A Study on the Non-contact Visiting Area in Long-term Care Facilities in Korea during COVID-19

The purpose of this study was to analyze the Non-contact visiting area in long-term care facilities when COVID-19 spread worldwide as pandemic. This study investigated various non-contact visitation spaces in long-term care facilities and care hospitals. A total of 10 long-term care facilities and care hospitals in Korea were selected to survey the history and experience of the social-distancing visiting station. The results of this study were as follows; the number of visitation areas and number of visits may be determined depending on the size of the facilities, beds, and whether it was a group of buildings. Moreover, the non-contact visitation journey shall be decided depending on where the visiting area is located. Visitors’ journey sequence were: arrival of facilities, registration of visitors and confirmation of fever, waiting and movement to the non-contact visitation area. This study concluded that there was insufficient research on non-contact visitation in long-term care facilities and there was a limit to the quality of space and visitors’ and residents’ movement for non-contact visitation for temporarily constructed space in facilities in a short time in preparation for the prolonged pandemic.