Texans with developmental disabilities in state homes still don’t have visitors. Their parents worry they don’t know why.

Across Texas, families with loved ones in state supported living centers are desperate for in-person visits after months have ticked by with coronavirus restrictions in place. The facilities closed to visitors in mid-March to prevent the disease from tearing through the centers, which together house some 3,000 people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Last month, state officials said some visitation could resume at nursing homes and other long-term care facilities, but only under stringent conditions that include having no confirmed cases, and sometimes regular testing of staff and the use of a plexiglass separator during indoor visits.

A spokesperson for the Health and Human Services Commission, Kelli Weldon, said none of the state’s 13 state supported living centers had applied for visitation as of Sept. 3.

State officials say the precautions are needed to protect center residents — some of whom are medically fragile and might not understand safety guidelines like social distancing and frequent hand-washing.

“Due to COVID-19, we are following state and federal guidance limiting visitors to each SSLC to protect the health and safety of the people in these facilities, and we have worked to accommodate virtual visits and have received positive feedback from many families on those,” Weldon said in an email.

But parents and advocates say residents with intellectual disabilities can’t understand why family members aren’t visiting, and they are struggling to replicate in-person interactions through video conferences or phone calls. Some worry they can’t be there to provide oversight of their children or advice about their care.

“Some of these kids have comorbidity with other disorders such as deafness, blindness, intellectual disabilities, and having that glass barrier, they don't understand it, you can't explain it,” said Kelle Wood Rich, head of the Central Texas Autism Center, which offers one-on-one and group therapy for children with autism. For residents of state-run facilities or other group homes, parents can “feel like it’s a complete shut-off.”

At the state supported living centers, people live in dorm-style housing and receive around-the-clock care from some 11,600 employees who provide medical services and help with intimate tasks like bathing and dressing. The majority of residents have lived in the centers for more than 10 years, and 144 residents are under age 22, according to a 2020 report from the facilities’ ombudsman.

Weldon, with the health commission, said “facilities are not required to allow limited personal visitation, and we encourage residents and responsible parties to talk to their facility if they have questions about its visitation policies.”

https://www.texastribune.org/2020/09/09/texas-coronavirus-state-supported-living-centers/