The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) today released guidance for indoor visitation in residential care facilities.
Residential care facilities (skilled nursing facilities, assisted living residences, group homes, and intermediate care facilities) that meet the criteria can now welcome visitors indoors.
“After releasing draft guidance last week, we received feedback from residents, families, friends, and essential workers in residential care facilities. After reviewing the feedback and keeping in mind the safety risks with visitation, we are providing guidance for limited indoor visitation opportunities,” said Dr. Eric France, Chief Medical Officer, CDPHE. “We need to continue to be cautious as these facilities are still high risk. We must balance the need for visitations with the risks that still very much exist.”
The guidance also allows for visits from service providers such as beauticians, barbers, podiatrists, dentists, and therapists. Currently, residential care facilities may offer visitation under compassionate circumstances, such as end-of-life situations, and in outdoor environments. There are other circumstances under which indoor visitation must be accommodated, such as to provide support for residents with disabilities and/or for religious exercise, and for long-term care ombudsman and adult protective services.
The guidance states facilities must meet the following criteria to implement indoor visitation:
- Be located in counties that have less than or equal to an average of 25 new, active cases per 100,000 people over the prior 14 days or be in a county that is in the Protect Our Neighbors Phase.
- If in counties with 26 to 175 new, active cases per 100,000 people over the prior 14 days, visitors must provide documentation that they have had a negative COVID-19 test in the 48 hours preceding the visit (a PCR test or test approved by the State Lab or the FDA for use in asymptomatic people).
- Visitation is not allowed in residential care facilities in counties with more than 175 new, active cases per 100,000 people over the prior 14 days.
- Other criteria involve testing, outbreaks, personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies, and staffing.
When indoor visitation is implemented, visitors must:
- Have taken a COVID-19 test and received a negative result within 48 hours of conducting the visit, if applicable, based on the degree of community spread.
- Be fever-free, symptom free, and have no known exposure to COVID-19.
- Be age 18 and older.
- Schedule appointments in advance.
- Wear masks and adhere to all facility visitation rules.
The full guidance, drafted by the Residential Care Strike Team, is available online. The Residential Care Strike Team is composed of representatives of the Governor’s Office and state agencies that play a role in regulating and supporting residential care facilities.
Visit the Residential Care Strike Team web page for more information.