HARTFORD, Conn — Question:
Yvonne wrote to FOX 61, “Any updates on the opening of nursing homes or some plan on visiting the patients inside? The outside visits are okay but not the same. My mother is in a nursing home and her mental status has gone downhill.”
Answer:
Nursing home visitations were placed on hold during the early days of the pandemic, putting a strain on residents and their loved ones. In March, the state suspended visitors, and in May, only limited outdoor visits were allowed.
Governor Ned Lamont acknowledged how difficult it’s been with restrictions on nursing home visitations and said Connecticut is trying to make it easier for people to see loved ones in nursing homes.
“Facilities will create their own visitation plans, but most importantly, spend a little more with a loved one there as necessary. Compassionate care, somebody there in the room, that’s a real need. We’re making sure that’s available. And also it promotes emotional health well-being,” said Gov. Lamont.
New guidelines are now in place for facilities that have been COVID-19 free for 14 days. Those guidelines talk about the frequency of visits, how long they are, and where they can occur.
To view detailed guidelines, click here.
“This is a policy that’s not for every resident of the nursing facility, but it does impact the general way that nursing homes are handling the visit,” said Deidre Gifford, Acting Commissioner of the Department of Public Health.