Coronavirus Update #124
Amended Directive and Order on Nursing Home and Healthcare Matters,
Updated Guidance on Outdoor Visits in Assisted Living,
Testing Compliance Due TODAY,
Additional Reminders
Amended Directive and Order on Nursing Home and Healthcare Matters


These documents will also be available on the Maryland Coronavirus website at  https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/pages/cdc-resources . 
UPDATED Guidance on Outdoor Visits in Assisted Living

The Maryland Department of Health today released updated guidance regarding outdoor visitation in assisted living facilities. The guidance for outdoor visitations at assisted living facilities has been amended to include that it is strongly recommended that there are no more than 2 visitors at a time per resident per visit. 

Reminder: Universal Testing Compliance - DUE TODAY

ACTION REQUIRED ASAP: This  memorandum from the Maryland Department of Health (MDH) was issued regarding mandatory COVID-19 Testing Compliance. A Compliance Analyst will be contacting administrators and providing testing results based on queries of the rosters provided by each facility. Additionally, the Compliance Analyst will provide a properly formatted copy of the combined staff and resident rosters your facility provided to MDH. 

Using the testing results provided by the State and any testing results provided to your facility directly from any laboratory, please update your rosters (excel spreadsheet) to produce one roster that includes the most recent test result for each individual on your combined staff and resident roster. 

Once created please use   MDH secure upload  to return your completed rosters and complete the mitigating action questionnaire and attestation.  This is required to be completed by 6pm TODAY to avoid potential penalty. Your Compliance Analyst will be your primary point of contact regarding this notice and you will be contacted soon with additional information. 
Reminder: MDH Guidance on Re-Opening

During the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic, various restrictions have been put into place by Maryland nursing homes to limit the introduction and spread of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in these settings.   
 
This document outlines the requirements that must be met by Maryland nursing homes to begin relaxing restrictions (sometimes referred to as “reopening”) that have been put in place during the COVID-19 pandemic. This document also outlines three progressive phases of relaxation with details about specific restrictions that can be relaxed during each phase and requirements that must be met before moving to the next phase. In addition, this guidance addresses outdoor visitation in nursing homes.

Please note that a separate document to guide the relaxing of restrictions in Maryland Assisted Living Facilities is forthcoming. We will share the guidance once it becomes available.
Reminder: MDH Webinar Call Recap

Yesterday, the Maryland Department of Health held a webinar call to update the long-term care sector on COVID-19 developments and best practices. The call was recorded, in case you were unable to join or would like to review the topics discussed, which included:

  • Review of current situation of COVID-19
  • Guidance updates
  • Clarification of observation guidance
  • Q&A


You can also view the webinar's  PowerPoint presentation here.

If you have any questions, please email  [email protected].
Reminder: FAQ on Managing Admissions and Readmissions for Maryland Nursing Homes

Yesterday, the Maryland Department of Health released this new FAQ on Managing Admissions and Readmissions for Maryland Nursing Homes.

This document is intended to assist nursing homes and local health departments with the interpretation of the requirements for managing new admissions and readmissions for Maryland Nursing Homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. Depending on the level of care and services provided in an assisted living facility, this document could also assist assisted living facilities with the management of newly admitted and readmitted residents.
Did you miss HFAM's previous alerts?

Visit our website to view all previous HFAM alerts, as well as guidance
from our federal and state partners.
Thank you.

We cannot thank you enough for the dedication and diligence in doing all that you can for the residents in your communities. HFAM continues to monitor the COVID-19 pandemic with our state and national partners and will do all we can to support you during this time.