NEW ORLEANS — Federal officials now recommend even unvaccinated visitors and residents of nursing homes be allowed to meet in person under most circumstances.
Metairie attorney Trey Mustian called it great news.
His mother Maxine lives at St. Joseph’s, a senior living facility in Harahan.
“I’m really excited and my mother who is 90 years old has been in a nursing home for five years is very excited about it,” Mustian said. “I haven’t been in her room in a year, a year today.”
One year ago, nursing homes in Louisiana went on lockdown as the Coronavirus spread quickly among many elderly residents.
Mustian said now that his mother and most of her neighbors have been vaccinated, the time is right to resume indoor visits.
“I think it has been devastating for so many of these people, not being able to get a hug from your child or your grandchildren,” Mustian said. “The day in and day out boredom of not seeing other people, it’s been very hard for them.”
Deacon Jeff Tully is the CEO of Notre Dame Health Systems.
The company runs three nursing homes for the Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans.
Tully says the new rules are a turning point in the pandemic.
“For us it’s like Easter Sunday, the resurrection,” Tully said. “For us it’s like after Good Friday comes the good stuff. For the last year it’s been Good Friday.”
According to the new guidelines, nursing homes should limit visitation:
- When unvaccinated residents are in a facility where less than 70% of residents are fully vaccinated.
- While the parish where it’s located has a COVID-19 test positive rate greater than 10%.
- When residents are confirmed to be infected with COVID-19 or are in quarantine.
“We’re still going to require masks,” Tully said. “We’re still going to require people to take their temperature, we’re still going to require hand sanitizers.”
Trey Mustian said with the new rules in place, his family can finally celebrate his mother’s 90th birthday in person.
“I had a long talk with her last night and I could tell she was excited about it." he said.
The state health department signed off on the new guidelines Friday afternoon.
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