TEXAS — New rules for Texas nursing homes mean visitors will be allowed to see their loved ones in person for the first time in nearly five months.
Visits must be either outdoors, or indoors with a Plexiglas barrier, and no touching or physical contact is allowed.
Any in-person visits are only permitted if there are no active COVID-19 cases among people living at the home.
Nearly one-third of Texas' more than 7,000 coronavirus-related deaths have been people in nursing homes, and while some families are ecstatic about being able to see their loved ones again, others say the restrictions are still too severe.
Genny Lutzel normally visits her 80-year-old mother Paula in her assisted living facility at least three to four times a week.
Her mother has advanced Alzheimer’s and can’t speak or walk, but the two still cherish the time together.
“Sitting with her in a recliner or sometimes we would just visit, I would show her pictures on my phone, and just spend that quality time with her," said Lutzel.
Genny hasn’t been able to be in the same room with her mother since the start of the pandemic — it’s been more than four months since they’ve touched.
“[It's] left me with many sleepless nights wondering what is going on with her. You know, am I missing something? She has the very best care that a person could ask for, but that is simply no substitute for family," said Lutzel.
She says she has been an essential part of her mother's care for years, and not being able to be there in person, significantly hinders her ability to be an effective advocate for her mother.
"I have been her advocate and her shadow, because my mom cannot speak for herself. She wouldn't be able to tell you her name, her birthday, what medicine she might be taking, how she's feeling, her health history. She is not able to do those things. And so I have been the team partner, and taking care of her," said Lutzel.
She still visits her mother through a window, but she says it's not the same.
“She does not comprehend what is happening here. I miss the connection, the non-verbal interaction with her. I think that she thrives when she knows someone is there for her, I think she thrives on a daughter's kiss, a family hug," said Lutzel.
Now the State of Texas has revised the visitation requirements for nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
There’s still no touching allowed, and meetings have to be outside or inside with a Plexiglas barrier.
Lutzel says that’s not enough.
“She either wants to touch my hair, touch my glasses or touch my nose, or pat me. And so she’s trying to do that through a closed window, and so at times I have to say, 'Am I creating a situation where it’s frustrating her?' Because she touches the glass and it startles her; she doesn’t understand it. It’s just cruel," said Lutzel.
She’s part of a group called Caregivers for Compromise, that want non-medical family members to be designated as essential caregivers so they can see their loved ones with proper training and PPE.
“We’re intelligent family members, we understand the risks involved. We understand more than they know what it takes to keep our loved ones safe," said Lutzel, who says the past few months have not only had her concerned about her mother's well-being, but have been extremely painful.
“When my mom moved here, she asked family to take care of her. The emotional impact is that, without seeing her in person, that feels like a failure on my part," said Lutzel, who says the risk of in-person contact is worth it.
“Listen to families who are suffering the absence. We are not talking about someone who has multiple years ahead of them. They have limited time," said Lutzel.
