Interim Recommendation for Fully Vaccinated People and Implications for Healthcare Settings

Interim Recommendation for Fully Vaccinated People and Implications for Healthcare Settings

With the release of guidance from CDC pertaining to recommendations for fully vaccinated people, LeadingAge WA has been working on getting answers to the many questions we have been receiving.  The Department of Health and Residential Care Services, ALTSA, have confirmed that independent residents in Life Plan Communities are not considered to be in the healthcare settings; therefore, the Interim Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People would apply to the residents living in the separate and distinct non-care areas (independent living) of your communities.  

However, Skilled Nursing and Assisted living are considered healthcare settings.  The WA State Dept of Health (DOH) has reached out to the CDC for clarification as to how this new guidance would impact healthcare settings. CDC replied:

The Interim Recommendations for Fully Vaccinated People released does not apply to healthcare settings. Separate guidance specific to healthcare settings is expected to be posted very soon. Guidance updates will be announced on the CDC COVID-19 What’s New & Updated page where you can also sign up to receive e-mail updates. We completely understand the difficulties of not having the healthcare guidance posted yet and of facilities that may be using the community guidance. We would of course recommend all the current healthcare IPC guidance at this time for healthcare settings.

LeadingAge reached out to DOH with specific questions regarding fully vaccinated residents.  DOH has said in regard to independent living, it would be fine to implement the community guidance, recognizing it may be difficult to implement at some of the combined facilities where independent living residents reside among/neighboring residents who receive licensed care and assistance. 

The following are the questions posed and the DOH response:

  • May AL or SNF residents leave campus to visit family members without having to quarantine upon return?  They would be screened for symptoms and they would quarantine if exposed to an symptomatic individual.

For now, the DOH Risk Assessment is still recommended. This will be updated with the CDC guidance.

  • May assisted living or skilled nursing residents dine together (AL with AL and SNF with SNF) if all have been immunized past the two-week period, wearing masks on the way to the dining room but able to remove the mask when seated and seated without regard to distancing?

For now, healthcare workers and residents should continue to maintain 6 feet distance from others and wear source control (excluding when eating or residents for whom it is medically contraindicated). This will be updated with the CDC guidance.

  • May any immunized resident play card or other table games or engage in other activities without distancing or wearing masks if all residents gathered have been immunized past the two-week period? (Difficult to play card or other games when spaced 6 ft)

For now, healthcare workers and residents should continue to maintain 6 feet distance from others and wear source control (excluding when eating or residents for whom it is medically contraindicated). This will be updated with the CDC guidance.

  • May fully immunized (past two-week period) visitors enter the facility and visit with loved ones wearing a mask on the way to the resident’s room and then able to remove the mask and without regard to distancing once in the resident’s room?  

For now, healthcare workers, residents, and visitors, should continue to maintain 6 feet distance from others and wear source control (excluding when eating or residents for whom it is medically contraindicated). This will be updated with the CDC guidance.

We understand the new CDC guidance has led to frustration and confusion at Life Plan Communities and long-term care facilities, and frustration that the CDC-CMS healthcare guidance was not updated at the same time as the community guidance. We look forward to sharing any new CMS or CDC guidance with you very soon.

 

Please let us know if you have questions. 

Laura Hofmann, MSN, RN – Director of Clinical and Nursing Facility Regulatory Services
c: 425-231-4804

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March 10, 2021