Pa. nursing homes to continue restrictions

Throughout southwest Pennsylvania, most counties have begun the process of reopening as they transition to the green phase, which began June 5.

But for nursing homes, and the families who are anxious about their loved ones, things will remain relatively unchanged, and it is uncertain when current regulations will be lifted. In the meantime, all visitors will be restricted with exceptions for end-of-life situations when, at the discretion of the facility, people will be allowed to visit at bedside.

Facilities in the region have developed their own alternatives for connecting residents with their loved ones until they can be together in person.

Kelly Pynos, administrator at Loyalhanna Care Center in Westmoreland County, said they are “lucky” to have a single-story facility, which makes it easier for visitors to speak to residents through glass windows. Ms. Pynos, an administrator at Loyalhanna, said families also have the opportunity to schedule FaceTime appointments with their loved ones on social media.

Marilyn Walsh, the director of public relations and marketing of Baptist Homes Society in Pittsburgh, said visits through windows are strongly discouraged in order to prevent contamination into their facilities. Rather, they prefer to keep meetings virtual for the safety of their residents.

Visitation will continue to be restricted, though employees may prove to be one of the biggest threats facing residents as they transition to the green phase in their personal lives, while continuing to work with those who are immunocompromised.

Staff members are required to be screened upon entering and exiting the buildings. While screening processes may have varying degrees across different facilities, many include temperature checks and questionnaires on their contact with anyone experiencing COVID-19 symptoms.

Ms. Walsh described the staff at Baptist Homes as “angels” who are committed to keeping residents safe. While their personal lives move into the green phase, she said they prefer to social distance themselves for the good of their work life.

However, according to Julian Gray, elder law attorney of Gray Elder Law, further restrictions on those working directly with residents may need to be put in place, which could mean asking employees to quarantine with the residents as well. He compared the COVID-19 pandemic to 9/11, which saw an abundance of precaution in its aftermath.

“[Families] will demand accountability,” Mr. Gray said. “Wouldn’t it be appropriate that we have more [protection] upon exit and entrance in long-term care facilities?”

As facilities wait for further instruction, Mr. Gray believes it’s the right time to begin evaluating their success rates through the pandemic in comparison to other homes in the region. Mr. Gray believes nursing homes should have planned for a pandemic years ago and should “police themselves” going forward.

Steven Tack, CEO of Quality Life Services in Butler, is developing phases for reopening once they are given approval. The number of phases is not concrete, though its first step relies on integrating residents after weeks in isolation. Mr. Tack said each phase will be monitored before moving to the next.

Other facilities are working on structured outdoor visits where residents can come face to face with their loved ones while maintaining a 6foot distance and wearing personal protective equipment.

Timothy Coughlin is a coowner of LifeServices Assisted Living, which oversees facilities throughout Ohio and Pennsylvania, including Hawthorne Woods in Washington, Pa. Mr. Coughlin said Ohio will begin allowing structured outdoor visits at nursing homes and assisted living facilities on Monday. In response, he has been working with the Pennsylvania Assisted Living Association to push for the same “personal visitation” in facilities across the state like Hawthorne.

“Skype and Zoom are nice, but they just want to be able to speak with them [in person],” Mr. Coughlin said. “If you [continue to] isolate older people, you can cause them harm.”

Residents and their loved ones are growing increasingly more anxious as they wait for a chance to be with their loved ones.

“If I was kept away from my family members for that long, that would start to get very, very old,” Mr. Tack said. “It has had a strain on folks not having those direct relationships with their families and visitors.”

Mr. Tack explained that many families are encountering a “delicate balance” of emotions. While they are “very anxious” to experience physical closeness with the residents, they are also “very grateful” to know they are in a safe environment.

“There’s kind of that mixture of ‘this has kept me safe so far so I don’t want it to change’ and wanting to see their loved ones again,” Mr. Tack said.

Communication has been key to ensuring families understand each facility’s varying regulations and state of health during the pandemic.

Ms. Walsh said the families of Baptist Homes residents have been “very understanding” in the face of the pandemic as they have expected visitation to remain restricted in the green phase for some time.

In order to keep tensions low, Ms. Walsh said weekly updates are sent out to residents’ family members to inform them of happenings in the facility.

Weekly updates, though, may not be enough.

Mr. Gray said the “biggest frustration” for many families is a lack of transparency by nursing home facilities. He said many of his clients have been growing concerned with an “inability to get things done” at certain facilities.

In-home option

Ultimately, in-home senior care services may become a more popular choice for families as they continue to hold out for visits with their loved ones. Mame Donohue owns Comfort Keepers in Pittsburgh with her husband and has taken note of increased demand for in-home services throughout the pandemic.

Mrs. Donohue said the virus created problems for the business initially as people began taking care of their loved ones while working from home, and the company’s retired caregivers became “fearful of going into private homes” for their own health.

“It was a little frightening at first as to how many caregivers are afraid to go to work and how many clients we are going to lose,” Mrs. Donohue said of the pandemic’s start.

However, Mrs. Donohue said Comfort Keepers is seeing a rising number of new clients opting for the inhome care service to enjoy more time with their loved ones while traditional nursing homes keep their doors closed to visitors.