Effective March 13, 2020, CMS (the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) announced new measures to protect nursing home residents from COVID-19.
The new measures CMS announced, which supersede prior CMS guidance, constitute the agency’s most aggressive and decisive recommendations with respect to nursing home safety in the face of the spread of COVID-19. They include:
- Restricting all visitors, effective immediately, with exceptions for compassionate care, such as end-of-life situations;
- Restricting all volunteers and nonessential health care personnel and other personnel (i.e. barbers);
- Cancelling all group activities and communal dining; and
- Implementing active screening of residents and health care personnel for fever and respiratory symptoms.
All Nightingale Healthcare buildings are strictly adhering to these new regulations with the intent to keep our residents and staff as healthy and safe as possible.
We can appreciate the added emotional strain this restriction may place on you and your loved ones and we thank you for your patience and understanding during this trying time. Please trust that we are doing everything in our power to ensure not only the physical, but mental and emotional well-being of our residents are at the forefront of our service.
As you know, this situation is very fluid, but we will continue to provide you with the utmost in transparency and updated information as we know it.
Thank you, and be well.