CMS: Nursing home COVID-19 guidance updated to allow for more indoor visitation

(KION) The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and the CDC have issued updated guidance for nursing homes to allow for more visitation options during the COVID-19 pandemic.

CMS said the decision to update guidance comes after three million doses of COVID-19 vaccines have been administered in nursing homes.

The new guidance allows for "responsible" indoor visitation at all times and for all residents, even if they have not been vaccinated yet, with some exceptions.

CMS recommends limiting visitation for:

• Unvaccinated residents if the county positivity rate is higher than 10% and less than 70% of the county residents are fully vaccinated
• Residents with confirmed COVID-19 infection until they are able to end transmission precautions
• Residents in quarantine

The agencies also say that "compassionate care" visits should be allowed at all times, even if a resident is not vaccinated, if the county's positivity rate does not meet the criteria or if there is an outbreak. They define compassionate care visits as those made for a resident whose health has declined sharply or is experiencing a major change in circumstances,

CMS still recommends following COVID-19 precautions such as physical distancing and outdoor visits when possible during visits.

“CMS recognizes the psychological, emotional and physical toll that prolonged isolation and separation from family have taken on nursing home residents, and their families,” said Dr. Lee Fleisher, MD, CMS Chief Medical Officer and Director of CMS’ Center for Clinical Standards and Quality. “That is why, now that millions of vaccines have been administered to nursing home residents and staff, and the number of COVID cases in nursing homes has dropped significantly, CMS is updating its visitation guidance to bring more families together safely. This is an important step that we are taking, as we continue to emphasize the importance of maintaining infection prevention practices, given the continued risk of transmission of COVID-19.”

CMS says that if there is an outbreak at a facility, visitation can still happen if it is contained to one unit or a separate area of the facility.

Read the full updated guidance below.