CUYAHOGA COUNTY, Ohio — Visitation restrictions at assisted living and intermediate care facilities across the state are set to ease up next month. Governor Mike DeWine announced instructions on safe outdoor visits starting June 8.
But still no plans for nursing homes.
“It’s become emotional and just like everything else we’re asking or a slow open,” said Sam Hemoud.
Sam Hemoud says the phone calls from his 75-year-old father are constant.
“We’re getting the phone calls every day from him. Hey, where are you? Why aren’t you coming to see me? Are you going to come see me? When are you going to come see me,” Hemoud said. “It’s obvious that even with slight dementia he knows something is wrong.”
Hemoud’s father lives at the Main Street Care Center at Avon Lake where he contracted coronavirus just 30 days ago. His father is now out of the ICU and feeling better in recovery but doing so without his family.
“If the governor supports the facilities like he did today with assisted living it’s a step in the right direction. That’s all we’re asking,” Hemoud said.
On Thursday, the governor announced a slow reopening for assisted living and intermediate care facilities next month. He is ordering them to set policies for visitor health screenings and scheduling for outside visits only. Visitors required to wear masks, practice social distancing and adhere to the risk of the possible spread of coronavirus. It’s the first step in what the governor says is in store for nursing homes.
“We’re going to try to do this in stages. We’re going to see how it works. We’re going to continue to look at the numbers and see how the spread is occurring,” DeWine said.
DeWine said that decision was based on the impact of prolonged loss of connection, requests from families and residents and feedback from advocates and providers.
“I know that causes anguish for a lot of people who are watching this but we are trying to do this so we don’t increase the COVID inside the nursing homes.”
Visitation remains controversial inside hospitals.
But Mercy Medical Center in Lorain is changing its policy starting Friday to allow all patients one visitor each day during set hours.
“We’re using the same guidelines we’re already using for all of our associates. We’re going to continue doing temperature check and masking on anybody walking into the building,” Mercy Medical Center Chief Dr. Gilbert Palmer said. “Every focus and concern are given to maintaining safety for our patients, our associates and our community.”
Gilbert Palmer says visitation is vital to care. He says some patients have refused various treatments without support from their loved ones.
“The aid of a loved one next to them tends to give them that reassurance and promote that healing,” he said. “A lot of our associates and affiliates in the community are still working on those phased in processes and for a matter of safety it’s reasonable to phase those visitations in as the organizations are able to care for patients and visitors. In fact, right now Mercy Health is partnering with a number of nursing homes in the community to help advance that next stage, including visitation, appropriate PPE, safety and testing.”
It’s a step in the right direction. Meanwhile, Hemoud hopes more is done sooner than later as he hopes to comfort his father in-person.
“It’s becoming heartbreaking to hear your father call you, talk to the grandkids and say are you going to come see me? When can we see each other? It’s heartbreaking,” he said. “It’s a cheap fix to solve a major issue and the issue is emotional now.”
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