Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
CMS relaxes visitor restrictions at long term care facilities
Just in time for the holidays, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recently released new guidelines for nursing homes, allowing the Lutheran Home of the Good Shepherd (LHGS) in New Rockford to remove nearly all limitations for visits at their facility.
According to the new CMS guidelines released on Nov. 12, visitation at nursing homes must be available at all times, and for all residents “as permitted under the regulations.” Advance scheduling of visits, limiting the number of visitors, and limiting the length and frequency of visits is no longer permitted.
Additionally, visitation must still be allowed even if nursing homes are experiencing an outbreak of COVID-19 within their facility. Simply put, so long as you aren’t COVID positive or under quarantine, you can visit your loved one at the LHGS whenever you want.
Not everything is back to normal, however. According to LHGS Administrator Kim Jensrud, screening is still necessary for anyone entering the building, and masks and physical distancing are still required. But once cleared at the entrance, visitors are free to visit loved ones as often and for as long as they like.
“They recommend only having small groups in a room because they want you to be able to keep six feet of distance in the room,” said Jensrud, as she further explained the new guidelines. “So what we’re offering to the public is if they have a group of more than two people to let us know, and then we’ll accommodate them by giving them a bigger room to visit in, like our coffee shop or a theatre.”
Jensrud also described the new guidelines as unexpected and “sudden,” adding, “We never even dreamt that they’d come up with this.”
The CMS explained their sudden change in guidelines by citing high vaccination rates among nursing home residents, and increasing vaccination rates among staff. According to Jensrud, all but one of the residents at LHGS are vaccinated, and their staff have a 68 percent vaccination rate as of Friday, Nov. 19.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), much of the state is seeing an increase in COVID-19 positivity rates, including Eddy County. But should those numbers go down, requirements regarding masks could be eased. The CMS has also instructed nursing homes to avoid large gatherings, such as parties and other events.
For now, events within the LHGS are largely limited to the residents within their facility. According to Jensrud, residents will be able to watch local Christmas programs via live stream, and they are still hoping to have their Christmas hors d’oeuvre party with the residents and employees.
Residents are also looking forward to the outdoor carolers who stop by their facility, and employees will be participating in a tree decorating contest and secret santa exchange. This year’s theme is winter wonderland.
Thanks to the new guidelines, folks with loved ones at the LHGS are encouraged to drop by this holiday season and enjoy spending time with their family and friends. The LHGS recommends visiting from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., after which time the doors are locked unless visitors call in advance to ensure access.
