Can I Visit a Long-Term Care Resident Over the Holidays?

In-Person Visits

Rhode Island recently closed its nursing homes to visitors, as resident cases spiked, but almost every other state is allowing scheduled visits. There are lots of caveats. Outdoor visits may be limited right now in cold-weather states. And even though many states signed off on indoor visits after CMS officials updated their visitor guidelines, facilities usually have discretion to implement their own policies, with protocol varying from one county to the next based on how COVID-19 is spreading.

Even if indoor visits are allowed, facilities may not be able to welcome all their residents’ loved ones on Thanksgiving or Christmas or New Year's Day, says Lori Smetanka, executive director of the National Consumer Voice advocacy group: “There might be more demand than availability for facilities to be able to help everyone have a visit on a specific day."

You'll probably have more luck getting into a nursing home by scheduling your visit for a day leading up to or following a holiday, rather than on the day itself. “Try to be flexible and think of this as a holiday season,” Smetanka says. She recommends reaching out to the nursing home administrator to see how the facility is handling the holidays before making concrete plans.

Virtual Visits

Nursing home and long-term care staff are already stretched thin, and most facilities have a fixed number of communal phones and tablets to go around. So residents and family members may need to be flexible in scheduling virtual visits. “Chances are, facilities aren't going to be able to accommodate multiple virtual visits [for each resident],” Stephen says. “So get everyone on the same call, have someone take the lead and get everyone on the same page."

Cateau says he and his colleagues at A.G. Rhodes Health & Rehab are working to “increase our FaceTime and our Skype calls.” They're also encouraging loved ones to send cards and letters to let residents know they're missed. “We're still going to do everything that we can to make this an enjoyable holiday,” Cateau says. “But we know it will not be the same.”

In-House Events

Health experts are recommending that long-term care facilities forgo large, communal holiday dinners this year. But some facilities are still celebrating. Stephen notes that some nursing homes and care facilities are organizing car parades, window visits and other events that allow residents to see and interact with loved ones, even if they can't visit in person. “Find out how you can participate in that,” Stephen says. “That's a real mood-booster — for the families and their loved ones.”)

Taking a Resident Out of a Facility

Parades, video calls and controlled in-person visits are a far cry from normal holiday festivities. Some may be tempted to take residents out of their facilities to enjoy a home-cooked meal.

The CMS holiday guidance notes that nursing home residents are legally allowed to leave facilities but warns that doing so may raise their chances of contracting COVID-19. CMS Administrator Seema Verma said she doesn't recommend residents leave over the holidays, citing coronavirus concerns.

The CDC recommends — and many states enforce — 14-day quarantines for residents who choose to leave their facility upon their return. The CDC also recommends family members quarantine for two weeks leading up to any kind of holiday gathering with people from outside the home, regardless of whether it involves a loved one living in a nursing home. Guests are also advised to wear masks — both indoors and outdoors — when not actively eating or drinking. “For Thanksgiving and the approaching holidays, we really need to quadruple down on the CDC guidance,” says John Sauer, president and CEO of the Wisconsin branch of LeadingAge, an advocacy group representing nonprofit long-term care facilities. “Everyone knows what [the rules] are, but for God's sake, we have to follow them for society."