LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — After Governor Hutchinson's announcement on Friday, which changed all public health directives to guidelines and allows for businesses to let more people in, some people are confused.
Many, who have loved ones living inside nursing homes, are trying to figure out what this means for them?
Janet Caldwell has been keeping count of the last time she was able to feel her mother's touch.
"Face to face, in-person, it's been like 358 days," she said.
Spending, what's almost been a year, talking with a screen, window, or plexiglass between Caldwell and her mom, Annie Knych.
"I've even forgotten what she smells like, so it's been rough, but we're making it," she said.
Caldwell is one of the many who has been pushing for visitations from the start, but after the governor loosened some restrictions on Friday, it left her and others confused.
"After that announcement was made it was like okay, what exactly does that mean for us? Once again, we've been left out," she said.
Rachel Bunch, Executive Director of the Arkansas Healthcare Association, described it as "complicated" and "a work in progress."
She said the directives made by the Governor apply to all long-term care facilities at the state level, but the federal government gives the restrictions that apply to nursing homes.
"The directives and the changes that were made, where we will see a big difference, I think is for those assisted living and residential care facilities," Bunch said.
She said those facilities have slowly started to let visitors back in with mask-wearing, social distancing, and screenings taking place.
Nursing homes have to listen to the federal rules to reopen, which according to Bunch means, it's all based on the county positivity rate.
"As the weeks have gone by and our numbers continue to decline, more and more facilities are able to open up again and engage in that family visitation and people coming in person," she said.
The state is working on making visitations inside homes safer and happen faster, but Bunch said it's going to take some time.
"Slowly, but surely, there are some changes happening and I think we'll see more of that in the coming weeks," she said.
Bunch encourages people to communicate with the facility where their loved one is and talk about their specific visitation status.