Families Disapprove of COVID-19 Restrictions at Retirement Homes

 

When they visit their mother, Barbara and Christine Colucci want to take off their face coverings and give her a kiss. Their 102-year-old mother, who has dementia, lives in a home for retired¹ adults in the state of New York. The two women also want to have more family members in their mother's room at the same time. But current restrictions² prevent that.

"We don't know how much longer she's going to be alive," Christine Colucci said, "so...please, give us this last chance with her in her final months on this earth."

Pandemic restrictions are easing⁴ almost everywhere — except inside many of America's nursing homes. Rules designed to protect the nation's most at-risk people from COVID-19 are still being enforced⁵. However, 75 percent of nursing home residents⁷ are vaccinated⁸ and infections and deaths have decreased sharply¹⁰.

Families around the country are unhappy with the rules. Hugs and kisses are banned in some nursing homes. Residents are eating meals alone and doing activities at a distance. Visits are limited and must be kept short. And visitors are not welcome if tests show that someone has the coronavirus.

Family members and their supporters question the need for such restrictions when the risk of spreading the virus is low. They say the measures are just worsening older people's loneliness and increased mental and physical difficulties.

Eighty-year-old Marian Rauenzahn lives in a nursing home in Pennsylvania. She had COVID-19 and then lost part of a leg to an unrelated infection. But her daughter, Denise Gracely, said her biggest struggle is being alone. She was having visits six days a week and now she has none, Gracely said.

Gracely and her sisters can now see their mother once a week. The nursing home said it plans to ease³ visiting rules for all residents in late June. But that is not enough.

"I believe it's progressed her dementia," Gracely said. "She's very lonely. She wants [to get] out of there so bad."

Pennsylvania's long-term care ombudsman has gotten hundreds of complaints about visitation rules this year. Kim Shetler is with the ombudsman's office. She said some nursing homes' COVID-19 rules are more restrictive than state and federal¹¹ requirements. Officials have been doing what they feel is necessary to keep people safe, she said. But families are not pleased.

A recent public opinion study by the group National Consumer Voice for Quality Long-Term Care found that time limits on visits remain common. They go from 15 minutes to two hours. Some places limit visits to weekdays. This can make it difficult for people with daytime jobs.

Rauenzahn's Pennsylvania nursing home has been limiting most residents to just one, 30-minute visit every two weeks.

On June 11, the Consumer Voice and several other activist¹² groups wrote a letter calling for an end to visiting restrictions at nursing homes. The letter was directed at the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services, a part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The letter said residents continue to suffer from loneliness and mental harm because of limited visits from loved ones.

Activists¹³ also disagree with federal guidance on how nursing homes deal with new COVID-19 cases. The guidance says most visits should be suspended¹⁴ for at least 14 days. Some critics say that the suggestion leads to strong restrictions because of one or two cases.

Jason Santiago is the top executive¹⁵ at The Manor¹⁶ at Seneca Hill, a nursing home in the state of New York. He told the Associated Press that being kept alone affected¹⁷ his residents. "We've got to do things that make more sense for these residents, make more sense for these families," he said.

The federal government recently eased⁹ restrictions for vaccinated nursing home residents. But New York has not followed that move. People who eat together in common spaces must remain socially distanced, for example. They also must wear face coverings. It does not matter if they are vaccinated. In addition, they must stay two meters apart during activities.

Nancy Kass is a public health expert at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Kass said she does not understand the continuing restrictions, which are affecting the residents' quality of life.

But she noted¹⁸ that the coronavirus has infected more than 650,000 long-term-care residents in America and killed more than 130,000 of them. Nursing homes had to be very careful when COVID-19 was out of control, she added.

Words in This Story

dementia –n. a mental sickness that causes someone to be unable to think clearly or to understand what is real and what is not

nursing home –n. a place where people who are old and unable to take care of themselves can live and be taken care of

resident⁶ –n. someone who lives in a particular place

hug –n. the act of putting our arms around someone especially as a way of showing love or friendship

ombudsman –n. a government officials or employee who investigates complaints and tries to deal with problems fairly

complaint –n. a statement that a person is unhappy or not satisfied with something

1 retired   

adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的

参考例句：

• The old man retired to the country for rest.这位老人下乡休息去了。
• Many retired people take up gardening as a hobby.许多退休的人都以从事园艺为嗜好。

2 restrictions   

约束( restriction的名词复数 )； 管制； 制约因素； 带限制性的条件（或规则）

参考例句：

• I found the restrictions irksome. 我对那些限制感到很烦。
• a snaggle of restrictions 杂乱无章的种种限制

3 ease   

n. 安乐,安逸,悠闲; v. 使...安乐,使...安心,减轻,放松

参考例句：

• His mind was at ease and he felt confident in the future. 他心情舒畅,对前途很有信心。
• You should ease up on the child and stop scolding her. 你应该对那个孩子宽松些,不要再骂她了。

4 easing   

松开，放松

参考例句：

• Eucalyptus oil is good for easing muscular aches and pains. 桉树油可以很好地缓解肌肉的疼痛。
• Everywhere at about the same time the work was easing off. 几乎在同一时候，到处工作都搞完了。 来自英汉文学

5 enforced   

n.强迫的v.实施( enforce的过去式和过去分词 )；执行；强迫；强制执行

参考例句：

• a period of enforced absence 不得不离开的一段时间
• This reform must be enforced. 此项改革势在必行。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》

6 resident   

a.居住的，居留的；住校的，住院的

参考例句：

• I've been resident in this place for five years. 我已经在这个地方住了五年。
• They engaged a resident tutor. 他们聘用了一名住家的家庭教师。

7 residents   

n.居民( resident的名词复数 )；（旅馆的）住宿者

参考例句：

• Plans to build a new mall were deep-sixed after protests from local residents. 修建新室内购物中心的计划由于当地居民反对而搁浅。
• Local residents have reacted angrily to the news. 当地居民对这一消息表示愤怒。

8 vaccinated   

[医]已接种的，种痘的，接种过疫菌的

参考例句：

• I was vaccinated against tetanus. 我接种了破伤风疫苗。
• Were you vaccinated against smallpox as a child? 你小时候打过天花疫苗吗？

9 eased   

adj. 放松的 动词ease的过去式和过去分词形式

参考例句：

• After the patient received acupuncture treatment,his spasms eased off somewhat. 病人接受针刺治疗后，痉挛稍微减轻了。
• The news that her child was safe eased her mind. 孩子平安的消息使她放心了。

10 sharply   

adj.锐利地，急速；adv.严厉地，鲜明地

参考例句：

• The plane dived sharply and rose again.飞机猛然俯冲而后又拉了起来。
• Demand for personal computers has risen sharply.对个人电脑的需求急剧增长。

11 federal   

adj.联盟的；联邦的；(美国)联邦政府的

参考例句：

• Switzerland is a federal republic.瑞士是一个联邦共和国。
• The schools are screaming for federal aid.那些学校强烈要求联邦政府的援助。

12 activist   

n.活动分子，积极分子

参考例句：

• He's been a trade union activist for many years.多年来他一直是工会的积极分子。
• He is a social activist in our factory.他是我厂的社会活动积极分子。

13 activists   

n.（政治活动的）积极分子，活动家( activist的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• His research work was attacked by animal rights activists . 他的研究受到了动物权益维护者的抨击。
• Party activists with lower middle class pedigrees are numerous. 党的激进分子中有很多出身于中产阶级下层。 来自《简明英汉词典》

14 suspended   

a.被暂时搁置的

参考例句：

• A lamp was suspended from the ceiling. 一盏吊灯悬在天花板上。
• The British government has now suspended humanitarian aid to the area. 英国政府现已暂停对这一地区的人道主义援助。

15 executive   

adj.执行的，行政的；n.执行者，行政官，经理

参考例句：

• A good executive usually gets on well with people.一个好的高级管理人员通常与人们相处得很好。
• He is a man of great executive ability.他是个具有极高管理能力的人。

16 manor   

n.庄园，领地

参考例句：

• The builder of the manor house is a direct ancestor of the present owner.建造这幢庄园的人就是它现在主人的一个直系祖先。
• I am not lord of the manor,but its lady.我并非此地的领主，而是这儿的女主人。

17 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

18 noted   

adj.著名的，知名的

参考例句：

• The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
• Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。