Testing and masks are still mandatory in retirement homes: is that still up to date?
Caritas demands change
Created: 12/21/2022, 8:42 am
By: Dominik Stallein
Even Santa wears a mask: the Advent guest presents chocolate to a senior citizen at the AWO dementia center in Wolfratshausen.
The nurses and employees must also wear a mask – and be tested.
© Sabine Hermsdorf-Hiss
There is criticism of corona protection measures in retirement homes.
This complicates a visit, especially for relatives.
Bad Tölz-Wolfratshausen – The masks were now allowed to fall almost everywhere.
In retirement and nursing homes, however, the obligation to wear mouth and nose protection still applies.
In addition, visitors must test themselves for the corona virus before they are allowed to see their relatives.
Caritas Munich finds this unfair.
She calls for an end to mandatory testing.
Testing and masks are still mandatory in retirement homes: is that still up to date?
Caritas demands change
Jörg Kahl can understand that well.
The facility manager of the Protestant nursing homes in Kochel and Schlehdorf says: "You have to ask yourself whether the measures are still appropriate today." He himself found a clear answer: no.
And for several reasons.
It has become increasingly difficult for potential guests of the house to do a corona test because most of the test stations have long been closed.
The mask on the face of the nurses or relatives makes communication difficult for the seniors - "many are restricted there anyway".
Without recognizing the other person's facial expressions, many would find it difficult.
In addition, the FFP2 mask in front of the nose and mouth of the nurses is an increasing burden for the employees.
"They wear them eight hours a day and only have short breaks in between."
Seniors and Corona: Protection of the residents of the home has top priority
Kahl can understand the thought behind the rules: the protection of the residents is the top priority of a nursing home, and "the risk of infection is still there".
But: "The residents who were infected were not seriously ill in the recent past." Even patients with a previous exposure had recently "put away well" an infection.
The Caritas of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising argues similarly.
The course of infections is currently mild – the number of infections is declining overall.
Therefore, the obligation to test visitors is no longer appropriate.
In addition, according to Caritas board member Gabriele Stark-Angermeier, the obligation to test would mean that seniors would receive fewer visitors.
Geretsried: Reductions are made in the retirement home: "Offer for the well-being of the residents"
The Haus Elisabeth in Geretsried has therefore been prepared since the beginning of the pandemic: Visitors can be tested on site.
"We have this offer for the benefit of the residents," says nursing service manager Svetlana Eigenseer.
Between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. – on weekends only from 12 p.m. – an employee is available to carry out tests.
"We're trained for it," says Eigenseer.
In this way, the senior home on Johann-Sebastian-Bach-Straße wants to avoid relatives no longer visiting their relatives because they cannot find a test station nearby.
"We do this voluntarily because we want to give our residents the opportunity to receive visitors."
Visit to the retirement home: Despite the test and mask, relatives come to Wolfratshausen
The seniors in the AWO dementia center in Wolfratshausen receive regular visitors.
"So far we haven't noticed any decline in visitors," says facility manager Frank Hörmann.
This is because the “test stations that are crucial for us” are still open.
A challenge only threatened if they were to close.
"We don't have the human resources for on-site testing."
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Most would have gotten used to the guidelines that apply in the facilities.
Nevertheless, there is dissatisfaction: "Of course, one or the other doesn't like wearing mouth and nose protection." In addition, the two-year mask requirement would have required a lot of commitment.
"The employees would hope for relief," says Hörmann.
The weighing up is not easy: "The virus has still not lost its dangerousness."
