New York state finally gave nursing homes permission to allow visitation July 15, but more than two weeks later, the overwhelming majority of nursing homes remain closed off to visitors. WBFO’s Older Adults Reporter Tom Dinki examines the slow reopening, which some blame on nursing homes not planning ahead and others blame on what they say are overly strict state guidelines.
Mary Jane Meinzer’s children visit her at Schofield Residence nursing home as much as possible in an effort to keep her mind sharp, said Meinzer’s daughter, Anne Kuczkowski.
So when New York state banned visitors from nursing homes in March, Kuczkowski was worried about even more than just the novel coronavirus.
“She's very smart and she has a great memory, but sitting in here, I'm afraid that that'll be lost,” she said.
Read and Listen to this full story from WBFO: https://news.wbfo.org/post/lack-planning-or-overly-strict-rules-fewer-1-5-ny-nursing-homes-are-open-visitors