Rick's Blog

DeSantis issues order on nursing home visitations

Yesterday, at Governor DeSantis’ direction, Florida Division of Emergency Management Director and State Coordinating Officer Jared Moskowitz issued an Emergency Order that lifts restrictions for visitation to nursing homes, assisted living facilities (ALFs), adult family-care homes, adult group homes and other long-term care facilities.

The Emergency Order requires all visitors to wear PPE pursuant to the most recent CDC guidelines, and those not making physical contact still must wear a mask. Per the Emergency Order, to accept general visitors, the facility must meet the following:

Every facility must continue to prohibit the entry of any individual to the facility except in the following circumstances:

The Emergency Order directs all facilities to ensure visitors are not quarantining, positive for COVID-19 or symptomatic. The Emergency Order also requires facilities to screen visitors, establish limits on the number of visitors allowed, schedule visitation ahead of time, clean and disinfect visiting areas between visitors and other protective measures to reduce the spread of COVID-19.

General visitors will need to be 18 years of age or older, wear a face mask, sign a consent form indicating they understand the facility’s visitation policies, comply with facility-provided COVID-19 testing if offered and maintain social distance of at least six feet with staff and residents.

This order will be implemented in the upcoming days as long-term care facilities begin to put new procedures in place to comply with the Emergency Order.

For a PDF copy of the full Emergency Order, click here.

 

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