Indoor Visitation Guidelines

Indoor visitation guidlines

Buckle your seatbelts. Hang on as I try to explain the new indoor visitation guidelines for Nursing Homes and Assisted Living.

The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) published indoor visitation guidelines for nursing homes and assisted living on August 26 and people had two days to make comments before it went final. The final guidelines go like this:  The county where Mom lives has to be in the “Protect Your Neighbor” phase (only 5 out 64 counties in Colorado are in this phase).

If the county is not in this phase, then we have a few obstacles to overcome:   The counties with 25 to 175 new active cases per 100,000 people over the last 14 days, require visitors to show evidence of a negative COVID-19 test within the last 24 hours before seeing Mom.

So, let’s break this down. We do not have 100,000 people in Alamosa county (let’s use Alamosa for the example). According to current published census numbers found here https://www.livestories.com/statistics/colorado/alamosa-county-population-demographics, Alamosa County has 16,400 people. Let’s do the math. 25 divided by 100,000 (which are the numbers CDPHE uses),is .00025 percent. When you take .00025% times 16,400, you get 4.1.  Now, let’s take 175 divided by 100,000. That gives you .00175%. When you take .00175% times 16,400, you get 28.7.

So, that means if Alamosa county has anywhere from 4.1 to 28.7 new reported cases of COVID-19 (see last week’s article on how the health department reports positive cases per CDC recommendations) within 2 weeks time, you have to show a negative test within the last 24 hours prior to the visit to the facility staff. Of course, you have to pass the screening form (no fever, no symptoms, etc) as well.

The facilities requirements to be ready for you to indoor visit include: One, conducting baseline testing and they cannot have a positive case within the last 28 days; Two, abundant PPE; Three, outbreak free (one person counts as an outbreak).

Here is the real kicker. I just explained you needed a negative test result within the last 24 hours prior to the visit occurring. Wait, there’s more. The time between when the specimen is collected, test result received, and visit occurs must be 24 hours or fewer.

Seriously, straight out of the guidelines.  There is no one that I know of that can give this type of test here in the San Luis Valley.  https://drive.google.com/file/d/1IBogT6ah_0mlgX09NVaVaV1ZrclrjT1O/view

I predicted back in June there is no way our seniors will be set free this year. I was hit with a lot of flack for that statement. This indoor visitation guideline and it’s unrealistic criteria is more proof to that statement. I will tell you this. If your mom gets sick and goes to the hospital, guess what?  You get to go see her, hug her, and be with her while she is in the hospital.

What is wrong with these rules our seniors are living under in nursing homes and assisted living?  You might think it’s the nursing homes or assisted living’s fault. It’s not. These rules imprisoning and restricting relationships and loving contact of our moms, dads, and grandmas and grandpas are coming straight from CDPHE under Governor Polis.

And, wait, there’s even more. There has been a big push to keep the positivity rate high. Do lots of testing and make sure the population is being tested and COVID-19 is being detected. What does the push to keep the positivity rate high do? It keeps the numbers of reported positive cases up. What’s coming up here very soon? It comes every year.

Yep, you guessed it - the flu. Flu symptoms and COVID-19 symptoms are very similar (https://www.cdc.gov/flu/symptoms/flu-vs-covid19.htm).  In fact, the only difference is the loss of smell for COVID-19.  Guess what’s going to drive the numbers even higher?  Again, you guessed it.  Flu season is going to drive the numbers up.  In fact, do we see another shut down coming because of the increased numbers?

Here’s an article from the WHO discouraging lockdowns:  https://www.theepochtimes.com/who-official-urges-world-leaders-to-stop-using-lockdowns-as-primary-method-against-ccp-virus_3534230.html?utm_source=newsnoe&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=breaking

Do you think you’ll ever be able to hug mom again? Do you think you’ll ever be able to talk to her up close so she can really hear you? I don’t know. I call this article “Hope for Seniors.”  Right now the only hope a senior has in a nursing home or assisted living to have their freedom restored is the prayer you pray, is the card and letter you send, is the goodies you send, is anything you can think of to let them know they are remembered and you are out here fighting for them.

Nursing homes and assisted living have great systems in place to fight infections.  They have been doing it for years. The years of awful flu seasons like H1N1 or the Swine flu were fought with a great deal of success. On a daily basis, highly infectious diseases are fought such as MRSA, C Diff, Norovirus, etc. It doesn’t mean seniors do not suffer, but it does mean that life continues just like it does outside of a nursing home or assisted living. Loving relationships continue with a warm touch from family, a kiss on the cheek from a daughter, a hug from a son, and laughter from little grandchildren. Freedom. Freedom these seniors fought for.  Send hope to a senior in long term care today.  Write Governor Polis. https://www.colorado.gov/governor/contact-us