Visitors to nursing homes need COVID tests
When Gov. Greg Abbott recently announced eased rules for family visits to nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, those who run such places found themselves scrambling to prepare for the changes.
The new rules, which became effective Thursday, allow residents in long-term care to designate up to two “essential family caregivers,” who could visit — one at a time — in the resident’s room without physical distancing.
In other words, they can touch them. Hug them.
But here’s the linchpin: The caregivers must test negative for the coronavirus within 14 days of the scheduled visit.
Before the expanded visitation, family members were allowed only outdoor visits at nursing homes and outdoor or indoor visits at assisted living facilities, with plexiglass separating people. Family members had to maintainphysical distancing of at least 6 feet.
For some, getting the required test for the new, up-close visit with a loved one is going to cost some bucks.
Currently, the tests provided free in San Antonio are only for those with COVID-19 symptoms, said Dr. Anita Kurian, assistant director of the San Antonio Metropolitan Health District.
The city is working to expand free testing to the asymptomatic population, she said.
Until then, people without symptoms who want to be tested — so they can visit their grandmother, say — must avail themselves of other facilities, such as Centro Med, Texas Med Clinic, University Health System clinics and hospital systems, Kurian said.
But tests at private clinics can be costly, more than $100 for those without insurance. And caregivers whowant to visit loved ones in long-term care more than once likely will need multiple COVID-19 tests to cover each 14-day period.
Federal law now requires pri--
“We hope to have this going by next week. Many of our families are very eager for this.” Alfredo Chavarria, executive director at the Etta at Shavano Park, on upcoming indoor visits at the assisted living and memory care facility
vate insurers, Medicare and Medicaid to fully cover most COVID-19 tests, although there are exceptions. And whether insurers will cover multiple tests for family visits — a newidea in Texas — is a gray area.
Just howthis all plays out is anyone’s guess, at this point.
“The rules state the caregiver must have a negative COVID-19 test no more than 14 days before the visit, unless the facility chooses to perform a rapid test prior to entry,” said a spokeswoman with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. “The rules do not mandate a specific frequency for the testing strategy for essential caregivers. Each facility has to develop its own policy and adhere to that policy.”
Dion Munoz, assisted living manager at Kaulbach Assisted Living, part of Morningside Ministries at the Meadows, said his nonprofit is working on a policy that addresses the new visitation rules and will have something in place in a week or 10 days.
But the new rules pose some challenges, he said, for facilities and family members. Essential family caregivers are allowed to spend up to two hours in a resident’s room. Howwill facility staff know for sure that a family member will keep their mask on the entire time, since the visits are unsupervised?
And howwill families of limited means or no insurance be able to afford multiple COVID tests if they want to visit more than once?
“This may create hurdles for some families,” he said.
Under the new rules, an essential caregiver can be a familymember, friend or other individual.
While caregivers are not required to maintain physical distancing, only one person can visit at a time. Essential family caregivers must be trained on the proper use of protective gear and other infection control practices, according to state rules.
Facilities must not have had any positive cases among residents or staff for14 days to be able to participate in the visits.
Nonessential visitors still are allowed inside facilities but will not be allowed to touch residents and must remain behind plexiglass barriers in an area of the home free from the coronavirus.
At Saint Francis Nursing Home at 630 W. Woodlawn, essential family caregiver visits will take place in a private meeting area, not residents’ rooms, because such rooms are semiprivate.
“We don’t want roommates possibly being exposed,” said Sister Sameula Komperda, head administrator at Saint Francis.
In addition to providing a negative COVID-19 test, the designated caregiver has to go through screenings, such as a temperature check.
“It is our understanding that family members have to be retested multiple times” for additional visits, Komperda said. “Unfortunately, we cannot offer testing at our facility.”
As at other long-term care facilities, there are other options for visits at Saint Francis — outdoors, through open windows — so those who can’t afford viral testing still can see their loved ones, she said.
So far, she said, there hasn’t been a big demand for the essential caregiver visits.
“We’ve only had two or three people even inquire,” she said. “The tests are expensive, and they’re not fun.”
Alfredo Chavarria, executive director at the Etta at Shavano Park, an upscale assisted living and memory care facility, said his staff also is busily crafting the logistics for the upcoming indoor visits.
“We’re going to give everyone a clean surgical mask when they arrive, and we will escort family members to and from their loved one’s room,” he said.
His facility also will require that essential caregivers have up-todate tests each time they want to visit. Etta will not be providing tests.
“We hope to have this going by next week,” he said. “Many of our families are very eager for this.”