NEW ANNOUNCEMENT REGARDING ON-SITE VISITATIONS AT OUR CENTER
May 11, 2023
Visitation Guidelines
Visitation is critical to the well-being of residents, families, and staff. Visitation will be available at all times. There are no limits to the frequency or length of the visits, the number of visitors, and will not require any advanced scheduling. Visitation will continue regardless of the Center’s outbreak status or a residents’ transmission-based precautions.
Visitation can be conducted through different means based on a center’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, there are certain core principles and best practices that reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission.
Core Principles of COVID-19 Infection Prevention
Indoor Visitation
Although there is no limit on the number of visitors that a resident can have at one time, visits should be conducted in a manner that adheres to the core principles of COVID-19 infection prevention and does not increase risk to other residents. Centers should ensure that physical distancing can still be maintained during peak times of visitation (e.g., mealtime, after business hours, etc.). Also, centers should avoid large gatherings (e.g., parties, events) where large numbers of visitors are in the same space at the same time and physical distancing cannot be maintained.
Indoor Visitation during an Outbreak Investigation
While it is safer for visitors not to enter the center during an outbreak investigation, visitors must still be allowed in the center. Visitors should be made aware of the potential risk of visiting during an outbreak investigation and adhere to the core principles of infection prevention. If residents or their representative would like to have a visit during an outbreak investigation, they should wear face coverings or masks during visits, and visits should ideally occur in the resident’s room. Centers may contact their local health authorities for guidance or direction on how to structure their visitation to reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission during an outbreak investigation.
Outdoor Visitation
While taking a person-centered approach and adhering to the core principles of COVID-19 infection prevention, Outdoor visits generally pose a lower risk of transmission due to increased space and airflow. For outdoor visits, centers should create accessible and safe outdoor spaces for visitation, such as in courtyards, patios, or parking lots, including the use of tents, if available. However, weather considerations (e.g., inclement weather, excessively hot or cold temperatures, poor air quality) or an individual resident’s health status (e.g., medical condition(s), COVID-19 status, quarantine status) may hinder outdoor visits. When conducting outdoor visitation, all appropriate infection control and prevention practices should be followed.
Visitor Testing and Vaccination
The center encourages and educates visitors about vaccination. Testing and vaccination are not required as a condition of visitation.
Responsibility: The Administrator is responsible for ensuring staff adhere to the guidelines.