Amid all the chatter about the easing of circuit breaker restrictions, nursing home visits for a face-to-face meet up with loved ones have been sadly overlooked.

If there are around 16,000 residents in nursing homes, there could possibly be tens of thousands of relatives or friends anxiously waiting to visit.

Catching up via video conferencing is not feasible for residents who are bed-ridden or those with severe dementia and impaired speech functions.

As for the relatives and friends, what gives us comfort and encouragement is being able to see our loved one give a fleeting smile or a facial expression acknowledging our presence.

There is still no word on how or when nursing home residents can receive visitors. Given the weak physical health and debilitating conditions of some of these residents, the fear is that they may die before visits resume.

Would the authorities consider implementing a structured, calibrated plan for nursing home visits, even if it means visitors having to be geared up with full personal protective equipment and be tested for the coronavirus?

This way, we can at least offer our seniors relief and comfort in their last days, by letting them see familiar faces and hear familiar voices.

Michael Shah