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Hospital Procedures

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 1 February 2022

Tuesday, 1 February 2022

Questions (768)

Brendan Griffin

Question:

768. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Health when visiting hours will resume in nursing homes and hospitals given that pubs and restaurants are operating at normal hours (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4986/22]

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Written answers

The Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) has recently published “COVID-19: Normalising Access in Long Term Residential Care Facilities (LTRCFs)”, which will come into effect on 8 February 2022. The guidance takes account of the significant changes to national public health measures in general, whilst also recognising the need for continued vigilance in healthcare settings, including Nursing homes due to the increased vulnerability of people receiving care and/or living in these settings. The guidance continues to recognise the importance of visiting and meaningful social contact for residents. This is a positive further step forward to a return to more normalised access and visiting for people living in nursing homes and their families.

Key changes of note to the guidance are as follows:

- The minimum level of visiting should normally be daily visits by up to 2 people at one time.

- The introduction of a “nominated support person”, who should normally have regular and unrestricted access to the resident in the nursing home for whom they are nominated, except if that person is a specific risk to residents (e.g., is subject to self-isolation) or there is specific public health or infection prevention and control advice to limit visitors. This will be in addition to regular visiting.

- Unless specifically advised by public health, at an early stage of outbreak, the nominated support person should continue to have access for some part of each day. If a resident does not have a nominated support person, visiting should generally not be less than 2 visits per week by one person during an outbreak.

- Limitations on visiting should be justified by an up-to-date risk assessment and should be reassessed twice each week.

- There should be no restrictions on movement of residents within the nursing home after going on outings or visits outside of the nursing home unless a significant exposure risk occurred during the outing.

- There will no longer be a need for visitors to show immunity through vaccination or previous infection.

- In line with established guidance, there remains no infection prevention and control requirement to restrict window visits.

This revised visiting guidance is yet another significant step forward in the return to more normalised access and visiting for people living in nursing homes and their families. I expect that all nursing home providers will ensure that they facilitate visiting in line with this new guidance to the greatest extent possible.

Visitors are reminded of their responsibilities with regard to self-checks for COVID-19 in advance of visits, and infection and prevention control and social interaction with others other than the resident they are visiting whilst in the nursing home.

COVID-19 is a continuing risk, especially when community transmission is high. It is appropriate that the significant infection prevention and control and public health guidance remains in place for residential care settings. The State continues to provide substantial support to aid the ongoing management of COVID-19 in these settings.

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