The Palms Assisted Living and Memory Care in La Quinta announced they would be allowing visitors to enter the facility for the first time in a year. They said they would follow the state’s guidelines and still take precautions but their residents are excited for visits that start next week.

Lisa Talley and her 90-year-old father Norman Edgmon have been visiting through a window and trying to make the most of the precious time they get together. But when they heard about the news they couldn’t wait to make plans and make up for lost time.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, CMS, and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDC issued new guidelines for nursing homes and long term care facilities to allow family and friends to visit.

Through a press release they urged facilities to roll out visits.

“CMS recognizes the psychological, emotional and physical toll that prolonged isolation and separation from family have taken on nursing home residents, and their families,” said Dr. Lee Fleisher, MD, CMS Chief Medical Officer and Director of CMS’ Center for Clinical Standards and Quality. “That is why, now that millions of vaccines have been administered to nursing home residents and staff, and the number of COVID cases in nursing homes has dropped significantly, CMS is updating its visitation guidance to bring more families together safely. This is an important step that we are taking, as we continue to emphasize the importance of maintaining infection prevention practices, given the continued risk of transmission of COVID-19.”

Their website includes the following recommendations to implement visitations:

Indoor Visitation

Facilities should allow responsible indoor visitation at all times and for all residents, regardless of vaccination status of the resident, or visitor, unless certain scenarios arise that would limit visitation for:
- Unvaccinated residents if; 1) the COVID-19 county positivity rate is greater than 10 percent; and 2) less than 70 percent of residents in the facility are fully vaccinated;
- Residents with confirmed COVID-19 infection, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated until they have met the criteria to discontinue transmission-based precautions; or
- Residents in quarantine, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, until they have met criteria for release from quarantine.

Indoor Visitation During an Outbreak

While outbreaks increase the risk of COVID-19 transmission, a facility should not restrict visitation for all residents as long as there is evidence that the transmission of COVID-19 is contained to a single area (e.g., unit) of the facility. Facilities should continue to adhere to CMS regulations and guidance for COVID-19 testing, including routine staff testing, testing of individuals with symptoms, and outbreak testing.

When a new case of COVID-19 among residents or staff is identified, a facility should immediately begin outbreak testing and suspend all visitation until at least one round of facility-wide testing is completed. Visitation can resume based on the following criteria:
- If the first round of outbreak testing reveals no additional COVID-19 cases in other areas (e.g., units) of the facility, then visitation can resume for residents in areas/units with no COVID-19 cases. However, the facility should suspend visitation on the affected unit until the facility meets the criteria to discontinue outbreak testing.
- If the first round of outbreak testing reveals one or more additional COVID-19 cases in other areas/units of the facility (e.g., new cases in two or more units), then facilities should suspend visitation for all residents (vaccinated and unvaccinated), until the facility meets the criteria to discontinue outbreak testing.

Compassionate Care Visits

Visits for compassionate care, such as an end-of-life situation or a residents in decline or distress should be allowed at all times for any resident (vaccinated or unvaccinated), regardless of the above scenarios. In addition, facilities and visitors should continue all infection prevention and control practices.

The California Department of Public Health issued the following guidelines:

General Visitation Guidance

Facilities shall conduct visitation through different means based on the facility’s structure and residents’ needs for circumstances beyond compassionate care situations, such as in resident rooms, dedicated visitation spaces, and outdoors; however, facilities must adhere to the core principles of COVID-19 infection prevention (PDF) at all times. Visitation must be person-centered, consider the residents’ physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being, and support their quality of life. LTC facilities must also enable visits to be conducted with an adequate degree of privacy and should be scheduled at times convenient to visitors (e.g., outside of regular work hours).

Any visitor entering the facility, regardless of their vaccination status, must adhere to the following:

Be screened for fever and COVID-19 symptoms, wear appropriate facial covering, and perform hand hygiene when in the facility
If personal protective equipment (PPE) is required for contact with the resident due to quarantine or COVID positive isolation status (including fully vaccinated visitors), it must be donned and doffed according to instruction by HCP
If a visitor has COVID-19 symptoms or has been in close contact with a confirmed positive case, they must reschedule their visit

Visitors who are unable to adhere to the core principles of COVID-19 infection prevention should not be permitted to visit or should be asked to leave.

Indoor, In-Room Visitation for Residents and Facilities Meeting Specific Criteria
Facilities shall allow indoor in-room visitation for:

Fully vaccinated residents (e.g., individual residents who are ≥2 weeks following receipt of the second dose in a 2-dose series, or ≥2 weeks following receipt of one dose of a single-dose vaccine) in “green” (unexposed or recovered) or “yellow” (exposed or observation status ) areas, regardless of the county tier (including Tier 1, Purple) under Blueprint for a Safer Economy
Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated residents in “green” (unexposed or recovered) or “yellow” (exposed or observation status) areas for facilities in Tier 2 (Red), 3 (Orange), or 4 (Yellow) counties

Indoor visitation shall meet the following conditions:

Visitors in Tier 1 (Purple) counties for fully vaccinated residents must test negative on a POC antigen or PCR test on a sample taken within the prior two days, regardless of the visitor’s vaccination status. Facilities may offer POC antigen testing. Fully vaccinated visitors of fully vaccinated residents may have brief, limited physical contact with the resident (e.g., a brief hug, holding hands, assisting with feeding or grooming)
All visitors and residents should wear appropriate facial covering during their visit and should maintain 6-ft physical distancing. Fully vaccinated visitors of fully vaccinated residents may have brief, limited physical contact with the resident (e.g., a brief hug, holding hands, assisting with feeding or grooming).
Visits for residents who share a room should be conducted in a separate indoor space or with the roommate not present in the room (if possible), regardless of the roommate’s vaccination status.
Full PPE must be worn for yellow zone visitation.

Continuing Outdoor and Large Indoor Communal Space Visitation Requirements

All facilities must continue to allow outdoor and communal space visitation options for all residents, regardless of vaccination status or the county tier.

Local Assisted Living Residents Excited About New Guidelines to Allow Visitors