New Hampshire nursing homes have reduced their COVID-19 infection rates and are preparing to allow in-person visits. Considering a report from the Kaiser Family Foundation that almost 80% of the deaths occurring in New Hampshire from the virus were among residents in long-term care facilities, the AARP state director responded to this lifting of non-visitation rules by suggesting some things for caregivers and potential visitors to consider and some questions that should be asked in preparation for the visits.
The director issued this statement, “We really want people to understand some questions they can ask … to empower themselves, to care for their loved ones, and to frankly be mindful of the staff, too, in these facilities.”
Regarding caregivers, the director suggested that they can be better prepared for in-person visits by inquiring of their facility’s administration about what steps are to be taken to ensure that it is safe to allow visits from all perspectives: residents, visitors, and staff members.
A first step suggested was to determine if the facility is following the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) guidelines covering visits in long-term facilities. Realizing that facilities will have differing plans for the location for visits and the number of visitors allowed, these other questions are appropriate to have answered:
- What are the requirements for visitor health checks?
- What kind of personal protective equipment (PPE) is to be worn?
- What are the distancing rules?
- Are there restrictions on how long a visit can last?
The director noted that AARP has more tips for visiting in nursing homes. That information may be found at: https://states.aarp.org/new-hampshire/
Compliance Perspective
Facilities preparing to lift the “no-visitation” rules that have been in effect due to the COVID-19 outbreak should consider all the risk factors and carefully adhere to the guidelines provided by CMS and CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) for minimizing the consequences that allowing visitors back into the facility may create for residents, visitors, and staff members.
Discussion Points:
- Review policies and procedures regarding state and federal guidelines to help prevent the spread of COVID-19, using the CMS publication titled, “Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Nursing Home Visitation” which can be viewed at: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/covid-visitation-nursing-home-residents.pdf
- Train staff members regarding CMS and CDC guidelines for resuming visitation, including how to confront situations that may occur where visitors do not follow the facility’s guidelines regarding masks, social distancing, number of visitors, time limits, and more.
- Periodically audit to ensure that residents, visitors, and staff follow both state and federal guidelines regarding the lifting of the “no visitation” rules.
