Visitors to nursing homes should only be considered fully vaccinated if they have had a booster dose, if eligible, according to new guidance issued by the State’s health service.
In updated guidelines as nursing homes prepare for visits over Christmas, the Health Protection Surveillance Centre (HPSC) has advised nursing homes to take greater precautions in response to the emergence of the new, fast-spreading Omicron Covid-19 variant.
The HPSC has advised care homes that people who have had the virus in the previous nine months should be encouraged to avail of vaccination as soon as eligible.
It is also recommended that, in exceptional circumstances, if visitors and residents congregate closely outdoors during outdoor visits, masks should be worn.
Even though boosters have been administered for almost all residents, nursing homes are observing a high degree of vigilance due to the higher volume of infections expected from Omicron, with care facilities applying their own bespoke arrangements.
"If there are very high levels of virus in the community, then that will have an impact on nursing homes," said Tadhg Daly, chief executive of Nursing Homes Ireland, which represents private nursing home owners.
Sarah Lennon, executive director of Sage Advocacy, a group that supports older people, vulnerable adults and healthcare patients, said some families of residents have expressed concern that residents may have to isolate for five or 10 days, depending on their booster status, after visiting family homes for Christmas and returning to nursing homes.
‘Stark choice’
“The concern is that families are choosing between visiting them in nursing homes or bringing loved ones home for Christmas dinner and sending them back for either five or 10 days of isolation in their bedrooms. That is quite a stark choice,” she said.
Ms Lennon said the new guidance on fully vaccinated status also means younger people not yet eligible for boosters may not be able to visit loved ones in care homes.
“For some younger people, it will be challenging. It is definitely going to mean family separation over Christmas,” she said.
At Talbot Lodge nursing home in Malahide, Co Dublin, Eveline Sheeran, clinical director of the Brookhaven nursing home group, said they were managing a "balancing act" between what is "human and ethical" in ensuring "meaningful and positive" engagement between residents and families over Christmas, and what keeps residents safe.
She recognised that people were “frustrated, fed up and tired” with Covid-19 health measures, but that families were “very understanding” given the concern around the Omicron variant.
Ms Sheeran said the nursing home will be “risk-assessing” resident visits to family homes over Christmas: where they are going, how many people they will have exposure to, what the vaccination status of the household is and how long they will be there.
“On their return, we will have to take precautions in relation to PCR testing them, a level of isolation and if any of them was a contact of a close contact, they would have to follow the exact same guidance as in the community,” she said.
The nursing home is still facilitating indoor visits for relatives along with remote video and window visits so grandchildren can see grandparents over the festive period.
“It is not going to be the Christmas that we were expecting,” said Ms Sheeran.
“An awful lot of people felt that once we were vaccinated, there was going to be a little bit more freedom and unfortunately, there has been a little but not an awful lot.”
