On Monday, March 9, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) issued revised guidance for nursing homes relating to COVID-19.

The new guidance confirms nursing homes should be implementing visitor restrictions, including limiting visitors if the nursing home is located within or adjacent to a county with a confirmed COVID-19 case.  Notably, all nursing homes are encouraged by the guidance to discourage visitation.

All nursing homes in Iowa should be updating their visitation policies in light of the new guidance and proactively contacting residents and resident family members to communicate new restrictions.

We continue to believe the best strategy for nursing homes is to implement aggressive measures to keep the virus out of their communities for as long as possible. Contact legal counsel if you need assistance updating policies or communicating with residents and families.