AUSTIN — The state is expanding visitation at nursing homes, allowing fully vaccinated residents to have close contact with loved ones.
The Texas Department of Health and Human Services laid out the new guidelines Tuesday.
“Safely visiting with family and friends is vital to the mental health and well-being of long-term care residents,” said Victoria Ford, the department’s chief policy and regulatory officer. “We are so pleased these new rules will allow residents to enjoy in-person visits with a wider circle of loved ones.”
The changes come a year into the COVID-19 pandemic, which hit senior-living facilities especially hard.
Initially, the state closed nursing homes to visitors in an effort to slow the virus’s spread. But the facilities were allowed to begin reopening last summer, amid concerns about the mental health of residents who had been isolated from friends and family for months.
Under the new rules, nursing homes do not have to request permission from the state to have visitation. Indoor visits no longer need to be conducted with a plexiglass divider and there is no time limit, the state guidance says. People still have to wear masks and follow other safety precautions.
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Under rules that were in effect before Tuesday, only about half of facilities had approval for visitation, said Amanda Fredriksen, associate state director of outreach and advocacy for AARP Texas.
“It’s been a frustration that many facilities have moved really slowly to open,” she said. “While we understand why folks may be apprehensive about not getting anyone sick or exposed, at the same time they have been given substantial resources, in the billions of dollars, to pay for [protective equipment], staffing and testing.”
The state made other changes, allowing a resident’s two chosen “essential caregivers” to visit at the same time. They no longer need to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test before entering.
Kevin Warren, president and CEO of the Texas Health Care Association, said that provision raises some concerns because “health and safety of residents remains the priority and the responsibility.”
Overall, he said, in-person visits between family and residents are “a critical aspect of patient health, so this is very good news to see that move forward.”
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March 24, 2021 at 08:22AM
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