Last week, Consumer Voice, Justice in Aging and other advocates and State Long-Term Care Ombudsmen sent recommendations to CMS outlining steps the agency should take to ensure nursing home residents have increased in-person contact with family and friends during the COVID-19 pandemic. The recommendations include adopting requirements that facilities allow outdoor and indoor visitation for residents, using protocols to ensure safety and social distancing, allowing residents to engage with each other, and providing residents who do not have visitors with the same opportunities to leave their rooms and go outside as residents with visitors. These recommendations build on recommendations sent to CMS in August, which included ensuring that residents be provided with an essential support person if they’ve experienced a significant change or decline and stronger standards to expand compassionate care visits.
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