CMS Updates Nursing Home Visitation Guidance

This week, The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), in collaboration with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated nursing home guidance on visitation. With roughly 80% of residents and 55% of staff fully vaccinated¹, they have okayed visitation unless nursing homes fall into these COVID-19 categories:

County positive is greater than 10% and less than 70% of residents vaccinated
There are confirmed resident infections
There are residents in quarantine

CMS also stressed the reminder to follow the Core Principles of COVID-19 Infection Control. Finally, CMS reiterated compassionate care visits should continue to be allowed under any circumstance.

What Constitutes Compassionate Care?

It is not just when a resident is in the last stages of life and can include situations where the resident is showing deterioration in mental health.

Resident was living with family before recent admission and struggling with the change.
Resident is grieving after a recently passed friend or family member.
Resident needs help and encouragement with eating or drinking and is experiencing weight loss or dehydration.
When a resident who used to talk to others, is experiencing emotional distress, seldom speaking, and crying frequently.

Just keep contact as limited as you can, and again, try to adhere to the Core Principles of COVID-19 Infection Control.

Resources to Assist Nursing Homes with Visitation

In case you missed them last week, again, here are resources to help: