The danger posed by COVID-19 weighs on all our minds. But each of us can’t help but worry about our loved ones. And we worry about them, too. Many of them live full- or part-time at assisted living or other long-term care facilities, particularly in Florida.

While they may be safe from the dangers of coronavirus, a host of other issues like depression and loneliness become even more prevalent despite our staff’s best efforts. Our residents at Angels Senior Living have stayed strong without their families at their sides, but we believe it’s time to safely reunite you.

We would like the state of Florida and Florida Governor Ron DeSantis to take immediate action and provide assisted living facilities and nursing homes with guidance on how to safely reopen our facilities for visitation. Here are some examples of visitation guidelines:

• Visits between family members and residents can take place if both parties wear full personal protective equipment (PPE) provided by the community, including masks, gloves, gowns, and face shields to prevent any potential spread of infection
• Family members can visit residents if they provide proof of a positive COVID-19 antibody test, indicating they’ve come in contact with the virus previously and are no longer infected, or at least two recent negative COVID-19 test results
• Family members can visit residents if visitation occurs outdoors with a glass partition separating family members from residents

We understand the difficult decision the state of Florida and Governor Ron DeSantis face when it comes to allowing visitation again. However, with today's supplies and knowledge, we believe guidelines can be created that safely allow assisted living facilities to offer visitation again.

If you'd like to help, please sign this petition and visit our website or our social media pages to download a template letter to the Governor's Office and share our posts urging action, or use them to tell your own story.

_____

Facebook

Instagram

LinkedIn

Twitter