February 26, 2021
By:
NHC Smithville’s position on visitation will remain the same after the Tennessee Department of Health’s visitation restrictions for long-term care facilities end on February 28.
The Tennessee Health Care Association said yesterday, “…Tennessee’s skilled nursing facilities are still required to follow visitation guidance from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and state-licensed long-term care facilities – including assisted living, residential homes for the aged, and any nursing home not certified by CMS – have been encouraged by the state to reference the CMS guidance when developing their facility-specific visitation policies.”
CMS issued a memo on September 17, 2020 for long-term care facilities to develop their plans for visitation and socialization during the public health emergency. Although the state is changing its restrictions, the federal government has not yet.
“Our processes at NHC will remain the same because they were developed based on CMS guidance,” said Ryan Vaden, Administrator. “Patients have already begun visiting with families as conditions allow according to NHC’s previously established policy.
“As cases go down statewide and more people get vaccinated, we are very optimistic about where we are in the fight against COVID-19,” Vaden said. “The future is bright, but we are not out of the woods yet in protecting those at highest risk.”
Visits with patients must be scheduled in advance by calling NHC Smithville at 615-597-4284.
###