Estate Planning Tips: Vaccine Boosts Confidence In Placing Loved Ones In Senior Nursing Facilities

While life is not anywhere close to being back to “normal,” the COVID19 vaccine is helping family members feel a bit more confident in placing their loved ones in long-term care nursing homes and senior care facilities again. Since the vaccine was approved in December, it has been rolling out to nursing home residents and staff throughout the country.

As the vaccine becomes available to the 65+ population as well as nursing homes and senior care facilities, visiting restrictions are being somewhat relaxed, on a state-by-state basis. Unlike during the early days of the pandemic when all senior resident facilities were locked down and residents could not have any visitors, there are circumstances that allow for visitation and, as the vaccine becomes more widely available, some experts suggest there is likely to be a return to a semblance of normalcy perhaps by this fall.

If you are exploring assisted living communities for a parent or loved one, be thorough in asking questions that will develop greater confidence and alleviate any possible stresses. Tours may be prohibited due to the virus, so your questions are going to have to address issues that you would have been able to see and sense with an in-person tour.

I’ve provided a few questions that I’m reposting from the NextAvenue website from an article entitled, What To Consider Before Moving A Parent Into Assisted Living During Covid-19, that you will want to have answered before consenting to place your family member or loved one in any long-term care community. The link to the article is provided at the end of the list of questions.

What are your protocols for testing residents and staff for coronavirus?  The Alzheimer’s Association’s goals for coronavirus testing in assisted living communities include daily testing of staff, testing all residents now to identify cases and administering additional tests later for residents showing symptoms. Please keep in mind that this is the ideal. Currently not all assisted living communities are close to that yet, partly due to lack of availability of COVID-19 tests.

Has your facility had COVID-19 cases? What is the infection rate there and how are you communicating with families about it? If there have been cases, ask how quickly the leadership notified families once they were diagnosed and how regularly updates are sent. Also, find out what the facility’s plan will be if a coronavirus outbreak occurs. To get these answers, you may need to speak with the executive director of the facility.

What safety protocols are in place to prevent COVID-19 from spreading?  For instance, how frequently are high-traffic spots such as elevator buttons disinfected, and do the residents congregate in dining rooms for meals or are meals delivered to apartments.

Of special interest, you’ll want to learn about the current move-in process. You’ll want to know if new residents are quarantined or tested for coronavirus prior to or upon arrival in the facility.

What are you doing to maintain and support your staff? The key to a good assisted living facility is its staff. So, you’ll want to see what management is doing to attract and keep excellent workers.

Hero pay, additional sick leave and supplemental benefits such as assistance with groceries or transportation are tangible ways for assisted living communities to support their employees. The incentives can help limit turnover, which is a clear benefit for residents in developing relationships with staff.

Since some employees may worry about working in senior communities during COVID-19 and passing the disease to their own families, it’s also worth asking if the facility has been able to maintain its pre-pandemic staffing levels.

How do you engage residents? Many art programs and activities were put on hold due to the pandemic. Remember that social isolation increases the risk of depression and cognitive decline in older adults, so you’ll want to explore if the facilities you are considering have been creative in developing alternative ways to keep residents entertained and active both mentally and physically.

https://www.nextavenue.org/moving-parent-into-assisted-living-covid-19/

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