Life Care Centers of Tennessee on allowing visitations

CHATTANOOGA (WDEF) – A viewer is asking when Life Care Centers of Tennessee will allow family visits to their residents again.

Tennessee has set up guidelines for how senior care facilities can accommodate visitors, but they are based on Covid-19 activity in the community.

And Hamilton County isn’t there yet.

The company operates nursing care facilities in East Ridge, Hixson and Red Bank in Hamilton County.

They sent us this statement about resuming visitations.

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Life Care’s highest priority is the health of its residents.

Life Care’s Tennessee facilities – including those in the Chattanooga area – are following the guidelines laid forth in Governor Lee’s reopening plan.

These guidelines include the pre-requisite of not having a large presence of COVID-19 in the communities in which those nursing homes are located. Currently, Hamilton County’s case numbers are too high for our facilities in the county to reopen visitation.

We are encouraged by the downward trend of COVID-19 infections in the community, and we look forward to that pre-requisite being met in our area. When any of our area facilities meet all the pre-requisites and are cleared to begin or resume family visits per state and federal guidelines, they will contact our residents’ families and be glad to facilitate in-person visits.

Although visitation remains restricted, we encourage family involvement and are always happy to coordinate phone calls, video chats or window visits. We are staying in communication with the families of our residents, and we always welcome their questions and contact.

We continue to work in partnership with the Tennessee Department of Health and the Hamilton County Health Department and the local health department and will follow the guidance they provide. We appreciate their continued support as we all work to keep our seniors safe.

– Jennifer Solomon, Eastern Division Vice President