KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Missouri is looking for ways to safely reunite families with loved ones in long-term care facilities, under new visiting guidelines released Thursday afternoon.
The state is recommending those facilities to,"establish an Essential Caregiver program and/or resume general visits either inside or outside the facility."
“With increased resources and knowledge of the virus and its impacts, as well as the hard work of so many Missourians, we are thankful to reunite residents with their families,” Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services Director Dr. Randall Williams said Thursday in a press release. “Like our federal partners, we believe allowing contact with loved ones and residents of our long-term care facilities is important to overall health especially after a prolonged separation."
Visits to long-term facilities has been a concern since the start of the pandemic because the most vulnerable age group to the virus stay at facilities like nursing homes.
Under the new guidelines, the state says facilities may allow both outside and general visits, but it's ultimately up to each facility to decide whether or not allow to allow them at all.
Facilities may allow general visits if it hasn't had a positive COVID-19 case or if it's been 14 days since the last reported case at the facility.
This includes staff who may have tested positive within the past 10 days or residents who tested positive while living in a facility.
Visits must also be limited to residents who are COVID-19 negative or asymptomatic and not suspected to have COVID-19 or previously COVID-19 positive but have been released from isolation.
The guidelines also say the facilities must allow residents, their guardian, or legal representative to designate up to five visitors total.
Two visitors are allowed at a time with social distancing in place and both the resident and visitor must wear face masks.
For outside visits, the facilities must follow the guidelines from the general visits.
A full list of the guidelines can be found on the Missouri Department of Health and Senior Services website.
The state also released guidelines for the caregivers of residents living in those facilities.
One caregiver is allowed per resident, but an additional care giver is allowed if it's apart of a clergy. Only one caregiver may be present at a time.
Essential caregivers must also wear personal protective gear and complete a facility-designated infection prevention and control training while social distancing when possible.
A full list of the Essential Caregiver Program can also be found on the DHSS website.
