Nursing homes balance visitation, virus

FAYETTEVILLE -- Nursing homes and assisted living facilities are taking various approaches since being allowed to have visitors again.

Family members of Northwest Arkansas nursing home and assisted living facility residents said they understand the need for restrictions during the covid-19 pandemic, but they have been difficult on the residents and themselves.

"It's kind of all over the board right now," said Rachel Bunch, executive director of the Arkansas Health Care Association.

Many facilities didn't meet the state's criteria to resume visitation, and some chose not to resume visitation as a precaution. Some met the criteria and continue to accept visitors. Others resumed visitation, but have since stopped because their facilities had new covid-19 cases, Bunch said.

Henry Darnell, 25, of Fayetteville has seen his great-grandfather at the Gardens at Arkanshire in Springdale a couple of times since visitation resumed in July.

"He wants to be hugged, and he still wants physical contact," he said.

Darnell said covid-19 made the death of his great-grandmother, who was in the same facility, in April especially challenging because only two people at a time could visit her in hospice. Covid-19 also made traveling difficult, and most of her family lived out of state.

Darnell said his family had an outdoor celebration of life ceremony for his great-grandmother with about 25 people who all wore masks and socially distanced from each other. They livestreamed the ceremony for the family who weren't there.

"We made the best out of a bad situation and were still able to grieve as a family as a whole," he said.

The family was in a hurry to see Darnell's great-grandfather once visitation resumed considering he'd recently lost his wife and his family couldn't visit, he said.

Nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Benton and Washington counties had 277 covid-19 cases including residents and staff members, as of Thursday, according to the Arkansas Department of Health. The department no longer includes how many of the cases are active, or not recovered, and has temporarily stopped including the number of deaths at each facility. The department found discrepancies in the deaths reported and is working to make sure its data is accurate before it resumes reporting the number of deaths, said Danyelle McNeill, spokeswoman for the Health Department.

The Arkansas Health Care Association will soon begin reviewing data to see whether new cases at individual nursing homes correlate with visitation, Bunch said.

It's important for visitors and staff to follow guidelines, such as wearing masks, inside nursing homes and assisted living facilities because the residents are vulnerable to the virus. But seeing family members is very important to residents' well-being, Bunch said.

"The response from family members is heartwarming to see," she said.

Some facilities have created "visitation stations" where visitors can see residents through glass or sit 6 feet away from each other outdoors, Bunch said.

It's common for nursing home staff members to sleep at the facilities to avoid the potential of bringing the virus into the facilities, she said. Many nursing homes are short on staff because some have gotten the virus and cannot work. That only intensifies the need for the remaining staff to avoid contracting the virus, she said.

"I think the facilities are doing the best they can, but it's just a terrible situation," said Kate Schaffer, 53, of Bentonville.

Schaffer's mother is a resident of Innisfree Senior Living in Rogers. Schaffer said her mother was social, went to church and participated in activities at the facility before the pandemic. Now, she's had a "steep cognitive decline," she said.

"She even said to me, 'Well, every day is the same,'" Schaffer said.

Gayatri Agnew, 38, of Bentonville and her two children regularly dropped in on evenings and weekends before the pandemic to see her mom at Innisfree in Rogers. Visitation now is limited to hours mostly during a typical workday. Visits are limited to once a week for 30 minutes with an appointment. Agnew sees her mom for about 20 minutes by the time Agnew is screened and checked in for visitation. She and her mom must sit 6 feet apart while wearing masks outside the building.

"When I visit now, my mom asks me if I can take her home with me to see her grandkids. I've had to explain the global pandemic to her three times, and every time she cries, but if I don't tell her, then I just have to tell her she can't come home with me and she doesn't know why," she said.

Agnew is a candidate for Bentonville City Council. Her opponents are Dylan Shaddox, Jeff Wadlin, Elle Jackson and Jeff Matkins.

Facilities may only resume visitation if they have gone at least 28 days without a new case of covid-19, according to Gov. Asa Hutchinson's directive. Facilities must also suspend visitation for 28 days if a resident or staff member tests positive for the virus.

The Arkansas Department of Health finished testing all nursing home residents and staff in June. The department is not necessarily retesting all residents and staff.

"We are providing guidance and recommendations to all nursing homes when there is a positive case reported to the Department of Health. The need for further testing is assessed at that time," according to McNeill.

Representatives of the Health Department, Arkansas Health Care Association and Department of Human Services said they did not keep track of which nursing homes and assisted living facilities have been mandated to suspend visitation because of new cases.