Because seniors are the group most vulnerable to coronavirus, nursing homes in New Jersey and across the country are taking unprecedented action to keep it out of their facilities.
Because an effective and safe vaccine is not currently available, their top priority at this point is to prevent the virus from entering their facility. The concern is that waiting until the virus is spreading within the community could be too late.
Nursing Home Coronavirus Precautions
Many New Jersey nursing homes are following guidelines from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services and the American Health Care Association/National Center for Assisted Living (AHCA/NCAL), which includes:
- Limiting entry to only individuals who need entry.
- Restricting visitors and activities with potential for exposure.
- Restricting people with respiratory symptoms or potential COVID-19 exposure.
- Requiring all staff to follow hygiene protocol including washing hands upon entering the building.
- Encouraging all essential visitors to follow the same protocol as staff.
- Setting up processes for remote communication for residents and others.
Evaluations of actions taken early in outbreaks of prior viral epidemics that spread like COVID-19 have been shown to significantly reduce the spread of the virus.
If you have a family member or loved one in an elder care facility, it’s in their best interest for you to follow the facility’s rules, including staying away if the facility bars visitors.