They have instituted some rules, communal dining, distancing, activities, but they still allow family and friends to visit. I have told my mother that I will not be visiting except to drop off anything that she may need if she comes out to my car to retrieve it and I've done that twice. She lives in Maryland and so far two nursing homes have been severely impacted in her area. Does anyone else have a similar situation where people are still allowed to come and go in independent living facilities?
And, are you sure this is true, that family and friends are allowed to visit, and it's not a case of your mother saying "so-and-so's daughter came every day this week, everyone else's family is still visiting, why won't you?"
If it is literally true, and on the contrary your mother is anxious about too many visitors coming in to the facility, would she be content to remain in her own room? You could leave supplies outside her own door for her to take in by herself; you could wear a mask if you're concerned about entering the building; and you could require that any staff member going in to your mother's room wears full PPE (to protect your mother, that is).
Who are the staff allowing folks in? Are they health care professionals? Or laypeople?
I live in Maryland and we’ve been in lockdown. Governor Hogan has made that perfectly clear. We even had a Public Service Announcement via TV & Radio that blasted the alarm during one day the week before last @ 3pm that jolted the entire neighborhood and state; I work as a group of 23 RN’s working remotely and all of us reacted!
One needs to be living under a rock if one is not aware of the precautions by now in this state.
As an aside on this, the same kinda grey area on “why aren’t you closed” is happening with college dorms. Lots of schools have off campus dorms, especially big flagship schools as they flat do not have enough on-campus university owned dorms for students. Not apartments or sorority/ frat houses but privately owned big off campus dorms that students live in for the semester that are exactly like the on campus dorms with meals plans, study areas, shuttle bus stop, roommate matching service. (aren’t necessarily more $$$ either) As universities went on-line so no classes & dorms closed. But not all kids went home, like some have labs to be monitored so still on campus doing that but moved into off campus dorm for rest of semester; or students only “home” is their dorm address or parents live afar so they too have their dorm as “home”. Dorm as “home” is way more common than I would ever have thought (our kid graduated ‘19). Some living on campus moved to & sublet off campus dorms till semester ends. It’s tight quarters. They are going on social distancing guidelines as best as possible. There’s going to be an outbreak at one of these.
It’s like IL in that it’s in a grey area for what’s required / mandated.
btw Washington Post has article today on Pleasant Valley NH outbreak in Maryland. WaPo eliminated paywall on all Covid-19 reporting too!
https://foxbaltimore.com/news/coronavirus/gov-hogan-frustrated-by-rise-in-coronavirus-cases-at-senior-living-facilities