Updated (Again) Guidance Related to Visiting, Communal Dining and Activities

Updated (Again) Guidance Related to Visiting, Communal Dining and Activities

The latest updated guidance, as of March 24, 2021 Provider Guidance: Phased Reduction of Restrictions for Long-Term Care Facilities clarifies a few items, namely:

• On page 3, a visitor is defined as "a person of any age who is not a resident, staff member or staff-extender; including a volunteer or private sitter."
• On page 4, under Off-Site Travel, the last sentence, "Otherwise, the Provider should attempt to facilitate safe off-site travel" has been added.
• On page 5, under Staff should, exception (#2) (Essential Medical Appointment) now reads that "Frequent off-site visits by a resident receiving ongoing care outside the LTCF (e.g. renal dialysis). These individuals do not WARRANT (instead of require) 14-day quarantine if there is confidence in adherence to the Core Principles of COVID-19 Infection Prevention (see Definitions, p. 2) during transport and the visit.
• On page 5, under Indoor Visiting, example scenarios have been added (note the "AND" between #1 & #2).
• On page 6, "Compassionate care visits, and visits required under federal disability rights law, should be allowed, regardless of a resident's vaccination status, the county's COVID-19 STATUS (instead of incidence rate), or an outbreak.
• At the bottom of page 9, under Communication considerations, a reference to the sample attestation form on page 9 has been added.
• On page 9, the Sample Visitor Screening and Attestation Form now includes a reference to "an accompanying minor or guardianship individual."

The guidance references the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services memo, originally dated September 17, 2020 and revised March 10, 2021. Click Here to read that memo and to gain further clarification of the guidance.

If you have any additional questions, please contact us at KSLA@KentuckySeniorLiving.org or 502.938.5102