Visitors to nursing homes will be required to show proof of vaccination or immunity against Covid-19, under new guidance that comes into effect on Monday.
According to the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC), residents in nursing homes and other long-term residential care facilities have a right to maintain “meaningful relationships” with people, and visiting is an important part of that.
In order to support the continued visitation, the HPSC updated its guidance, called Normalising Visiting in Long-term Residential Care Facilities.
Under the new advice, prospective visitors must have proof of vaccination, such as the European Union Covid cert or the Health Service Executive (HSE) vaccination card, or have other proof of immunity, such as through prior infection.
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For regular visitors, this needs to be checked only once and does not need to be rechecked at every visit.
There is also a provision for exemptions on compassionate grounds, which is not limited to when the death of a resident is imminent.
Compassionate and critical events also include when a resident becomes particularly distressed, when there is an important life event such as a resident’s birthday or when the resident expresses a “strong sense of need” to see someone, according to the HPSC.
The new advice comes into effect from Monday.
On November 4th, the Department of Health informed the HSE that the Minister for Health approved a decision that the visitation guidance to these facilities include this requirement.
The stance was supported by the chief medical officer, Dr Tony Holohan, whose previous correspondence said the National Public Health Emergency Team strongly recommends the adoption of the Covid-19 pass for visitation.
Guidance
The HPSC guidance states that a visitor who is fully vaccinated or has immunity as a result of prior infection is “far less likely” to acquire severe Covid-19 disease as a result of exposure to the virus.
There is evidence that people who are fully vaccinated are also likely to shed virus for a shorter period of time if they do become infected, the HPSC added.
“It is reasonable, therefore, to expect that people who are fully vaccinated or have immunity as a result of prior infection are less likely to be the source of introduction of virus into a setting such as a [long-term residential care facility],” the guidance states.
However, people with symptoms of Covid-19 or other viral respiratory tract infection should be asked not to visit regardless of their vaccination status or level of immunity.
Influenza vaccination for residents, healthcare workers and eligible visitors is also recommended and helps to protect residents from introduction and spread of influenza virus, the guide added.
“The measures recommended will also reduce the risk of introduction and spread of other viral infections including influenza,” the report states.
Some of the other key points in the guidance include the requirement to ensure window visits and remote visits such as phone and video calls can continue at all times.
It also highlights that the term “visitor” does not extend to essential service providers, which include those providing healthcare, legal, financial, advocacy and regulatory services,
The document states that essential service providers should be fully vaccinated, which is similar to healthcare workers, but recommends that they cannot be denied access.
Care Champions, an advocacy group supporting the rights of residents in nursing homes, said there must be consequences for centres that do not comply with the new guidelines.
Sarah Lennon, executive director of Sage, the national organisation that supports older and vulnerable adults, said visits from friends and family are vitally important.
“We know from our advocacy work that some nursing home residents and their families continue to experience issues in relation to how some nursing home providers are facilitating visiting,” Ms Lennon said.
She added that if there is no return to previous open door policy, then the Government must move “legally to protect” the rights of nursing home residents to have visitors.
