On Wednesday, March 10^th the Biden Administration released an updated set of guidelines for those visiting nursing homes. This is the first set of revisions to the restrictions and nursing home guidance since September 2020, most of which revolve around indoor visitation. Specifically, regardless of whether they (visitors and/or residents) have received a vaccination or not, visitors are allowed to go inside and see residents.

This is great news considering what the United States has endured over the past year. According to the New York Times, over 62 million individuals have been vaccinated, including about 33 million that have been fully vaccinated with either the two-dose series made by Pfizer-BioNTech and Moderna, or Johnson & Johnson’s single-dose vaccine. With these vaccines in place and the statistics being presented, it’s clear to see the COVID cases are decreasing.

These new promulgated guidelines will improve both residents’ and visitors’ morale. But more importantly, they will permit the families of these residents to check up on their admitted loved ones, after months of not seeing them in person. It hasn’t been easy for either party, not having the freedom to go inside the nursing homes to visit loved ones. It has affected their mental and emotional well-being. However, with COVID cases decreasing and plans in place, it looks like better days are ahead for all.

If you have a loved one in a nursing home, you should visit them as soon as possible. As we have seen, visitation rights can change quickly, especially if COVID infection rates change. Also, make sure to give your loved one a good visual inspection and ask them if they have been receiving proper treatment and care during the time you were not permitted to visit.