With all the bad news about COVID-19 and long-term care facilities, I wanted to write about an organization that deserves more positive attention.

Founded in 1975 as a result of the Older Americans Act and under the umbrella of the Florida Department of Elder Affairs, the mission of the Florida Long-Term Care Ombudsman Program is “to improve the quality of life for all Florida long-term care residents by advocating for and protecting their health, safety, welfare and rights.”
It is a statewide volunteer-based program with a goal to “resolve complaints made by, or on behalf of, residents of nursing homes, assisted living facilities, adult family care homes and continuing care retirement communities.”
Lately the program has had its share of challenges. Michael Phillips, who just became the new director of the state program Aug. 3, recognizes the task ahead.

With the recent announcement by Gov. Ron DeSantis that long-term care facilities will open to visitors for the first time since March 15, he knows what’s coming. With his 14 years of experience as the regional manager for an area that stretched from Jacksonville to Pensacola, he is prepared.
For more than five months, COVID has required the program’s volunteers and staff to suspend in-person visits to facilities. According to Phillips, they have investigated more than 1,300 complaints since the start of COVID and have monitored residents during the pandemic as best they can. But no amount of phone calls, emails or Zooming “can replace your eyes, ears and nose,” Phillips said.

The pressure to find balance between the need to protect patients and allow desperate family members to see their loved ones has been tremendous. According to Phillips, “We are facing a sub-pandemic of isolation and depression that has taken a deadly toll on residents of long-term care facilities.”
He has heard firsthand the stories of patients dying of loneliness, not always able to understand why their family stopped visiting. He feels, and I agree, that allowing limited, scheduled and cautious visits is absolutely imperative.

As I listened to some of the live-streamed discussions on the task force on this issue, there was heated debate that is still continuing. Groups representing patient safety are worried, “No one needs to die unnecessarily because a premature visitation policy failed to have the right kind of testing in place,” was a concern voiced by Brian Lee, executive director of Families for Better Care.
But Mary Daniels, who came to fame as the wife so desperate to see her husband she took a job as a dishwasher in his facility (and also on the task force), argued that the visitation ban was more harmful than effective, since residents are dying of depression and loneliness. In fact, Daniels predicts that other states will follow Florida’s decision to consider emotional support provided by “essential caregivers” as critical to the well-being of long-term care residents.

Despite the cry for mandatory testing, the new guidelines allow facilities to determine if they will ask visitors to take COVID-19 tests. However, Phillips pointed out that the best protection, in his opinion, is the proper use of personal protective equipment and excellent infection control procedures. “You can test clear one day, and two days later be positive,” he said. The state plans to review the guidelines as needed in 30, 60 and 90 days.
Effective immediately, “essential and compassionate caregivers” who help residents with activities of daily living are being allowed access to resident’s rooms and won’t have to follow the strict social distancing requirements. According to Daniels, “the first hug … will take away the pain we have all been suffering for these past 175 days.” For now, general visitors will be required to socially distance and must be 18 years and older.