Nursing homes are working to keep their residents safe during the COVID-19 pandemic gripping the world.

On Thursday, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services announced new measures in the hopes of slowing or stopping the virus from spreading through nursing homes.

The directives restrict all visitors and nonessential personnel, as well as communal activities within the homes.

This action is due to the fact that seniors over the age of 60 or who have underlying health conditions are at the highest risk of contracting serious complications if infected.

“As we learn more about the coronavirus from experts on the ground, we’ve learned that seniors with multiple conditions are at highest risk for infection and complications, so CMS is using every tool at our disposal to keep nursing homes free from infection,” said CMS Administrator Seema Verma.

There are some exceptions to the no visitation policy though, including if a resident is at the end of their life.

Locally, nursing homes are all implementing these measures.

Mrs. Bush’s Personal Care Home in Kunkletown has shut its doors to all visitors until further notice and has opened the opportunity of alternative visitation methods, including video chats via FaceTime or Skype, which can be scheduled with nursing home staff, a letter on the facility’s website states.

Maple Shade Meadows Assisted Living in Nesquehoning has also closed its doors to visitors, effective today.

“The Department of Human Services has highly recommended that personal care/assisted living facilities follow the Department of Health’s recommendations regarding closure of health care facilities. Even though we are disappointed, we are following these recommendations in regards to the health and welfare of our residents,” a statement from the facility says.

Residents’ families will be contacted regularly for updates and are welcome to call the facility at any time with questions or concerns.

Hometown Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Hometown is no exception.

Like the others, the center has shut its doors to visitors and is allowing phone or video calls to loved ones.

Alicia Silliman, nursing home administrator at Hometown Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, said that so far the 120 residents who call the center home are taking the situation well, and this may be because the home has had to do shutdowns on smaller scales in the past.

“So many of them are accustomed to doing this on a smaller scale so they are responding extremely well,” Silliman said, noting that the facility is trying to still provide a lot of ways to keep residents busy while no communal activities or visits are allowed such as one-on-one visits with staff, helping to Skype or FaceTime with loved ones and more.

Silliman was happy to report that as of this morning, they have not had any suspected cases of the virus and are taking measures daily to try to ensure everyone stay healthy.

The employees get their temperature checked when coming into the facility daily, and residents also get daily temperature checks, as well as get observed for any symptoms of COVID-19 or any other respiratory illness.

“We’re a family here at Hometown,” she said. “We want to keep everyone safe.”

One thing that Silliman said she is happy to see is a Facebook post that is partnering students, who are currently out of school due to the governor closing all schools for two weeks, with facilities to send the residents letters, cards and drawings during this trying time.

“I think it is a great idea,” she said. “Creative outreach is so important because they need that connection with the outside world.”

For any student who would like to draw a picture, make a card or send a letter to a resident, here are the addresses for Hometown, St. Luke’s Miners and Maple Shade Meadows. Items should be addressed as follows:

• Resident, Hometown Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, 149 Lafayette Ave., Tamaqua, PA 18252

• 5th Floor Resident, St. Luke’s Miners, 360 W. Riddle St., Coaldale, PA 18215

• Resident, Maple Shade Meadows, 50 E. Locust St., Nesquehoning, PA 18240