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CMS Updates Nursing Home Visitation Guidance

By Prime Care Tech Marketing on Sat, Mar 13, 2021 @ 10:00 AM

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:

Source: 1) NIC.org, Executive Survey - Wave 23 Summary of Insights and Findings (February 22 to March 7, 2021)
Topics: COVID-19 Visitation
2 min read

How is Vaccine Success Impacting Nursing Home Visits?

By Prime Care Tech Marketing on Sun, Mar 07, 2021 @ 09:55 AM

With the majority of nursing home residents now vaccinated, families are naturally asking 'When can we visit?' Though CMS has not updated requirements since September, vaccinations now put nursing homes in a better position to meet them. 

CMS Requirements for Visitation

[With the exception of compassionate care visitation]

CMS further stipulated:

  • Visitors adhere to core principles with staff monitoring
  • Visitors are limited per resident and by facility size with recommendations:
    • Scheduled
    • Maximum must not exceed 20% facility residents
  • Visitor movement is limited and kept to designated spaces, with outdoor preferred

States Reopening This Week

These recommendations reconsidered, we've seen states like Delaware, Ohio, Michigan, New York and Tennessee opening nursing homes this week. Delaware's policies seemed carefully thought out and perhaps offer a good starting point for others.

New York also added the requirement of testing within 72-hours of visit for those in counties with a 5-10% positivity rate. CMS also encourages testing in this scenario, as well as among those who visit as often as weekly.

Pressures from AARP

AARP joins families in pressing for visitation decisions from nursing homes, asking facilities to provide clear, advanced guidance to loved ones. Further, they ask virtual visits to be made a priority. 

Resources to Assist Nursing Homes with Visitation

Understanding your plates remain full, we've collected the following resources as quick reference or help.

Topics: SNF COVID-19 Visitation Vaccination

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