COVID-19 in Long-Term Care Facilities

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Recent News & Resources:
*  Senate Introduces the Nursing Home Improvement and Accountability Act
*  Support the Essential Caregivers Act
*  Consumer Voice Issue Brief: Require Full Training and Certification for Temporary Nurse Aides

CMS COVID-19 Data for Nursing Homes including vaccination rates, COVID-19 cases, and deaths.  Watch a video walkthrough of how to find information on the CMS website.

Jump to:

• Consumer Voice Resources for Advocacy & Families
• How Vaccinations Affect Visitation
• COVID-19 Related Webinars
• CMS Guidance
• Congressional Action
• Tips to Stay Connected
• Additional Resources

Consumer Voice Resources for Advocacy & Families

• Nursing Home Visitation and Quarantine: FAQs & Advocacy Strategies for Families (May 2021)
• The Resident Advocate Newsletter (May 2021)
• Technical Assistance Brief: Does the Federal Eviction Moratorium Apply to Long-Term Care Facilities? (April 2021)
• The Devastating Effect of Lockdowns on Residents of Long-Term Care Facilities During COVID-19 (January 2021) - Report from Consumer Voice summarizing the results of a survey of family members' experiences.
• Oppose Immunity for Long-Term Care Facilities During the COVID-19 Pandemic Issue Brief - The Coalition for the Protection of Residents of Long-Term Care Facilities' statement
• Should I take my loved one home during the COVID-19 crisis? - Consumer Voice and National Center on Elder Abuse Fact Sheet

The resources below will help you advocate for yourself or your loved one in a long-term care facility:

• Making the Case for Compassionate Care (January 2021)
• Family Advocacy for Nursing Home Residents During COVID-19
• Webinar: Family Advocacy for Residents during COVID (6/18/2020)
• Family Councils and Advocacy During COVID-19
• Communication Tips

Part of being a good advocate is taking care of yourself, read our fact sheets for tips on how family caregivers and residents can take care of themselves during the COVID-19 pandemic:

• Taking Care of You: Tips for the Family Caregiver
• Taking Care of You: Tips for Residents of Long-Term Care Facilities
• Strengthening Families as They Reunite During Uncertain Times (10/13/2020)

Resource Archive

How Vaccinations Affect Visitation

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released new guidance (3/10/2021) around visitation for nursing homes.  The new guidance allows indoor and outdoor visits for all residents, except in limited circumstances. Visitation is allowed regardless of vaccination status of residents or visitors, though vaccination is encouraged.

Vaccinated residents can now have close contact with visitors, including hugs.

Limitations on visitation may occur:

• for unvaccinated residents if the COVID-19 county positivity rate is greater than 10% and less than 70% of residents in the facility are fully vaccinated;
• for residents with COVID-19, regardless of vaccination status, until they have met criteria to discontinue precautions; or
• for residents in quarantine, regardless of vaccination status, until they have met criteria to be released from quarantine. 

Learn more about what this visitation guidance means.

CDC Guidance on Quarantine

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) updated their guidance (3/29/21) regarding infection prevention and control to prevent COVID-19 spread in nursing homes. It includes important information about when nursing home residents are required to quarantine.  Whether a resident should be quarantined depends on factors such as vaccination status, exposure to someone with COVID-19, and length of time outside of the facility. Read the summary from Consumer Voice providing basic information about quarantine and indicating when quarantine is necessary.

Learn more in our Frequently Asked Questions.

Accessing COVID-19 Vaccines in Long-Term Care Facilities

Until early April, the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program facilitated on-site COVID-19 vaccination of residents and staff at participating long-term care facilities through three on-site vaccination clinics. Although these vaccination clinics have concluded, all nursing home and assisted living facility residents and staff can receive a COVID-19 vaccine from the long-term care facility where they live or work.  Read our information sheet to learn more.

COVID-19-Related Webinars

Using CMS Guidance to Open Nursing Home Doors (4/30/2021) - A conversation with Consumer Voice's Robyn Grant and Jocelyn Bogdan about how residents, families and advocates can use guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to facilitate in-person visitation. 

Revised Nursing Home Guidance Webinar (3/12/2021) - This webinar provided an overview of the revised CMS visitation guidance, presented by Evan Shulman, CMS Director, Division of Nursing Homes. We also shared Consumer Voice’s initial thoughts about the guidance and next advocacy steps.

See more webinars about issues related to COVID-19 in long-term care facilities.

CMS Guidance

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated their visitation (QSO-20-39-NH Revised) and testing (QSO-20-38-NH Revised) guidance (4/27/21) to reflect the newest guidance from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) lifting restrictions on dining and other activities for vaccinated nursing home residents.

CMS rescinded emergency waivers related to notice prior to discharge/transfer, care planning, and submission of Minimum Data Set. Waivers related to nurse aide training remain. QSO-21-17-NH (4/8/21) Read Consumer Voice's summary.

CMS updated its guidance on visitation in nursing homes - QSO-20-39-NH REVISED (3/10/21).  Read Consumer Voice's summary, key takeaways and concerns about the guidance.

See more information about guidance issued by CMS, CDC, and ACL.

Congressional Action

• Consumer Voice submitted a statement for the record for the March 17, 2021 Senate Committee on Finance hearing "A National Tragedy: COVID-19 in the Nations' Nursing Homes."
• President Biden signed into law the American Rescue Plan Act of 2021. The law directs $450 million to support care in skilled nursing facilities and $10 million for long-term care ombudsman programs. Learn more about this legislation.

Archive

Staying Connected with Family and Friends Living in Long-Term Care Facilities

With new directives placing strict limits on visitors to nursing homes and many assisted living facilities taking similar precautions, friends and families of residents living in long-term care facilities are using creative ways to stay in touch with their loved ones.  

Creative Ideas and Practices for Staying Connected While Social Distancing and Visitation is Limited

Additional Resources

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