Patients who have had coronavirus may be allowed to come back to an assisted living community because according to the CDC, patients who have recovered from the coronavirus are not considered a risk for spreading the illness to others.

This means that as long as the person who had coronavirus has recovered and quarantined for the appropriate amount of time, they pose no risk to other residents of their assisted living community. People with coronavirus are at the highest risk of passing the illness to others when they are sickest and showing the most symptoms, but how long one is actively sick can vary. While the recommended quarantine period is 14 days, someone who has coronavirus may exhibit symptoms beyond the 14 day period.

Because of this variation, it’s important for assisted living communities to do the proper testing to ensure that patients who had coronavirus are no longer sick. There are CDC guidelines for both test-based and non test-based methods for determining if someone is still at risk of transmitting the virus, and assisted living homes should be making sure any patients they are readmitting meet the CDC requirements and those of their local or state government. If you have any questions or concerns about your mom or dad’s community’s protocols for letting patients back to the community, reach out to the management team and ask about their testing procedures. 

COVID-19 Update: With social distancing and stay-at-home orders, many seniors are struggling with loneliness and isolation. We’ve developed a list of products that caregivers or seniors can purchase to help older adults stay happy, healthy and connected, whether they are aging in place at home or in an assisted living community.

Additional Coronavirus FAQs