Families want Ontario nursing-home policies to reflect high COVID-19 vaccination rates.

The government says 96% of long-term care residents are now fully vaccinated against the virus.

But resident outings for social reasons and temporary absences remain banned, as are visits from family members who aren’t official caregivers

Professor and family caregiving researcher Vivian Stamatopoulos says the policy makes little sense given the relative safety of outdoor visits.

She says families have been through enough during the pandemic and it’s cruel to keep them separated.

Esther Hladkowicz says she has watched her father with dementia decline after a year with little social interaction.

They have only been able to visit through a window since September, and she wants that to change.

The ministry of long-term care says the guidance will be updated after the current stay-at-home order lifts.

But families like Hladkowicz’s worry they are missing crucial time with their loved ones.