Lehigh County’s Cedarbrook nursing home welcomes back visitors after six months of COVID-19 precautions

Lehigh County’s Cedarbrook nursing home welcomed back visitors Monday at its South Whitehall Township facility for the first time in six months.

County Executive Phillips Armstrong said he was on hand to visit the first visitations since March 12. He admitted to getting emotional while seeing an elderly couple reunited and holding hands for the first time in months.

“It brought a tear to my eye,” he said. “Residents have been zooming and face timing, but it’s not the same thing.”

Under Pennsylvania guidelines, nursing homes cannot allow visitors on their premises unless they have not had a new COVID-19 case for up 28 days. While some smaller nursing homes in the region have met this standard faster, it’s been a challenge for larger facilities, where the extra staff and residents create more opportunities for setbacks.

“For us to have the same rules as a home that has 140 beds when we have 640, it’s kind of unrealistic. But those are the rules and we will comply with them,” Armstrong said.

Nursing homes have been particularly vulnerable to the pandemic. The elderly, fragile residents who typically need skilled care are at higher risk from the virus, and the close living quarters offered at the facilities make it easier to transmit the already contagious disease. According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, 5,297 nursing home residents and workers have died from the virus as of noon Monday, making up 67% all of the state’s COVID-19 deaths.

Under rules outlined by Cedarbrook, residents are allowed one 30-minute visit a week with up to four people, but it must be scheduled in advance. Visits will be held Monday through Friday and will be outdoors, weather permitting. Both residents and their guests must wear masks -- visitors will be provided masks by the nursing home. Tables are being placed six feet apart to ensure social distancing, and Cedarbrook employees will monitor visits to make sure everyone complies. In the event of inclement weather, the visits will be held in the building’s family room.

Visitors need to submit to temperature checks, risk factor screening and sign a statement indicating they understand the facility guidelines before being allowed to see their loved ones, according to the release.

Lehigh County hopes to reestablish visits at its Cedarbrook campus in Fountain Hill starting Friday under similar rules. In the event of inclement weather, visits at Fountain Hill will be in the main dining room.

Gracedale, Northampton County’s nursing home, is hoping to welcome back visitors Monday, Sept. 21. The Upper Nazareth Township facility is the largest nursing home under one roof in Pennsylvania, presenting a unique set of challenges. It also closed off its facility to visitors and volunteers on March 12.

Morning Call reporter Tom Shortell can be reached at 610-820-6168 or tshortell@mcall.com.

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