Latest Guidance for Visitors During COVID-19
Our federal governing body, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), has issued the following guidelines regarding visitation in nursing homes. These guidelines are in effect for all visitors, regardless of vaccination status:
- Outdoor visits are preferred as much as possible, as they generally pose a lower risk of virus transmission because of the increased space and airflow. We do understand outdoor visits may not always be possible in the case of bad weather and other factors.
- Visitors are still required to wear a mask over their nose and mouth at all times and encouraged to maintain social distancing.
- Indoor visits are allowed for all residents.
For all visits, we ask that visitors abide by the following CMS-issued guidelines:
- Completion of Covid-19 symptom screening immediately upon entry to the building
- Wearing a well-fitting mask over the mouth and nose at all times
- Please go straight to the designated visitation area and then to the exit when your visit has ended
- Maintain social distance of at least 6 feet between your loved one as well as all other residents
- Fully vaccinated residents may choose to have close contact, including touch, with their loved one
- Perform hand hygiene when entering and exiting the building
To maintain social distancing and infection protocols, we are limiting the number of people visiting a resident to two at a time for indoor visits, and four at a time for outdoor visits. Additionally, we request that you make appointments with facility staff before your visit.
These visitation guidelines will change if a staff member or facility resident tests positive for COVID-19. In that case, visits will be limited to the unaffected area of the building. In any case that multiple areas of the building are affected, indoor visits will be suspended until the facility meets the requirements to come out of quarantine.
We appreciate everyone’s support, understanding and patience!
