families and friends. This human interaction and engagement is such a major and much-missed part of life, especially since these connections provide critical support for the physical, mental and emotional wellbeing of older adults,” said Aging Secretary Robert Torres. “The resumption of visitations, with the exercise of great care and caution, will finally provide much-needed relief and hope for long-term care residents and their loved ones.”
