This Friday many nursing homes barely adapted to the measures.
Photo: NELSON ALMEIDA / AFP / Getty Images
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Although New York nursing homes get the green light from this friday to receive family visits, Some prevention rules make it impossible for most of these centers to schedule appointments, due to the guideline that establishes that if someone in any of these facilities is diagnosed with COVID-19, absolutely no one will be given access within 14 days.
For most of the pandemic, the visitation ban was extended to 28 days, should a resident or worker test positive for coronavirus, but the state relaxed the restriction to two weeks. Still, the possibility that hundreds of elderly receive their loved ones, the prologue tends.
“We have played many stories and there are heartbroken families, because really, despite the official announcements, nothing changed. Well, although some had the illusion of seeing and hugging their loved ones in the next few days, now in many cases they have to wait a couple of weeks to schedule the visit, as there are centers with confirmed records of COVID-19 “, he reacted Vivian Rivera organization spokesperson Voices of the Elderly in New York.
The Colombian Jesus Cruz and his wife were waiting for visitation guidelines at a nursing home in Kew Garden in Queens. Y the longed-for meeting will not be possible, but until next Wednesday.
“In fact, in the nursing home where my mother-in-law, who is already 88 years old, is small. And everything is more controllable. When we called they gave us the option to visit for the next week, because they still have to make an accommodation. We already have exactly four months without seeing her. This is horrible! “ Cruz commented.
The appointment process enters a “bottleneck” for some centers according to their size, since the guidelines of the Health Authorities specify that only one 20% of visitors of the capacity inside.
“The good news is that for the summer they told us that they will enable other spaces outside, in a courtyard, and everything will be easier because with this cold we have to take care of our old people to the maximum,” said the Colombian.
Worst luck
Local media reported how large-capacity nursing homes across the state will be unable to reopen to long-awaited visits in months.
For example, Stewart Almer, president and CEO of the Gurwin Healthcare System, which operates the Gurwin Jewish Nursing Home in Commack, said the facility It did not open to visitors on Friday.
“With 800 employees and 460 residents, mathematically, the chances that we will ever get to visitation are very slim as long as the 14-day rule is maintained,” he said.
New York’s Expanded Nursing Home Visiting Guidelines are now in effect, and visitors are strongly encouraged to make a quick test before entering a facility.
The governor Andrew Cuomo announced these expanded protocols earlier this week.
In counties where the positivity rate is lower than 5%, no testing would be required, but is recommended. If a county falls within 5-10%, testing would be needed within the 72 hours prior to the visit.
In the big apple only in the bronx the positivity rate this week remained above the 5,78%, In the rest of the counties, the highest level of infections is confirmed in Queens con 4,80%, in the moving average of the last seven days.
If the positivity rate in a county is greater than 10%, no visits will be allowed, except for “Compassionate care.”
Compassionate Care Visitors are for residents receiving special care, end-of-life care, residents 100 years and older. Also those who need more emotional support than usual.
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