by David Hill
Editor
She’s on furlough, said one of Pearl’s sisters.
Pearl Johnson’s three sisters visited her at Valley Assisted Living on Thursday, July 3. They hadn’t seen each other or been together since March. Finally, all of them were able to be together. One of the sisters, Margaret Rupprecht, who lives in Thief River Falls, said she was able to wave to Pearl from behind a window, but like Margaret said, “it just wasn’t the same.”
Because Pearl has had a rough go of it lately, and because COVID-19 had prevented pretty much any contact with her, it was an exciting opportunity for all of the sisters, albeit outside and from at least six feet away. Pearl was just as excited to see her sisters. She said isolation had become even harder as the weather warmed.
A couple of weeks ago, the Minnesota Department of Health came out with some new guidance that would allow families and friends to visit residents of long-term care facilities in outdoor settings.
Officials with the Minnesota Department of Health said they recognized that the effects of isolation could have serious impacts on the health and well-being of residents in long-term care facilities. Isolation, they said, is tough on all of us, but especially those in congregate care facilities. The guidance for outdoor visits seeks a balance between safety and the need for interaction with friends and family.
Officials with two long-term care facilities in Thief River Falls said the Minnesota Department of Health has been helpful, particularly when it comes to infection control. Their only complaint or concern over the past several months was that they have more time to prepare for new guidance, like the guidance allowing outdoor meetings to take place. They said as soon as the new guidance was announced, families and friends immediately called to set up appointments to see loved ones.
Because of COVID-19, there seems to be a list of items to be checked off or hoops to jump through before doing anything. This is true of visits to congregate care facilities. The guidance calls for a long list of requirements before those interactions can take place. At Valley Assisted Living, visitors must schedule a visit in advance and, when they arrive at the door to the facility, must answer a checklist of questions and undergo a temperature check, and use an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. They must also agree to social distancing of at least six feet between the visitor and resident, and wear a mask.
Under the guidance, staff are expected to be present to help with the transition of residents to the outdoors, and with wiping down any visitation areas. They are also expected to maintain visual observation, but provide as much distance as necessary to allow for privacy of the visit conversation.
Under the state guidelines, any COVID-19 positive residents and visitors, and residents in quarantine or observation periods are not eligible for outside visits. Residents must also wear masks.
Monday, state health department officials said infection numbers appear to be moving in the right direction, meaning there are fewer deaths and fewer hospitalizations among individuals in long-term care facilities. There have even been fewer reported cases among residents of skilled nursing facilities.
Minnesota Department of Health Commissioner Jan Malcolm said even though the numbers are declining and a majority of skilled nursing facilities have not had a case, the state really needs everyone to be prepared to manage these cases if they occur. She said facilities in the state have really been working hard to have good response plans in place. This has helped the state to detect and stay on top of monitoring the cases.
Dr. Ruth Lynfield, state epidemiologist and medical advisor, said she thinks the improvement is due to a combination of things. That includes all the hard work done by long-term care facilities and especially their work on infection prevention.
Earlier, officials noted the median age of people infected by COVID-19 continues to decrease. On Monday, the median age was 38.4 years old, which is a sharp decline over the past few weeks.
With more cases appearing among younger people, the number of hospitalizations decline because younger people are better able to fight off the effects of the disease.
Lynfield also noted that there have been improvements in treatment – most notably the introduction of Remdesivir. She also said other medications that clamp down on some of the body’s hyper immune response have also improved survival rates.
Lynfield was also quick to ask for continued cooperation. Her message was specifically directed at younger people, reminding them that this is an infectious disease that can quickly spread to people who may not do as well as they.
No one can deny the excitement or value of visiting a friend or relative. Anyone looking for more information about outdoor visitation guidance should check the Minnesota Department of Health website, and contact the residential home of the individual they wish to visit.