A pair of bills passed by the North Carolina General Assembly and signed by Gov. Roy Cooper last month will ensure nursing home residents and hospital patients greater access to visits from family members and clergy.
House Bill 351 requires nursing homes to allow all long-term residents a visit from a family member twice a month at minimum, even during declared emergencies. House Bill 447 makes similar provisions for clergy members checking on patients in the hospital. Both bills were inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic, which has led several institutions to crack down on non-essential visits and has cost some patients important time with their loved ones.
“We have all heard the stories or experienced loved ones in long-term care who have suffered immensely due to isolation because of COVID-19 visitation restrictions,” said Rep. Jimmy Dixon (R-Duplin), the primary sponsor of House Bill 351.
The pandemic remains a factor over a year and a half after it began, with cases and hospitalizations still surging around the country thanks to the Delta variant. Deborah Strum of Grandview Manor Care Center said just as it’s been hard on families to miss out on visitation, it’s been hard on staff to enforce those stricter policies. She thinks protocols in the current legislation will make things better but keeping an eye on the virus is still going to be a top priority.
“Neither we, nor the DHHS, could predict how COVID would run. Some leaders said that the restriction saved many lives,” Strum said. “At this point, we are still trying to implement DHHS guidance. Goals of resident rights and ‘core infection control standards’ are conflicting. And we are watching the Macon County COVID numbers hoping they continue to decline.”
Franklin House Executive Director Herb Sherlin said he and his staff welcome the news that visitations are being expanded. He said Franklin House has strived to keep up visitations in a safe and effective manner all throughout the pandemic and that they’ll continue to do so under the new legislation.
“We understand that having an active lifestyle is vital to the care of our seniors and being able to see and visit with loved ones is a great way to maintain a healthy mind,” Sherlin said.
Rep. Karl Gillespie (R-Macon) was a sponsor for both bills. He feels that these changes in policy are an important victory for Macon County citizens in long-erm care who tend to feel forgotten too much of the time. While it’s important to protect them from infection during the pandemic, it’s also important for their mental health that they get to spend time with their people.
“We have individuals that spend many years in extended care homes [and] it is the highlight of their day to receive a visit from a family member,” Gillespie said. “This legislation helps to protect some of our most vulnerable individuals.”