Shusterman calls for updated nursing home guidance

PAOLI » State Reps. Melissa Shusterman, D-157th, of Schuylkill Township, and Bridget Kosierowski, DLackawanna, commended the release of updated guidance by the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Human Services to loosen restrictions on long-term care facilities throughout the commonwealth.

According to DHS’ three-step process, long-term care facilities may return to activities, welcome visitors and hold other events for residents as long as a specific list of prerequisites are met and there are no new COVID-19 cases among staff and residents for 14 consecutive days.

This is a cause that Shusterman and Kosierowski advocated for throughout the governor’s COVID-19 disaster declaration. Shusterman worked with the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the PA House Aging Committee to ensure these facilities could reopen and resume their daily activities as quickly and as safely as possible.

“Pennsylvania’s seniors were not only an at-risk population for COVID-19, but they spent the last three months separated from their loved ones, which created even more hardships for them during the pandemic,” Shusterman said. “I fought to reopen these facilities to ease this burden on our seniors while still mitigating the virus’ presence within them. I’m pleased to see that restrictions are slowly being lifted, as it’s another step closer toward reuniting families throughout the commonwealth.”

“I am happy to see that there is something in place that helps reunite families with their loved ones in nursing homes,” Kosierowski said. “Their reunion will benefit the mental health of both concerned family members and residents in long-term care facilities.”