My mother Teresa Aguirre, is one of these residents from Carillon Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, in Huntington, NY. She was admitted to the facility for Dementia in November 2019. We are a loving, tight knit family, with daily exchanges of love and affection including motherly kisses, hugs, and warm embraces, and warm in person conversations on a daily basis.

As of September 5, 2020, marking 179 days, an anxious filled 6 months, without Nursing Home Residents receiving full, unrestricted visitation from their family and friends (since March 11, 2020).  In addition to several other residents from nearby Nursing Facility that have befriended me through social media have been without consistent non-restrictive visits from their family and friends.  Due to COVID-19 The President of the United States gave an Executive Order for all Nursing Homes to close visitation in order to prevent the spread of COVID-19 that unfortunately took the lives of 50,000 elderly residents from Nursing Homes throughout the United States due to more protective precautions not taken place prior to March 11, 2020. There are 1.5 Million Nursing Home residents throughout the United States who are now at the mercy of the Nation's Center For Disease Control, The President of The United States and local Government, Andrew Cuomo is New York State's Governor whom I am also reaching out to change the level of visitation.

As my mother Teresa Aguirre, has experienced and is living with Dementia, I her daughter, Yesenia Aguirre am her full time care-giver and her full time Advocate. I and many other families have complied with the closing of visitation, following new policies for the changes in contacting the nursing facilities to ask about loved one's physical health and mental health. Families including myself have made dozens of window visits. We have begun recent restricted re-opening visits where we must maintain 6 feet apart from our loved ones, using masks, with no touching, hugging, or holding hands. In my Mother Teresa's nursing facility Carillon Nursing and Rehab Facility, has followed these guidelines and yet they are unclear and are unaware of an Executive Order given by New York State Health Commissioner Howard A. Zucker and Governor, Andrew Cuomo regarding the full re-opening of Nursing Facilities, Nursing Homes, Nursing Rehab Facilities without restriction from family members and friends. Even though Nursing Facilities have reached Phase 3 Re-Opening, there is no further information regarding policies to fully re-open after a nursing facility has reached Phase 3,  by the Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) according to the CDC website (https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/nursing-homes-responding.html

The lack of family and friend full visitation including holding hands, hugging, and human touch are a Human Rights Issue. Our Mothers, Fathers, Grandparents have the right to be with their loved ones in a dignified manner without restriction at this time. Furthermore, scientific evidence provides the damaging long term and fatal affects, social isolation has on elderly and elderly with Dementia:  "scientific research has revealed a link between social isolation—along with negative emotions such as loneliness that often accompany it—and poor health. “We are seeing a really growing body of evidence,” says Fancourt, “that’s showing how isolation and loneliness are linked in with incidence of different types of disease [and] with premature mortality.” Alongside myriad connections to poor physical health, including obesity and cardiovascular problems, a range of possible effects on the human brain have now been documented: Social isolation is associated with increased risk of cognitive decline and dementia, as well as mental health consequences such as depression and anxiety." How Social Isolation Affects The Brain; The Scientist Journal, July/August,2020"

Depression, sadness, lack of motivation, lack of enthusiasm for life has been evidenced in visiting with my beautiful Mother, Teresa Aguirre, who is a bubbly, happy, jovial, God-fearing woman, who loves people, her family, and to be in social spaces. This restricted visitation, peeping her through windows, lack of holding hands, or having any touch from a loved one in 6 months is impacting her greatly. Yet the local government has authorized for Malls, Casinos, Sports Gyms, Restaurants, Schools, to re-open under Governor Andrew Cuomo in the New York State Re-Opening Plan. Please let the local Government including our local county executives Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone, New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo, Center For Disease Control, and Howard A. Zucker, New York State Health Commissioner that it's time to fully re-open nursing/rehab facilities to receive visitations without restrictions including going inside the facility and visiting loved ones rooms, common spaces, including human touch, going out on pass from the facility for precious time with family and friends and regain the normalcy that creates human bonding once again with elderly residents including my beautiful Mother, Teresa Aguirre. Thank you for signing and sharing this petition. Please share on all social media platforms requesting NURSING HOMES TO BE FULLY RE-OPENED WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS, Please Call these government officials and demand that  NURSING HOMES TO BE FULLY RE-OPENED WITHOUT RESTRICTIONS ON VISITATIONS OF ANY KIND. 

Governor Andew Cuomo: Phone Number: 518-474-8390

Center for Disease Control: Phone Number: 1-800-232-4636 

Suffolk County Executive Steve Bellone: Phone Number: (631)853-4000

New York State Health Commissioner,

Howard A. Zucker:  Phone Number: 518-474-2011