Visitation Policy

Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) has revised federal guidance for nursing home visitation, which now permits visitation in our Center.

With the Long Island community continuing to see case of COVID-19, we must remind visitors of the potential risk of exposure to COVID-19, as occasional positive test results among staff or residents arise.    We continue to employ strict infection prevention measures to ensure your safety as well as that of our residents and staff. In addition to enhanced sanitizing efforts, our staff is continuously educated on protocols for infection control, both at work and in their personal lives.  Staff are vaccinated and wear appropriate PPE when caring for our residents.  Every effort is made in caring for our residents to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

New Visitor Testing Requirement

Effective January 2022, the NY State Department of Health now requires all nursing home visitors to be tested for COVID-19 prior to visiting.

A rapid test taken within 24-hours of the visit, or a PCR test taken within 48-hours is required. Should you be unable to obtain a test in the required timeframe, a limited number of tests will be available for visitor use as visitors enter the building, but please expect wait times of up to 30 minutes if you test must onsite.

Testing Procedure

1.If you have a test report within the required timeframe, bring the result with you for authorization prior to your visit. If it is an at-home test, please take a photo of the final result and be prepared to present the photo upon entering the facility.

2. If you are unable to obtain a test prior to visiting, please park in the 10-minute zone outside of the front doors upon your arrival.

3.Enter the facility and obtain a test kit and form from reception.

4.Return to your car and follow the directions to administer the test to  yourself.  While waiting for test results, fill out the form. After waiting the allotted time, check results.

5. IF POSITIVE — PLEASE DO NOT REENTER THE FACILITY.  Return home and follow CDC guidance for when it is safe to return to visit.

6. If negative, place the test in the bag provided, seal it, and bring it and the form into the facility for verification. As all visitors will need to show proof of a negative test or be tested upon arrival, please expect wait times up to 30 minutes (if you are testing), or 10 minutes if you are showing a negative test result obtained elsewhere.

Visitors must adhere to the core principles of  infection prevention to keep our residents and staff safe. Visitors must wear face coverings or masks upon entering the facility and during visits, regardless of vaccination status, and visits should ideally occur in the resident’s room.

Full Visitation Guidelines

Please read and follow these guidelines:

1. All visitors must wear a mask upon entering the facility, and always while in the facility. If you are wearing a cloth mask, we will provide you with a surgical mask to wear under your cloth mask.
2. Visitors will be screened prior to admittance. This will include questions regarding your current state of health, and recent contact with a COVID-19 positive person. Your temperature will be taken. Screening questions will be answered using the facility kiosk.
3. Visitors will be denied entrance if they report or are observed with signs/symptoms of COVID-19 infection, have had recent exposure to a COVID-19 positive person, and/or have a temperature of 100.4 degrees or greater.
4. Visitors must have received a negative SARS-CoV-2 test result one day prior to the visitation for antigen tests (rapid test) and two days prior to visitation for PCR tests. Either test is acceptable. For visitors that visit multiple days, proof of testing is required as often as feasible, at a minimum every third day.
5. Visitors who have a positive viral test for COVID-19, symptoms of COVID-19, or currently meet the criteria for quarantine will not be permitted to enter the building.
6. The facility will provide a visitor an OTC COVID-19 Antigen Rapid Test if he/she does not have other proof of a negative test conducted in the required timeframe. This test is for you to test yourself.
7. Accommodations will be made for compassionate caregiving visitors who are visiting in anticipation of the end of a resident’s life or crisis of a resident. If an exception is made, the visitor will be provided with additional PPE that the facility staff deem appropriate in that situation.
8. We encourage our visitors to be vaccinated and boosted as per CDC recommendations.
9. Residents may have 2 visitors at one time to comply with physical distancing, accommodations will be reviewed if the request is made for more visitors at one time.
10. Visitors should report directly to the resident’s room after being screened and instructed to proceed.
11. Visits may occur in resident dining room, except when meals are being served and programs being offered, lounge areas, courtyards, and the Weinberg lobby.
12. Please be aware elevators have a maximum of 4 people at all times.
13. Privacy curtain should be pulled in the resident room if they have a roommate.
14. Please do not sit on the resident’s bed or other bed in the room.
15. Please perform hand hygiene before your visit using the alcohol-based hand sanitizer located at the entrance and throughout the facility.
16. Please maintain physical distancing of at least 6 feet between you and the resident you are visiting.
17. Before you leave the unit/visitation area please perform hand hygiene using the alcohol-based hand sanitizer located throughout the facility.
18. Visitors who are unable to adhere to the core principles of COVID-19 infection prevention will not be permitted to visit and will be asked to leave.
19. Please be aware of the symptoms of COVID-19 infection even if fully vaccinated: Temperature, fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fatigue, muscle or body aches, headaches, sudden loss of taste or smell, sore throat, congestion or runny nose, nausea or vomiting, diarrhea.
20. If you become ill or test positive for COVID-19 and your visit to the facility occurred 2 days before the symptom’s onset or 2 days before your test, please notify the facility immediately so that contact tracing can be initiated. Please call Receptionist: (631) 715-2000.
21. Please be aware our cafeteria is currently closed to visitors.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping our efforts to keep our staff, residents and visitors safe.

If you have questions about visitation as it specifically affects your loved one, please contact his/her social worker. You may also email info@gurwin.org with questions.

As always, we will continue to communicate all updates to our family members and residents via our enewsletter and our robocall notification platform.  Family members are encouraged to sign up for our weekly Family and Resident Update enewsletters and for robocalls at info@gurwin.org.  Past enewsletters can be viewed by clicking here.

Visitation Mandate Background:

The NY State Department of Health (DOH) issued a mandate on March 13, 2020 restricting visitation at all nursing homes and adult care facilities in the state, with few exceptions (see below).  Very recently, the DOH provided long-awaited visitation guidance for nursing homes and adult care facilities  which includes challenging caveats for reopening to visitors. Our leadership team has worked diligently to meet these stringent regulations.  Please click on the links above for visitation information specific to our nursing and rehabilitation facility and our assisted living visitor information.

For information about any of our efforts during the COVID-19 crisis, please email info@gurwin.org.