LANSING, Mich. — The Michigan Department of Health and Human Services has updated its visitation rules for residential care facilities in lieu of changes made to the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services guidance, according to Michigan State Police.
“Throughout the pandemic we have focused on protecting vulnerable long-term care residents from COVID-19,” says MDHHS Director Elizabeth Hertel. “The new CMS guidance provides reasonable ways these facilities can safely facilitate in-person visitation to address the needs of residents.”
We’re told the updated order requires care facilities to continue providing safe dining and activities for residents, inform residents and staff of confirmed coronavirus cases as soon as possible, and to report positive cases to MDHHS.
CMS guidance says indoor and outdoor visitations should be accommodated, given that the facility in question has not seen new COVID cases within the previous 14 days, state police say.