The challenge of balancing nursing home residents' right to communication with their safety

The global healthcare systems have been severely impacted by the COVID-19 epidemic. Particularly in nursing facilities for the elderly, there are a lot of infections, which have a high mortality rate as a result. During the early stages of the pandemic, the Italian government introduced emergency legislation to restrict outside visitor access in order to reduce infection risks for both residents and staff of such facilities. The Italian President of the Council of Ministers announced a new order on November 30, 2020, acknowledging the social and emotional worth of visitors from family and friends to patients. Additionally, it suggested preventative steps to lower the risk of infection in nursing homes for the elderly. Indications that can be applied in clinical practice are provided as part of this article's medico-legal commentary on these new legislative provisions.