Centers of Medicare/Medicaid Services issue revised visitation options for senior living

Having the love and support of family is very important. The pandemic has left a toll on many residents of nursing facilities with them not being able to spend time with their families.

“It’s been a whole new game trying to figure out how to keep everyone happy, healthy and safe throughout this whole pandemic.”

With COVID-19 cases decreasing in the state, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has released new guidelines stating residents can have indoor and outdoor visits with loved ones. Meridian Living, an assisted living facility says some visitation guidelines have changed.

“We are allowed to have limited visitations inside--as long as we are not on a COVID outbreak. We are allowed to have visitors come in. We ask that visitors schedule their visitation--thirty minutes for your visit. Both the visitor and the resident must wear a mask.”

All residents are able to visit their loved ones inside or outdoors wearing a mask.

“We do have limited visitations inside, but we can also do those same limited visits outside too--making sure that the resident and visitor are both still socially distant. We make that we clean and sanitize everything after they’ve left.”

Page says residents are starting to get their joy back by seeing their families.

“Smiles have come back on the faces and you can really see that their has perked up. Everyone has been very patient, kind and understanding. We’re just so welcome to have a little activity back in our place.”

According to the CMS, outdoor and indoor visitations are allowed only if there hasn’t been no new onset of COVID-19 cases in the past 14 days and the facility is not conducting outbreak testing.