Consumer Voice is very pleased to announce that yesterday, after six months of strict visitation restrictions in nursing homes, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) released a memo significantly easing those restrictions. The new guidance, which is effective immediately, permits outdoor visitation, indoor visitation, and compassionate care visits and lays out a framework for those visits. CMS notes that this guidance replaces all previous guidance.
Consumer Voice, along with other advocates, has been urging CMS to lift visitation limitations, noting the devastating effect being separated from their loved ones has had on residents. We commend the agency for responding to these concerns and recognizing the value and importance of residents’ connections with family and friends. We thank CMS for these changes, which will make a critical difference in the lives of residents, and look forward to continuing to work with CMS toward full restoration of residents’ visitation rights.
Below are key highlights from the September 17th CMS memo.