CANHR has reviewed the various federal and California guidance regarding visitation in long term care facilities and synthesized the rules into a new fact sheet to guide residents and their families. The fact sheet highlights the types of visitation nursing homes and residential care facilities for the elderly must provide and under what conditions as well as the infection control protocols facilities may impose during visits. Download the Fact Sheet HERE (PDF)
Latest CANHR Alert
New Visitation Guidelines for RCFE Residents
After a year of stringent restrictions imposed because of COVID-19, the California Department of Social Services (DSS) released new guidance on March 19, 2021 significantly relaxing restrictions on visitors to Residential Care Facilities for the Elderly (RCFE). The guidance also relaxes restrictions on communal dining and group activities, and on residents returning from outings. Set forth in PIN 21-17-ASC, the guidance is effective immediately.
New Visitation Guidelines Affecting Long Term Care Residents
State and federal authorities have issued a raft of new guidance on visitation. While many of these new rules significantly relax restrictions on visitors, some questions remain regarding areas of inconsistency between the two sets of rules. On March 10 the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued new guidance for nursing homes intended to relieve some of the harm experienced by long term care residents as a result of COVID-19-related restrictions on visitation.
CANHR Zoom Town Halls
COVID-19 Vaccinations in Long Term Care Facilities
On January 15th CANHR hosted a Zoom town hall for California residents of long term care and their families, friends, and advocates to discuss the COVID-19 vaccine rollout in nursing homes and other long term care facilities.
Speakers included Dr. Jonathan Evans, Mike Dark and KJ Page. Dr. Evans is the former President of the American Medical Directors Association and addressed the clinical side of the vaccine, including safety and effectiveness. Mike Dark is a staff attorney for CANHR and a member of the California Vaccine Community Advisory Committee. KJ Page is the Administrator of Chaparral House in Berkeley, and spoke about what the rollout of the vaccine at an actual Long Term Care facility has been like.
Resident Rights: Voting, Visitation, and More!
On October 13th at 11:00am CANHR hosted a town hall for California residents of long term care, their families, and their friends, addressing key developments including voting rights during the pandemic, rights to visit and to exit facilities, and how to craft effective complaints to regulators to safeguard these rights.
Speakers included CANHR Executive Director Pat McGinnis, CANHR staff attorneys Tony Chicotel and Mike Dark, and CANHR Program Director Julie Pollock.
Material Download:
Useful Links:
CANHR’s Visitation Rights Fact Sheet
Looking up Facilities Approved for Indoor Visitation
Find your local Ombusdman Program office
California Department of Social Services Public Information Notice regarding Influenza, Pneumonia and COVID-19
California Department of Health All Facilities Letter regarding Influenza
Organizing Family Councils
Senior Scams During the Pandemic
Hosted by CANHR Senior Attorney Prescott Cole. During this pandemic, scams targeting seniors are increasing at an alarming rate. Criminals have latched onto COVID-19 as a way to steal money from seniors. In this townhall, we go through several scenarios where con artists use COVID as a pretext to defraud seniors, sometimes costing them their life savings. The information in this townhall is meant to help you and your loved ones protect yourselves from the scam artists taking advantage of seniors’ concerns and fears about the COVID-19 virus.
Materials Download:
Useful Links:
CANHR Consumer Publications Downloads
California State Controller – Defer Property Taxes
Free Credit Reports – Now Weekly Through April 2021
Report Online Vendors Selling Fake Products
IRS Coronavirus Stimulus Payment FAQ
Eldercare Locator – Report Phone Scams
Getting Good Long Term Care in a Pandemic
Hosted by CANHR Staff Attorney Tony Chicotel.
Good long term care should not be a casualty of COVID-19; in fact, it has never been more important. But how can residents and their families ensure that good care is being provided when so many rules have been waived and accountability is missing? In this townhall, we reviewed the state of long term care, including visitation, understaffing, and evictions, and then answer questions about the best way to ensure residents are safe and well cared for during the pandemic.
Materials Downloads:
California Department of Social Services COVID-19 in RCFEs Data < – To view RCFE data, go to the link on the right side of the page entitled “COVID-19 Positive Cases in Adult and Senior Care Facilities.”
Latest California State Visitation Guidelines
#VisitationSavesLives
Join our #VisitationSavesLives Campaign!
The recent California state policies described in the summaries above may have been partially motivated by our #VisitationSavesLives campaign. Now that residents are having some of their rights restored, the campaign will advocate for better state enforcement.
To read more about this campaign and see how you can help, please visit our Visitation Saves Lives Website.
Latest Free Webinar Recordings
What to Look for and Questions to Ask as You Resume Visits in a Long-Term Care Facility
Courtesy of The National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care Title: What to Look for and Questions to Ask as You Resume Visits in a Long-Term Care Facility Guest: Steven Levin, Michael Bonamarte, Levin & Perconti Date: October 21, 2020 Listen on iTunes and SoundCloud Description: The COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted residents of long-term care facilities and their families.
Latest Media News Item
‘People are dying as we wait’: Bid to tighten California nursing home oversight sputters
By Jocelyn Wiener, CalMatters, April 16 2021 Image via iStock Lawmakers say they’ll take no action this year on a bill requiring nursing home owners and operators to get state approval before they acquire, operate or manage a nursing home. An effort to fix problems with the oversight of California’s nursing homes has stalled, sparking fears that the bill is doomed — and prompting elder care advocates to warn that even a delay jeopardizes residents’ safety.