The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued new guidance for visitation in nursing homes during the COVID-19 public health emergency. The guidance below provides reasonable ways a nursing home can safely facilitate in-person visitation to address the psychosocial needs of residents.
Visitation can be conducted through different means based on a facility’s structure and residents’ needs, such as in resident rooms, dedicated visitation spaces, outdoors, and for circumstances beyond compassionate care situations.
Regardless of how visits are conducted, certain Core Principles of Infection Control must be maintained:
- Screen all who enter the facility for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 (e.g., temperature checks, questions or observations about signs or symptoms), and denial of entry of those with signs or symptoms
- Hand hygiene (use of alcohol-based hand rub is preferred)
- Face covering or mask
- Social distancing at least six feet between persons
- Instructional signage throughout the facility and proper visitor education on COVID-19 signs and symptoms, infection control precautions, other applicable facility practices (e.g., use of face covering or mask, specified entries, exits and routes to designated areas, hand hygiene)
- Clean and disinfect high frequency touched surfaces in the facility often, and designate visitation areas after each visit
- Appropriate staff use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- Effective cohorting of residents (e.g., separate areas dedicated to COVID-19 care)
- Resident and staff testing conducted as required in 42 CFR 483.80(h)
Guidance is provided for indoor, outdoor, and compassionate care situations.
Outdoor Visitation
Outdoor visits pose a lower risk of transmission due to increased space and airflow. Therefore, outdoor visitation is preferred, and all visits should be held outdoors whenever practicable.
Indoor Visitation
Should be accommodated and supported based on the following guidelines:
- No new onset of COVID-19 cases in the last 14 days and the facility is not currently conducting outbreak testing;
- Visitors adhere to the core principles and staff adherence;
- Limit the number of visitors per resident at one time and limit the total number of visitors in the facility at one time (based on the size of the building and physical space);
- Consider scheduling visits for a specified length of time to help ensure all residents are able to receive visitors; and
- Limit movement in the facility.
Facilities should use the COVID-19 county positivity rate, found on the COVID-19 Nursing Home Data site to determine how to facilitate indoor visitation:
Communal Activities and Dining
- While adhering to the core principles of COVID-19 infection prevention, communal activities and dining may occur.
- Residents may eat in the same room with social distancing (e.g., limited number of people at each table and with at least six feet between each person).
- Facilities should consider additional limitations based on status of COVID-19 infections in the facility.
- Additionally, group activities may also be facilitated (for residents who have fully recovered from COVID-19, and for those not in isolation for observation, or with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 status) with social distancing among residents, appropriate hand hygiene, and use of a face covering.
- Facilities may be able to offer a variety of activities while also taking necessary precautions.
- For example, book clubs, crafts, movies, exercise, and bingo are all activities that can be facilitated with alterations to adhere to the guidelines for preventing transmission.
For additional guidance concerning compassionate care visitations, refer to the full article here.
CLICK HERE to view the press release from CMS.
CLICK HERE to view the nursing home visitation guidance.