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The announcement of the date to resume visits to users caught the home administration entities by surprise, who are surprised that they have not been heard on this matter.
Visits to users of nursing homes and long-term care units can be resumed from Monday 18, according to the instructions of the General Directorate of Health (DGS). Visits should be scheduled and carried out in a specific space, preferably outside the institution, keeping the two meter safety distance.
According to JN, the protests of the Portuguese União das Misericórdias (UMP) led to contradictory exchanges of correspondence between government entities. At the end of Monday afternoon, the Undersecretary of State for Social Action even informed the National Confederation of Solidarity Institutions (CNIS) and the UMP that the DGS guidelines would not take effect, “according to the latest request by the Ministry of Health” . The DGS rule was maintained, in any case, Posted online.
According to the note signed by the general director of Health, Graça Freitas, “visits must respect a maximum number per day and per user, being, in a first stage, one visitor per user, once a week (This limit can be adjusted according to the conditions of the institution and the local epidemiological situation, together with the local health authority and according to the risk assessment) “.
DGS wants “prior scheduling of visits“and a record with the names of the visitor and the elderly person, the contacts and the meeting time, which must not exceed 90 minutes. The institution will ensure that the visit takes place in a “self-contained, spacious and ventilated space (ideally, outside space)” and not “in the user’s living room or rooms”, unless the user is “bedridden”.
Hand hygiene products should be available, “visitors should wear a mask, preferably a surgical mask” and “should not carry personal belongings, food or other products.”
Visits to nursing homes were suspended from March 8 in the northern region. The ban was extended to the entire country on the 16th, in the context of the covid-19 pandemic.
In April, more than 17,000 screening tests for the new coronavirus were conducted in nursing homes, with authorities aiming to reach 70,000 in May.
Since the outbreak began in March, 450 infected older people have died in homes, Graça Freitas said last Saturday (May 9).
According to the Social Security Institute, there are about 80,000 older people in households.
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