TENNESSEE — The Tennessee Department of Health announced state-specific visitation restrictions for long-term care facilities will end effective Feb. 28.
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TDH said they recognize the challenges long-term care facilities, their residents, and the family members and caregivers have faced during the COVID-19 pandemic, a release stated.
As a result of the federal long-term care facility pharmacy partnership, 100% of Tennessee’s nursing homes and skilled nursing facilities have completed both doses of COVID-19 vaccinations, the release said. Meanwhile assisted care living facilities and residential homes for the aged are expected to be finished this week.
“The health and safety of vulnerable Tennesseans, especially our long-term care residents, remains our top priority, and our comprehensive and persistent efforts to protect this population from COVID-19 have saved lives,” said Tennessee Health Commissioner Lisa Piercey, MD, MBA, FAAP. “Now that vaccinations at all long-term care facilities are nearing completion, we are ready to transition to a more sustainable approach of following these best practices for safe operation of long-term care facilities in Tennessee.”
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Waving through windows or even hugging loved ones through plastic has been a reality for many, including Candace Gray and her family.
“You feel very helpless,” Gray said. “You feel you’re missing a connection.”
Gray’s uncle lives at the Graceland Rehabilitation and Nursing Center while her husband’s grandmother is at Ava Maria Home.
“We are very excited about it,” she said. “I can’t wait to get in there, get in his room. Make sure everything is okay. And with our grandma as well, it’s going to lighten the load a bit.”
Gray said they’ve been managing as best they can. They’ve brought balloons, gifts, and meals over for birthdays and holidays.
“It’s been tough for them,” she said. “They have to basically stay in their rooms. So we made sure that we just get like games and fun things for them to do on their own inside of their rooms.”
In just a few days, the feeling of being closed off can be replaced with a physical connection.
For Gray, it will mean a grandmother with dementia being met with love and an uncle excited to see her baby son Aiden.
“When we see grandma Hopkins she is probably going to say where you been? Why haven’t you been to see me,” she said. “We’ll have to try to explain to her. We’re gonna give her a huge hug and then uncle Ken, he has been waiting to see the baby. I can’t wait to let him hold Aiden again.”
MORE ON VISITATION:
Guidance for Visitation
The guidance issued by CMS provides reasonable ways a nursing home can safely facilitate in-person visits to address residents’ social and emotional needs. Certified Medicare and Medicaid facilities should continue to follow the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Visitation Guidance. Per this guidance, nursing homes may allow indoor visitation when there has been no new onset of COVID-19 cases in the last 14 days and the facility is not currently conducting outbreak testing.
Long-term care facilities licensed by the state, which include Tennessee assisted care living facilities, residential homes for the aged and any nursing home not certified by CMS, should reference industry best practices including CMS Visitation Guidance and review related laws and rules when developing their own facility-specific visitation policies and procedures.
The CMS guidance outlines how facilities may expand communal dining and other group activities, provided infection control policies are followed. Even as COVID-19 case counts decline, facilities should remain vigilant in monitoring for COVID-19 cases among residents and staff members through appropriate screening and testing. Facilities may test visitors, which is encouraged, but not required. Additional resources on infection control practices are available from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
The following resources are available for long-term care facilities when updating and developing their visitation policies and procedures.
CMS Visitation Guidance:
www.cms.gov/files/document/qso-20-39-nh.pdf
CDC Infection Control Resources:
www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/infection-control-recommendations.html
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