If the elders are vaccinated, how long will it take you to be able to meet (and hug) them?

The watershed moment has arrived for many families: this week Health care workers From CVS And WalgreensFan out to nursing homes nationwide to get started, under a contract from the federal government vaccination Residents against Coronavirus.. Shots not only help protect the country’s older and vulnerable people, and the staff who care for them, but also increase the likelihood of ending the catastrophic quarantine that many inhabitants have felt for months. I will.

The family hopes to eventually visit their parents, grandparents, aunts, uncles, and other loved ones on a regular basis. I asked an expert about some common questions.

Will visit restrictions be lifted soon?

Probably not a big deal. Limits vary from state to state, and guidance on what the federal government considers safe is currently valid. They have already allowed visits under certain conditions. The Medicare & Medicaid Service Center (CMS) recommended in September that it would also allow outdoor and indoor visits with residents if the facility had no cases for 14 days.

Some medical professionals have stated that these guidelines are too loose and visits should be severely restricted and banned. However, some of these experts now say that vaccines change the equation somewhat.

“Once all residents are vaccinated, it opens the door to ease restrictions,” said Michael Wasser, a former president of the California Long-Term Care Medical Association, an elderly doctor and former executive of the Elderly Housing with Care chain. Dr. Mann said.

To allow visits, Wasserman recommends that all residents of a nursing home be vaccinated (unless there is a condition or allergy that discourages vaccination for medical reasons). All staff must be vaccinated. Nursing homes must have the ability to ensure that visitors are negative for coronavirus testing and have been disciplined for wearing masks in public.

Is the vaccine safe and effective for the elderly and frail residents of Elderly Housing with Care?

Pfizer and Moderna vaccine clinical trials included people over the age of 65, and the results showed that it was safe and worked in the elderly as well as in the young.

“This vaccine has undergone testing and clinical trials to ensure that it meets the highest safety standards. It’s safe to be already infected with the virus,” said the American Medical Association. This is a campaign to encourage people to take shots by the National Consumer Affairs Center of Japan, an industry group that represents nursing homes and the living support community.

Seema Verma, CMS Chief Administrator, strengthened confidence in injections in older patients, including those in good health, in a statement last week. “We urge the state to prioritize nursing homes and vulnerable older people in the distribution of vaccines.”

In this regard, Dr. Sabinephone Place Friedman, Chief Medical Officer of the Avalon Healthcare Group, which operates nursing homes, said the new vaccine is “safe and effective.”

Do I need to visit as soon as the restrictions are relaxed?
Both the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines require two injections, an initial injection and a booster after 3-4 weeks. Von Preyss-Friedman recommends waiting at least two weeks after the second shot before visiting.

“You want these vaccines to work, but these are older patients,” she said. “You want to make a mistake on the protection side.”

She said that ideally visitors would also be vaccinated. Shots are not widely available for months, so it may be best to wait until you get the vaccine. Until then, she believes that nursing homes should consider visiting on a case-by-case basis.

Do visitors still need to wear a mask?

Absolutely, the medical expert said. Dr. Joshua Wi, a geriatric scholar and associate professor at the University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine and Renaissance Medical Director, said, “until the proportion of the community declines,” even after vaccination, especially if not vaccinated. “. Philadelphia Nursing Home, Healthcare & Rehabilitation Center.

Uy said he hopes the federal government will provide sufficient personal protective equipment so that all visitors and residents will be able to properly wear gowns for such visits.

What is being done to encourage the residents of nursing homes to be vaccinated?

An industry group that combines Nursing Homes and Assisted Living has launched a program aimed at helping nursing homes and other care facilities explain to the population the essential need to obtain vaccines. Campaign #getvaccinated states: “Elderly people are at much higher risk of getting very ill, hospitalized, or dying. COVID-19 (new coronavirus infection) (# If there is no character limit, add parentheses when it first appears.. Vaccines have been shown to provide great protection against serious illnesses caused by Covid-19. ”

But the people they love most may have more effective persuasive power. Family members can help by encouraging parents and grandparents in nursing homes to get vaccinated, Uy said.

“Vaccines will be our way,” he said.