Since mid-March nursing homes and long term care facilities have temporarily closed visitations due to the COVID-19 pandemic. 

These facilities remain closed to visitors and at Long Term Care in Greene County Medical Center in Jefferson, they have a three-level approach to allow for regular visitations to resume. Director Lori Harrah says they are currently at phase one, which is not allowing any visitors, except for end-of-life situations with immediate family members. Harrah points out those family members are screened, and are required to wear personal protective equipment. 

Harrah notes phase two would allow family members to be with their residents, but only in required medical situations. Finally, phase three would slowly open regular visitation to all. Harrah points out why they haven’t moved beyond phase one.

“Because for us to be able to leave phase one to go to phase two, we have to have a decrease in numbers (of COVID-19) in our community for at least 14 days. So as you’ve seen over the last weekend with those numbers going up, we’re not even to the point where we can have that 14 day window yet.”

Harrah notes that despite the virus keeping the residents from seeing their family and loved ones face-to-face, everyone’s attitude continues to be positive.

“Really everybody has done very well through all of this. The biggest focus for my staff is to keep our residents safe because the comment I hear over, and over, and over, and over is, ‘I don’t want to be the one that makes someone sick.’”

Harrah says family members can see the residents through a “talking window” where the family is outside and the resident is inside and they can see and hear each other. Another communication route with family members has been through different video chat applications.