Texas nursing homes to allow some visitors as Gov. Abbott loosens COVID-19 restrictions

Texas nursing home residents will be allowed up to two essential caregivers, who can be family members or friends, who can visit them beginning next week.

The announcement was made as part of Gov. Greg Abbott’s loosening of coronavirus-related restrictions across the state on Thursday.

The essential caregivers, designated by the resident or a stand-in, will be trained and then allowed to go in a resident’s room for visits scheduled through the facility. One essential caregiver is allowed inside a room at any given time.

Designated caregivers must test negative less than two weeks before their scheduled visit. PPE must be worn by visitors at all times, but there are no social distancing rules.

Mary Nichols, founder of Texas Caregivers for Compromise, was pleased after hearing the governor's announcement.

“They must comply with certain health protocols and there must be no COVID-19 outbreak at those facilities,” Abbott said.

Nichols said an earlier requirement for a facility to have no COVID-19 cases for 14 days was unrealistic and kept the vast majority of nursing homes closed to visitors.

“Forty nursing homes out of the 1,223 in the state were approved for Phase 1,” Nichols said.

For many whose loved ones have already died in isolation, the news is too late. Nichols' group created yellow yard signs to illustrate the number of people who have died alone or are living in isolation.

“Almost every week… almost every day now, someone in our group announces the death of their loved one and it’s almost always not related to COVID. It’s due to severe weight loss, loss of will to live, the incredible advancement of cognitive decline,” Nichols said.

Nichols is concerned about her mother who is 76 years old and has late stage Alzheimer’s.

“It is difficult, day after day, to live with that anxiety of waiting for that phone call that your loved one has died without you being able to see them,” Nichols said.

She last saw her mother in March.

“We said, ‘We’ll see you tomorrow’ and we didn’t see her. That was the last time we saw her, March 12,” Nichols said.

Nichols only has a camera to see her mother, even though they live only five minutes away from each other in Forney.

“Whatever time she has left, I want that time to be spent hearing someone who loves her, reading to her talking to her, telling her she is important and she matters,” Nichols said.

In addition to the designated caregivers, general visitors will also be allowed, but will need to be behind Plexiglass safety barriers. Physical contact between residents and general visitors will not be permitted.