Family visits set to resume Sunday at Van Rensselaer Manor
TROY, N.Y. » It has been more than a year since the March 3, 2020 anniversary when visitations were closed to Rensselaer County’s Van Rensselaer Manor.
Yet, according to Rensselaer County Executive Steve McLaughlin, all families are expected to be eligible to visit their loved ones on Sunday.
McLaughlin made the announcement Wednesday on the one-year anniversary of visits being closed at the Manor during the early stages of the pandemic.
“We are looking forward to families at the Van Rensselaer Manor being reunited on Sunday. We recognize how hard this has been for families with loved ones at the Manor and are glad progress is being made,” McLaughlin said.
“This has been a long year for families and a long year for residents. These visits are a great sign of progress for our county and everyone at the Manor,” McLaughlin explained.
The Manor has been doing compassionate care visits for a select group of residents at the VRM in recent days.
“We appreciate the great work done by the Manor staff during the past year and especially as we gear up for these important visits,” McLaughlin noted.
The order to shut down the Manor for visits was issued by McLaughlin as initial cases of COVID-19 came to the Capital Region. The county saw its first COVID-19 case on March 17, two weeks after the March 3 order.
“We put a high value on the health and safety of the residents entrusted to us at the Van Rensselaer Manor. During the early stages of the pandemic, we took some common-sense steps to protect our residents at the Manor and those steps worked,” McLaughlin remarked.
During the pandemic, McLaughlin has advocated for the state to amend some rules related to nursing home visits.
McLaughlin had called for the state to establish safe meeting areas, including in outdoor areas, to facilitate meetings during the warmer months. The state has been resistant to those requests.
On Wednesday, McLaughlin said he believes family members should be able to have some physical contact during a visit, and be able to sit or stand closer. A negative test of a visitor is required prior to the visit, according to state guidelines. Residents at the VRM are also afforded the chance for a vaccine.
“If family members are vaccinated or demonstrate they have a negative test within specified guidelines, then some physical contact should be allowed. We believe that is reasonable given the situation and the precautions for family and VRM residents,” McLaughlin added.
Rensselaer County recently earned special funding from the federal government for meeting health and safety standards at the county nursing home, Van Rensselaer Manor (VRM), according to McLaughlin.
The county is being awarded $422,000 from the federal government for maintaining low infection and mortality rates at the VRM during the pandemic. The funding comes from the Coronavirus Aid Relief and Economic Security (CARES) Act.