Residents of skilled nursing facilities in Kentucky can begin to have visitors on July 15.
Extensive safety precautions are required under COVID-19 guidelines, and one nursing home in Henderson said it has all of those in place.
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All visits to Redbanks Skilled Nursing Center in Henderson will be by appointment only, Monday through Friday.
Each resident will be allowed two visitors at a time, for 30 minutes. All visitors will have their temperature taken and be screened for possible COVID-19 symptoms or contacts.
Redbanks Assistant Administrator Angie Head said social distancing will allow for three residents and their visitors at a time, in a designated area.
“The visiting will occur in an area close to the entry doorway. They are not allowed to go to residents’ rooms, as per the governor’s mandate,” said Head. “They will have to wear masks. They will have to stay six feet from the resident and there will be no physical contact between residents and family members.”
Due to social distancing requirements, only one family at a time will be allowed to visit residents in the portion of the nursing home for residents with dementia.
Head said the goal is to have each resident receive visitors at least once a week.
Redbanks had its 170 residents and 250 employees tested for COVID-19 last week, and all the tests came back negative, according to Head.
Before the in-person visits were allowed to begin under state guidelines, Head said residents stayed in touch with family and friends through social media.
The nursing home also had residents see family members through doors and windows during the time visiting was halted to prevent the spread COVID-19 among the elderly.
The state eased restrictions on other types of long-term care facilities on June 29.
That includes visits to residents in assisted living and personal care homes, and allowed communal meals and some group activities in those facilities.
