BEACHWOOD, Ohio — Beginning Monday, July 20, outdoor visits will be permitted at nursing homes with strict health guidelines in place as part of Governor Mike DeWine’s plan to loosen COVID-19 restrictions for Ohioans.
It will be up to the discretion of individual facilities to decide if they will reopen on the previously announced date.
DeWine has asked management at Ohio nursing homes to consider a number of factors before allowing outdoor visits, including the number of COVID-19 cases in the area, staffing levels, testing capabilities and nearby hospital capacity.
The outdoor reunions come at a time when the latest weekly total of infections in long-term care facilities across the state show nearly 1,300 positive cases, which is a 41 percent increase since late June.
For families who have relied solely on technology and window visits since DeWine shut down visits to nursing homes in mid-March, Monday will bring a half-hour of much anticipated human connection.
“I used to come visit Andrew a few times a week,” Renee Krause said. “We would spend at least an hour, sometimes a few hours a day playing games.”
Krause has been visiting her husband in a nursing home multiple times a week for 15 years, but the COVID-19 pandemic brought their quality time to a halt.
“And I can’t do that with him anymore so I miss that,” Krause said. “So I just come out here and sit with him when the weather permits.”
Richard Schwalberg is the Chief Operating Officer of Menorah Park and said the lengthy stint without face-to-face visitors has taken a toll on the hundreds of residents there.
“It’s their home and they haven’t been able to see their loved ones, their spouses, like Renee and Andrew, for a good few months now,” Schwalberg said.
He added staff at the facility will be heavily supervising pre-scheduled 30-minute patio visits.
“They first get their temperature checked at the entrance to each patio like the one over there,” Schwalberg said. “They ask them about any symptoms and anybody they may have been exposed to.”
Residents and visitors must maintain a social distance of six feet and wear masks throughout the entire visit.
“I’m very excited to see him again, even though it’s six feet apart,” Krause said. “I’m excited to see him without that plate of glass between us.”
Menorah Park is home to approximately 320 residents and the facility is expecting about 100 outdoor visits a day, according to Schwalberg.
“And each one, let’s say, has 10 family members. That’s 3,000 people,” Schwalberg said. “So obviously you can’t have 3,000 people hit the doors outside at the same time. That’s why the visits are four per 30-minute period.”
Relatives of people living in nursing home care facilities are pleading with Ohioans to wear masks and practice social distancing to slow the spread of COVID-19.
“People whose loved ones are in the hospital for any reason whatsoever,” Krause said. “People like me who miss my husband, miss their parents, miss their siblings. Please wear your mask.”
Before visiting your loved one in a nursing home, it’s recommended that you call beforehand to schedule your visit. Schedules and requirements may vary at each facility in Ohio.
