By Hellen Zaboulani
Nursing homes in New York State have suffered direly from the impact of the coronavirus – and not just from illness and death. Being near the epicenter and seeing the worst nursing home infection rates in the country, the state followed stringent measures limiting visitors. Nursing home residents and family members are longing to see one another, keenly aware of losing precious time together. Family members with loved ones in nursing homes are urging the state to relax the regulations.
As reported by the NY Post, less than 20 percent of New York’s nursing homes have reopened to visitors following the coronavirus crisis in which non-essential visits were barred. Only 117, of NYS’s 613 nursing homes, have now obtained approval from Gov. Andrew Cuomo’s state Health Department to accept outside visitors since July 15. To meet the reopening qualification and allow guests again, nursing home facilities must pass 28 days without recording a single positive case in either a resident or staff member. If someone tests positive, the nursing home resets back to day 1. The rule is now working as a barrier between elders and their frustrated relatives, who have not seen each other for the past four months.
“March was our last real visit. My family had two window visits in July and she cried when she saw us. This is so cruel to keep her from her husband and daughters and grandchildren,” Karen Skinner, 61, told The Post, adding at this rate it doesn’t seem like they will be seeing their mother until a vaccine is made. She and her sister Stephanie Stewart, 58, of Dutchess County, have not seen their 85-year-old mother Mimi Nichols since mid-March. Mimi is in New York State Veterans’ Home in Montrose, which does not yet meet the reopening requirements. Last week, the sisters began a petition looking to reduce the 28-day rule to 14 days. As of Sunday, they gathered 254 signatures with a goal of 1,000. “We are asking for outside visits with masks and social distancing,” she added. She noted that it would be a temporary solution, letting families see their elderly loved ones at least a few times before the cold winter sets in — or until a resurgence in the virus pulls them apart again.
As per the Post, nursing home industry sources said NY’s rule goes beyond the federal requirement. It counts any staff or resident coronavirus case, even if it wasn’t borne directly from the facility. A DOH press release from July confirms that New York’s directive goes beyond the standard requirement: “Although CMS guidance only references new onset resident cases during the past 28 days, New York has gone further to protect our most vulnerable, and based on statistics nationwide, the policies support those decisions.”
