Until January 3, 2021, family outings for nursing home residents will be exceptionally facilitated.

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JEFF PACHOUD-POOL / SIPA

  • On Saturday, the government published new recommendations for families with a loved one in a facility for the elderly.

  • The conditions relating to visits will be relaxed from Tuesday and until January 3, 2021 "in order to allow residents to enjoy the end of the year celebrations peacefully" specify the authorities.

  • If for the actors of the sector this temporary flexibility was necessary, the fear of a relaxation remains present.

Allow older people to experience the end of the year celebrations “serenely” while limiting the risk of an epidemic rebound in nursing homes.

Faced with this perilous equation, the government has opted for a temporary and “exceptional” “relaxation” of health restrictions.

Hard hit by the coronavirus and the effects of the first confinement, residents of nursing homes will benefit, like the rest of the population, from a "Christmas truce".

From this Tuesday, the "family outings of residents" will be facilitated and an "increase in the gauges [...] and the duration of the appointment slots can be considered", specifies the Ministry of Solidarity and Health.

Room visits, hitherto very limited, may also be authorized.

A decision welcomed by the players in the sector but which raises some fears.

Citizens "like the others"

For those around them as for the thousands of elderly people living in nursing homes, the announcements relating to the health protocol in the run-up to the end of the year holidays were eagerly awaited.

Consulted with other actors by the minister responsible for autonomy, the director of AD-PA (Association of directors in the service of the elderly) Romain Gizolme welcomes a “favorable decision”: “This relaxation is consistent with the all the measures announced by the Prime Minister for the holiday season and remind everyone that the elderly are citizens like any other ”.

Concretely, from Tuesday to January 3, nursing home directors will be able to organize meals in small groups (6 people per table and per room) and collective activities for non-Covid residents.

Outings within families will be exceptionally authorized to allow the elderly to find their entourage.

But a PCR test will be compulsory upon their return to the establishment.

If isolation in a room for seven days after this release is only made compulsory for residents who test positive, all those who have shared a moment outside will then have to “refrain from participating in group activities” for a week.

Isolation that does not speak its name?

“If you can't access meals and activities, you end up isolated in your home.

On this point, we could have made do with quarantine for meals only, which are risky moments since wearing a mask is impossible ”, regrets Romain Gizolme.

External reinforcements

Already reinforced locally by volunteers or young people in civic service, the teams within the establishments will always be able to benefit from “external” reinforcements, indicates the Ministry of Solidarity.

“The more visits you make, the more staff you need to have to ensure proper compliance with the protocol, […] regional health agencies will have to come to support the establishments”, indicates the director of AD-PA .

But on this point, the national union of retirement homes (Synerpa) is reassuring.

“Today, we feel capable of ensuring this new protocol to allow residents to celebrate Christmas.

Unlike the start of the school year in September, we did not receive any alerts relating to personnel issues, ”assures Florence Arnaiz-Maumé, the general delegate of Synerpa.

The fear of slackening off?

In addition to these human concerns, there are health concerns.

“We are extremely in favor of maintaining the family link in order to fight against psychological distress, but families really need to understand that this is not a general relaxation of health guidelines.

The virus is not going to celebrate Christmas elsewhere ”, warns Gaël Durand, co-president of the national association of coordinating doctors in nursing homes and medico-social (mcoor).

Since March, 17,159 people residing in nursing homes and in medico-social establishments have died from the coronavirus.

"The situation remains worrying with the appearance of new clusters and a significant upturn in the contamination rate in certain regions", continues the doctor.

Our file on the coronavirus

A "constant" concern for the nursing teams and the staff recognizes Romain Gizolme, who should not however guide the behavior to be adopted for the residents and their relatives: "All the establishments are in a kind of permanent vigilance.

But it can't go on like that ”.

A point of view shared by the Synerpa delegate, Florence Arnaiz-Maumé, who concludes: “We are always in a search for a balance between health protection and protection of fundamental freedoms.

During the first lockdown, the balance tipped in favor of protecting residents.

But today, we have a better knowledge of the disease, we have sufficient masks and protection.

We must be able to adapt.

"

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Coronavirus: "Relaxation" of health instructions in nursing homes for the end of the year celebrations

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