Submitted Photo Residents Linda Martin and Tom Plemel dance to the music of the Jerry Schlag band at The Wellington Nov. 17. The Wellington welcomes entertainers and other visitors while maintaining certain COVID-19 protocols.

Holiday decorations are going up at Trinity Homes just in time for residents to celebrate with family and friends under new, less restrictive federal visitation guidelines for nursing homes.

“I am hoping to see people come in and visit the residents,” said Jessica Edgell, director of nursing at Trinity Homes.

Minot nursing homes and many assisted living centers still require entrance screening and masks wearing in common areas, but the broader ability of residents to enjoy time with loved ones is expected to make this year’s holiday much more festive than last year, when lockdowns or other restrictions were commonplace due to COVID-19. Virus transmission in the community was at its peak going into the holidays last year.

“We are feeling pretty comfortable about this year,” said Carma McLaughlin, administrator at Edgewood, a Minot assisted living center. “We are very optimistic. You can tell in the residents’ demeanors.”

As is common for local assisted living centers, Edgewood has been allowing open visitation.

McLaughlin said restrictions would come only if a COVID-19 case is detected, and then restrictions would apply only to the affected portion of the facility. Currently, visitors and residents can come and go without restrictions, although symptom screening is conducted upon entering and face masks are required in common areas.

Trinity Homes had been requiring pre-scheduled visits, with limitations on the numbers of visitors in its building at any given time. Those rules lifted with guidelines released Nov. 12 by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention that allow residents to freely exercise their rights to have guests drop in.

“Families can come and go but they still have to screen in at the door, and if experiencing any of the symptoms of COVID are asked to not come into the building,” Edgell said. Trinity Homes has designated its Door 1 for visitor entry because of screening being conducted there.

“We have seen a few visitors more than normal now. People are happy about it. Everybody needs to see loved ones,” Edgell said.

Visitor movements around Trinity Homes are still restricted to some degree, although visits to residents in their rooms or designated areas are now allowed. Visitors may be required to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) in those situations, based on a case-by-case determination.

Minot Health and Rehab also eased its restrictions under the new nursing home guidelines.

“I am expecting more visitations. We have already seen a big uptick in that,” said Chris Haseleu, administrator at Minot Health and Rehab. “But again, we still need to make sure that we are maintaining social distancing and COVID procedures.”

Minot Health and Rehab also welcomes individuals and small groups to entertain residents over the holidays, although entrance screening and masking precautions will apply.

Trinity Homes invites outside entertainers to arrange performers through its activities department, noting that social distancing and in some cases, PPE requirements, will be followed. Trinity Homes plans to conduct a resident holiday party, with special foods, carolers and games.

Assisted living facilities also are largely inviting back outside entertainers under their COVID-19 protocols.

Nursing home and assisted living residents whose situations allow them to leave a facility to spend time with family will have that option this year.

“It’s more positive for them. The isolation isn’t good for anybody so our residents are very happy that they get to go out and do things,” Edgell said.

Even as visitation rules ease, family members generally haven’t been allowed to join nursing home or assisted living residents for meals in congregate dining because of the need for masks in common areas. That means no outside guests at congregate Thanksgiving dinners at many facilities, including Somerset Court.

“We typically have a lot of guests for Thanksgiving here, but we won’t be open to guests,” said Somerset Court administrator Melissa VanDeventer, noting the safety of residents is driving the decision to exclude outside diners.

“That’s a more critical time. They don’t have their masks on. It’s important they don’t have that type of exposure to the guests,” she said of residents. “They can still have visitors in their apartments.”

Dawn Anderson, executive director at The Wellington, said the hope is to return to hosting Thanksgiving meal guests next year, but the return to general visits already has happened.

“We have been pretty open for visitation for quite a while. We still screen people at the front door for temperature and we require a mask to be worn in the building,” she said.

The View in Minot has had an open visitation policy until recent cases of COVID-19 in the building were detected. That put a temporary halt to visitations, but director Amanda Anfinson said the intent is to re-open Dec. 1.

In the meantime, residents are encouraged to get out and join family for Thanksgiving get-togethers, she said.