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Residents of long-term residential care facilities, including nursing homes, will be able to receive two visits per week starting today.
Guidelines issued by the Health Department say visits will be allowed for general compassionate reasons, where a facility has a high standard of vaccinations.
Level 5 restrictions introduced earlier in the year have been challenging for much of the population.
For residents and families of those in residential facilities such as nursing homes, it has been particularly difficult.
For the past three months, some compassionate visits were allowed, but there are residents who have not seen loved ones since December.
Starting today, if there is a high level of vaccination in a nursing home, residents can receive two visits per week.
The guidelines say there is no requirement to limit those visits to less than an hour.
Visitors must wear masks or PPE and book appointments in advance.
While some nursing homes are cautious about reopening to visitors, the National Public Health Emergency Team has said that nursing homes have an obligation to implement the guidelines.
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The manager of Kiltormer Nursing Home in Co Galway has welcomed the return of nursing home visits and said residents and staff are very excited about it.
Speaking on RTÉ’s Morning Ireland, Gordon Glynn said that today’s first visitor will be a woman coming to see her husband of more than 50 years, after a year of window visits.
He said the nursing home “will attach great importance to it” and celebrate the beginning of what will be a good, positive and extremely emotional day.
Mairead Blackall, whose 94-year-old mother lives in a nursing home in Co Kildare, said she will not be able to see her mother before Wednesday because visits need to be arranged in advance, but said she is looking forward to seeing her. her after a very difficult year.
Speaking about the same program, Ms. Blackall said that window visits were not an appropriate substitute and that she has not been able to hug her mother, and her mother has not been able to see her grandchildren or great-grandchildren for the past year.
Nursing homes urged to adhere to the latest guidelines
Sage, the vulnerable adult advocacy and support service, has urged nursing home providers to “respect and comply” with the latest visiting guide.
The organization said some providers have already informed residents and families that they will not facilitate two visits per week.
Sage CEO Sarah Lennon said some nursing home providers “are offering only one 30-minute visit each week” and the organization has also been informed that other nursing homes are insisting on lateral flow testing. , which are not required by the guidelines, he added. .
She said Sage is also aware of a residential home that has informed families that there will be no inland visits this week.
Ms. Lennon asked Minister of Health Stephen Donnelly and Minister of Mental Health and Aging Mary Butler to ensure that nursing home providers adhere to and adhere to the new guideline.
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