As a member of a New York State Bar Association task force,  LGT partner, Karen McMullen, is advocating for legislative solutions for safe visitation to residents of nursing homes and adult care facilities during the pandemic. Currently, visitation is limited to virtual connections or short visits with mandated masking and social distancing in designated areas – which is particularly difficult for families with loved ones suffering from dementia.

Karen, along with her colleague, Jeffrey Neuman, a fellow attorney, drafted a memorandum of support for NYS Senate Bill S614B.  This bill permits “personal caregiving visitors” and “compassionate caregiving visitors” to visit loved ones, and would allow them to have physical contact with the resident to provide care, and to visit the resident in the resident’s room for extended periods of time.  The bill was signed on March 29, 2021, and should become effective in mid-June, after the NYS Department of Health issues regulations that specify the exact parameters of the visitation permitted under the new law.

You can see the bill at this link, and we welcome you to contact your local NYS legislator or the Department of Health with your comments if visiting our seniors who live in residential care facilities is important to you.

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2021/S614/amendment/B?utm_content=signed_by_gov&utm_campaign=bill_alerts&utm_source=ny_state_senate&utm_medium=email