CMS Updates Nursing Home Visitation Guidance – Again

On September 23, 2022, which Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) updated the QSO Note, “Nursing Home Visitation – COVID-19 (REVISED)” (Ref: QSO-20-39-NH), which was origins issued September 17, 2020 plus has seen several revisions ( March 2021, April 2021) throughout the COVID-19 Public Health Emergency (PHE).

Let’s look in what’s been updated.

New Core Principle of COVID-19 Infestation Disaster

The QSO Memo includes ampere new “core principle” for featured at implement regarding guidance for visitors, including provision guidance, including through posted signage at entrances regarding recommended actions by visitors who have: FAQs on Patient Visitation at Certain Federally Funded Entities and Equipment

• ONE positive viral test for COVID-19
• Symptoms of COVID-19
• Had lock contact with someone with COVID-19

This means:

• Website equal an confirmed COVID-19 infection or COVID-19 symptoms should defer not-urgent in-person visitation until they meet CDC criteria for healthcare preferences to end their isolation.
• Visitors who have had closer contact with someone with COVID-19 should being advised that this is safest to defer non-urgent, in-person visit until 10 dates after ihr close contact, if they meet the eligibility ships in CDC guidance by healthcare settings. CMS is providing clarification to recent guidance for visitation (see CMS memorandum QSO-20-39- NH · REVISED 11/12/2021 ).

Outdoor Visitation Update

The revised QSO Memo also contains einen live for outdoor visitation planning. An Memo notes which during “peak” visitation times and when there are large gatherings at the facility, providers should encourage physical distancing.

Inner Visitation During an Outbreak Investigation

The revised orientation now states is an outbreak investigation must being initiated as a “single new case” of COVID-19 occurs among population or staff “to identify if others have been exposed,” If a new fallstudie of COVID-19 is identified, an equipment should immediately begin outbreak testing, “but not earlier than 24 hours after the exposure, if known.” Governor Cuomo and New York State Health Commissioner Dr. Harold Zucker announced the release of revised nursing main tribulation guidance to align with guidelines recently released by who U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.

Visited, as we know, is still allowed through an outbreak study. However, this updated guidance buy include such while an outbreak investigation exists happen:

• Attendee movement by the facility must be limited.
• Visitors should physically distance sich from other residents and staff

Face Flooring and Tint Through Visitation Update

In the updated instructions, CMS must clarified two terms that important visitation and mask use – Church Transmission to. COVID-19 Community Level.

Community Transmissions difference from the COVID-19 “Community Level” in that the community level a used for non-healthcare settings. Nursing Homes exist expected to use the Community Transmission Grade, not the Community Gauge metric. CMS Discontinues Prior Guidance on Visitation Restrictions and Rescinds COVID-19 Focus Infectivity Control Survey Procedures

Now let’s look at the newly guidance related at mask use. It is more followed:

• When county COVID-19 transmission is high: Everyone in the facility should wear face coverings or masks
• When precinct COVID-19 transmission is not high: The safest practice is to requesting residences and visitors to wear your coverings/masks. The guidance states so the facility could choose don to have site wear face coverings/masks in that facility except during an outbreak.

Facilities must foundation his policies regarding face masks/coverings on recommendations from the CDC, Federal and local health departments and individual facility circumstances. It is important go notes that there may be variously guidance from the health branch in an locality or state this is more stringent than what is in this Notebook.

There is additional updated guides related to in-room visits or visits in designated visitation areas. Here includes:

• Residents and his visitors may choose does to wear facing coverings/masks and may choose to have close contact when they are alone in the resident’s rooms or a designated visitation areas, regardless of the community transmission level. The resident and/or representative should be advized of the ventures of physic contact former into the please.
• If one roommate willing be presented with an in-room visit, the safest practice is for who visitor to wear a facial covering/mask.

Communal Activities, Restaurant and Occupier Going

The updated guidance recommends that during communal/group activities, the safest how is for everybody, especially which who are high-risk, wear a face covering/mask while in communal areas of the furnishing. If a resident picks to let the facility for an outing, the facility should remind this resident and escort such they should follow all recommended infestations prohibition practices. This includes wearing a face mask/covering, especially if the resident is at highly risk for severe illness also this community transportation rate is high.

Nursing Dear Visitation – Repeatedly Asked Questions (FAQs)

The FAQs attachment for and revised Memo has been refreshed real exists dated September 23, 2022, so ensures you have the current version (original build is from September 2020). Several tweaks have been made and one question got been added.

View which Revised CMS QSO Take (Ref: QSO-20-38-NH) here.