BUFFALO, N.Y. — While families can start visiting group homes on Friday, nursing home visits in New York State are still banned.
2 On Your Side has heard from a lot of families who haven't been able to see their loved ones in-person in more than three months, and they're really frustrated with the state.
Shannon Hastings' mom and Bud Hastings’ wife, Kitty, is living at Terrace View LTC in Buffalo and has Alzheimer's. They last saw her March 5.
"We've talked for a couple times a day," said Shannon Hastings. "You could tell in the last three months of not being able to see her that she's declined as far as not being able to put sentences together. So, it's a very quick conversation when you do talk to her."
"Her birthday was on June 6, and we took her up cake and ice cream, but they asked us if, at that time, if they could bring her down and let us see her through the window, but I didn't think that there was a good idea because, you know, it's like dangling something in front of somebody, you know? I thought she would have seen us she would have wanted to come to us," said Bud Hastings.
"And, she loves to hug," said Shannon Hastings.
"The longer she stays away from us, the less she knows about her past," says Bud Hastings.
"He talked to her the other night, and he said I'm your husband, she didn't have a clue," said Shannon Hastings.
2 On Your Side asked the Governor's office Wednesday morning for information about when the ban on nursing home visits might be lifted, and we did not hear back by the time we finished this story.