Well, last week I was actually excited. Our Governor issued this statement.
"Governor Greg Abbott today directed the Texas Health and Human Services Commission to expand visitation options for eligible nursing, assisted living, and intermediate care facilities, home and community-based service providers, and inpatient hospice, effective Thursday, Sept. 24. HHSC’s updated emergency rules will allow a designated essential caregiver to provide supportive, hands-on care to facility residents who do not have COVID-19.
Under the new rules, residents will be allowed to designate up to two essential family caregivers who will be provided necessary training to allow them to safely go inside a facility for a scheduled visit, including in the resident’s room, to help ensure their loved one’s physical, social and emotional needs are being met. Designated caregivers will not be required to maintain physical distancing, but only one caregiver can visit a resident at a time.
A long-term care facility resident (or legal representative) can designate the essential caregiver, who can be a family member, friend or other individual. Facilities are required to train essential caregivers on the proper use of personal protective equipment and other infection control measures. Proper PPE must be used at all times during these scheduled visits, and the caregiver must test negative for COVID-19 within the previous 14 days before the initial visit.
!!!!!!!!!
Yeah, right?
I scheduled my covid test (negative! Woo), and sent an email to the Memory Care manager, asking to have me and my sister designated, and asked about next steps as to do the PPE training.
I got a community notice about visitors....and it mentioned nothing about essential caregivers. Only offered a scheduled, no contact ,30 visit in a designated common area.
When I got a response from the facility it was " we aren't going to do that", so I guess they are going to ignore the guidance. I left message with the corporate offices and the state agency, but it appears the governor got his photo and good press but nothing is changing.
Has anyone in Texas encountered this also, or is mom's facility an outlier? What has been your essential caregiving experience in other states?
Whats crazy about all of this is that I can take her out for a medical or dental visit and they dont care, no quarantine on return. I can help her into the car, sit with her at doctor, drive with her to and from appointment, even get her a snack if she misses a meal.
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I posted on Facebook, which got the attention of a reporter, which got the attention of the Task Force for Reopening the Nursing Facilities (appointed by the Governor). Guess who got to hug Papa today for the first time since March 9th!!
You might try being the squeaky wheel!
occurs.
I'm literally the only person who ever visits my mother, and I want to be in there with her. She can't see me through a window (macular degeneration) and with her hearing loss she can't understand someone through a mask from six or eight feet away. That's all I'm allowed now, and it's not acceptable. The staff brought Covid in there, not family members, and it's gone now, so it's time to loosen things up.
I hope you get in to see your mom soon.
I HATE the restrictions. I trained myself to remain as calm as possible EVERY TIME THE PHONE RANG, I steeled myself to the lack of certainty that she’d know I was still there for her, I KNOW that she can’t stand cold weather and would never tolerate an outside visit in a week or two, BUT THE VIRUS DOESN’T CARE.
And I’m STILL afraid of some random event, LIKE THE FIRST ONE, bringing her a relapse that would end the miracle that has allowed her to live long enough to have the 6 outside visits I’ve had.
So however much I HATE to be distanced from her I GET WHY IT’S THE CASE.
In MY “hotspot” state, we are STILL restricted to outside visits, o sign of when this will change, and if it keeps my LO SAFE, I’m going to suck it up and wait.
That said, I understand everything you’re saying and everything you feel, and I grieve with you that this has happened to ALL OF US.
In my coop, we have a gym that is eligible to re-open. But once open, it has to be inspected by the state within 14 days and the Board knows that the ventilation system needs to be upgraded, so they are addressing that first. Frustrating, but I understand their caution.
Let us know what you find out from corporate!
I guess I'll try the new visit plan for now. He described it as behind plexiglass in the library area. I'm just picturing people visiting in prison where they are on opposite sides of glass . I know its probably not like that (I hope!), but I wonder how Mom is going to react. With her dementia she just doesn't remember the virus issues.
Good for you for following up with corporate. Please let us know what they say!
I like the place, as far as I can tell, since covid protocols kicked me out only several weeks after mom moved in, they treat residents well. They have been responsive to my requests. I do video call with mom most days, and shes alert, and wearing clean clothes, and seems physically ok. Shes had a couple of falls, but that's to be expected. The new Memory Care manager has been more proactive about keeping family updated on what their loved ones have been doing. They have had no covid cases among residents.
So while I want to advocate for the essential caregivers, I also dont want to damage my relationships with my mom caregivers or do anything that might impact my mom's care.