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Texas expands in-person visits at nursing facilities

Fully vaccinated nursing facility residents are now allowed close, in-person visits with family members and friends who are not designated essential caregivers.

TEXAS, USA — The Texas Health and Human Services Commission has expanded visitation statewide in nursing facilities and other long-term care settings.

Per federal guidance issued March 10 by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, fully vaccinated nursing facility residents are now allowed close, in-person visits with family members and friends who are not designated essential caregivers, as long as proper safeguards are in place.

Helen Musick and her husband, Mac, live at Meadow Lake Senior Living in Tyler and are happy to have more visitors, though they've had each other all along. The two live next door to one another at the facility. 

Down the hall, Mr. and Mrs. Johnson have tried to make the most of their visitation. He comes to see her twice a day.

"It's quite difficult, actually, because I take her clothes and wash them and bring them back and do all the shopping for the stuff that she needs," Mr. Johnson said.

“Safely visiting with family and friends is vital to the mental health and well-being of long-term care residents," Victoria Ford, HHS chief policy and regulatory officer said, "We are so pleased these new rules will allow residents to enjoy in-person visits with a wider circle of loved ones.”

While continuing to follow all protocols to mitigate the spread of COVID-19, including the wearing of face masks, Texas nursing facilities can now permit:

  • Close/personal contact during any visitation for fully vaccinated residents.
  • Outdoor visitation at all facilities, even when the facility has an outbreak.
  • Up to two essential caregivers at the same time to visit a resident with any COVID-19 status.
  • All visitation without time limits, while adhering to infection prevention and control measures.
  • End-of-life visits for all residents regardless of their COVID-19 status in all nursing facilities, with an expanded definition of end-of-life visits that now includes all residents receiving hospice services; residents at or near the end of life, with or without hospice services; and residents whose prognosis does not indicate recovery.

For nursing facilities, these updated visitation rules give providers additional flexibilities in accordance with the new federal guidelines.

Nursing facilities no longer need to:

  • Request general visitation approval from HHSC.
  • Monitor visits or escort visitors to and from the visitation area.
  • Limit indoor visitation to areas with a plexiglass barrier or booth.
  • Require documentation of a negative COVID-19 test result for essential caregiver or salon services visitors.

In addition to nursing facilities, HHSC expanded visitation allowed in assisted living facilities, intermediate care facilities, and Home and Community-based Services providers. The new rules also remove certain administrative requirements for providers, such as the rules to have staff monitor certain visits and escort visitors to and from a visiting area.

Click here 
to view the updated emergency rules for nursing facilities.

For more information about how HHSC is helping Texans affected by COVID-19, visit the HHSC website.

RELATED: Texas will open COVID-19 vaccine to all adults beginning March 29

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