Increased visits for residents in nursing homes

RESIDENTS in nursing homes will be able to enjoy four visits a week from next month.

NPHET has approved revised Covid guidance on visitations to long-term residential care facilities, which will come into effect on May 4.

The extensive provision of vaccines to nursing home residents is providing an opportunity for additional visits.

Under the guidance, residents may now be facilitated to receive four routine visits per week. This will be possible following two weeks after the full vaccination of approximately eight out of 10 of all residents in the nursing home. Otherwise, two visits per week should be facilitated.

The duration of visits should be appropriate to the needs of the resident and should not be less than one hour.

Where there is high vaccine coverage, two people may visit at a time but there is no requirement to limit the number of nominated visitors.

The increased level of visiting provided for under the new guidance follows the move to two visits per week announced last month.

Most nursing home residents are now fully vaccinated against Covid-19 and, in recognition of this, and the increasing evidence of the protection conferred by full vaccination, new guidance has been developed that further expands the scope of visiting.

Although the situation in nursing homes has greatly improved, the risk associated with Covid-19 remains very real. There is still a risk of introduction of infection, including the possibility of a new variant of Covid-19. There is a particular concern about the possibility of introducing a new variant, against which the vaccine may be less effective. Therefore, caution remains appropriate.

Health Minister Stephen Donnelly said it is a very welcome step, through this new guidance, that there is a return to more normalised visiting for nursing home residents.