A government advisory body has suggested restrictions imposed on meetings between elderly care facility residents and their families could be eased, provided certain conditions to prevent coronavirus infections spreading are put in place.
The advisory body also urged these facilities not to implement unnecessary restrictions on outings by elderly residents under their care. Lifting these restrictions is aimed at preventing deterioration in elderly residents' mental and physical functions.
The Health, Labor and Welfare Ministry body, which is tasked with considering measures to stop the virus from spreading, presented the specific conditions at a meeting Thursday. The conditions include having elderly residents meet relatives in well-ventilated areas separate from each elderly resident's personal room.
The government's basic plan for combatting the virus had stated that visitations "should be temporarily halted" at such facilities. However, there recently have been fewer cases of mass infections at elderly facilities, so the ministry has switched from halting all such visits to allowing facility administrators to determine, based on the local coronavirus situation and other factors, the extent to which restrictions should be implemented to enable such meetings to go ahead.
The government outlined this new approach in a notice sent to local government authorities on Oct. 15. The important points facility operators must follow when family members visit include not having these meetings in the elderly residents' rooms; ensuring visitors do not show coronavirus symptoms such as a cough, sort throat or loss of smell or taste; no touching of elderly residents' faces and ensuring no droplets emitted when speaking or breathing land on their faces; ensuring a visitor's family members do not have a fever, cough or other symptoms; and confirming visitors are not close contacts of people who have caught coronavirus.
The panel also pressed for everyday prevention measures at facilities including thorough ventilation and creating an environment in which it is easier for staffers to come forward when they are feeling unwell.
The panel also emphasized that outdoor activities by elderly residents, such as exercise and walks, that are needed for maintaining good health and daily life routines "should not be unnecessarily restricted."
Many elderly care facilities have been preventing face-to-face meetings with family members, instead taking a cautious approach such as letting them talk in video meetings online or through glass at the facilities. However, the restrictions on meetings have reduced opportunities for elderly residents to interact with others, which some observers have suggested could be worsening the symptoms of dementia sufferers, with some even becoming unable to recognize their relatives' faces.
Recent research reports have indicated that restrictions on the activities of elderly people can accelerate their physical and mental decline.
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