While pandemic restrictions are lifting for most, some families of nursing home residents are frustrated their loved ones are still under strict guidelines.

Since the COVID-19 shutdown 16 months ago, most communication between Rita Drake and her family has been through video chat.

“It’s true! I’ve been stuck at Glendale all this time,” says Drake.

Rita has lived at Glendale Home in Schenectady for about three years. Her family relied on those calls and window visits to stay connected.

“It’s been a very emotional kind of thing, trying to find a way to communicate with her and keep her uplifted,” says Rita’s daughter, Diane DeGiovine.

Diane hoped that would change when the county loosened its visitation policy in late February, allowing – for the first time in nearly a year – one-hour visits with residents in their rooms.

But Diane estimates around six of the family visits have been canceled since then. Sometimes it happens when an unvaccinated employee tests positive for COVID-19.

“That’s been hard,” says DeGiovine. “I get it, some people don’t want the vaccination, but it’s having a very direct effect on the residents.”

The Schenectady County Department of Health sent Spectrum News 1 this statement:

“Visitation is currently open at Glendale. Until recently, nursing home visitation was strictly regulated by the NYS Department of Health when a positive COVID-19 case occurred. When that happened, visitation could be shut down for the entire building or for specific units, depending on potential exposure to the positive case, and could only resume when authorized by NYS DOH. During that time, Schenectady County worked with NYS DOH to identify alternate visitation options when possible, including outside visitations, so family members could visit their loved ones that might have otherwise been restricted.

"Visitation guidance changed recently due to the expiration of the state’s disaster emergency declaration. NYS DOH now primarily only regulates indoor visitation in the event of a positive case, making it less likely that visitations will be affected, as long as the weather permits outdoor visitation.”

“Everybody else is able to go out and go to a doctor’s appointment and go see a friend, go to a gathering now; why are the nursing home residents being treated differently?” asks DeGiovine.

Letters to elected officials, including Gov. Andrew Cuomo, have gone unanswered.

“I think they’re forgotten,” says DeGiovine. “You hear about kids, people outraged because kids still have to wear masks, and I get that too, I get it all but this is a population of people that no one is thinking about.”

Diane says she’s glad the nursing home wants to protect its residents. She’s just concerned about the time she’s missing out on with her mom.

“It seems as if this continues, her relationship with her family members is going to deteriorate,” says DeGiovine.