DOH Issues IHANS Alert to Nursing Homes Reminding Them of Revised Visitation Guidance
This notification serves to remind Nursing Homes of the revised guidelines regarding Visitation. Please be reminded that revised Skilled Nursing Facility Visitation Guidelines were released last month which supersedes and replaced previously issued guidance and recommendations regarding general nursing home visitation and is consistent with CMS QSO-20-39-NH and CDC guidelines. Please update your facility's visitation policy and wherever it is posted/disseminated with staff, residents and visitors.
The revised Skilled Nursing Facility Visitation Guidelines include:
Outdoor Visitation- permitted for any resident not on quarantine or isolation. (preferred even when resident and visitor are fully vaccinated when weather permits)
Compassionate care visits permitted at all times
Indoor Visitation allowed at all times for all residents except for these exceptions:
- Unvaccinated residents, if the nursing home's COVID-19 county positivity rate is >10% and <70% of residents in the facility are fully vaccinated;
- Residents with confirmed COVID-19 infection, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated until they have met the criteria to discontinue Transmission-Based Precautions; or
- Residents in quarantine, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, until they have met criteria for release from quarantine.
Indoor Visitation during an Outbreak- Please note, outdoor visitation is NOT suspended. See QSO-20-39-NH page 4 for detailed directions.