Visitor Restrictions Reduced
Changes to Long-term Care and Assisted Living Visitation
With vaccines bringing an important layer of protection for people living in long-term care and assisted living, visitor restrictions have been eased.
Starting this month, all residents in long-term care and assisted living can have frequent, routine social visitation opportunities. Eased restrictions include:
- Removing the requirement for a single designated social visitor to allow for additional family and friends to visit long-term care and assisted living residents;
- Expanding the number of visitors so up to two visitors, plus a child, will be allowed to visit at a time, allowing people to connect in small groups;
- Changing the allowable location of visits so family and friends can visit in residents’ rooms without staff present; and
- Allowing physical touch between visitors and residents, provided appropriate infection prevention and control measures, like masks and hand hygiene, are in place.
If outbreaks occur, social visitation will be suspended at the facility experiencing the situation.
Ongoing protection and prevention protocol will remain in place, and visitors will be required to:
- Book visits in advance
- Do a health screening
- Wear a medical mask
- Frequently wash hands and use hand sanitizer