Officials considering allowing some visits at NC nursing homes

A mother and daughter living about a mile apart in Wake County may as well live on opposite coasts because the mother lives in a nursing home and cannot have visitors during the coronavirus pandemic.

Posted 11:57 p.m. Jul 16, 2020 — Updated 12:01 a.m. Jul 17, 2020

Richard Adkins

, WRAL photojournalist

KNIGHTDALE, N.C. — A mother and daughter living about a mile apart in Wake County may as well live on opposite coasts because the mother lives in a nursing home and cannot have visitors during the coronavirus pandemic.

But that could soon change, according to documents obtained by WRAL News.

Officials with the state Department of Health and Human Services said they are still working out the details of relaxed nursing home visitation rules, but Lauren Zingraff, executive director of the advocacy group Friends of Residents in Long-Term Care, confirmed that a resolution under consideration would allow some outdoor, in-person visits.

"If they are able to see their loved ones again and their family members again, I think that will go a long way in improving their overall health," Zingraff said.

The lockdown at nursing homes in recent months to limit the spread of coronavirus among a high-risk group "has led to another pandemic of depression and loneliness," she said.

"That puts them more at risk because they have been suffering through extended visitation lockdown," she added.

Lee Hickman knows firsthand the difficulty the lockdown presents.

"I haven't seen my mom in two-and-a-half months," Hickman said, noting that her mother lived with her in Knightdale until she had a bad fall early this year.

"She was a part of our world in every way," Hickman said. "To not be able to be with your family and to share experiences and to reach out and hug somebody, it's hard."

Now, her mother is at Wellington Rehabilitation and Healthcare, less than a mile from her daughter's home.

"My mom is almost 82. She's not physically or mentally well, but she is OK now," Hickman said. "She doesn't have the luxury of waiting for this COVID thing to go away."

A representative for Wellington said the facility must follow rules set by state and federal regulators.

“We continue to follow [Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services] guidance where visitor restriction is concerned, ensuring that the safety of everyone remains the highest priority," a statement from the facility reads.

"I hope the next time I see my mom is not at the end of her life," Hickman said.

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