“Compassionate care situations” do not exclusively refer to end-of-life scenarios. Other examples could include:

• A resident who was living with family before a recent admission to a nursing home is struggling with the change in environment and loss of family support;
• A resident grieving after the recent death of a friend or family member;
• A resident who used to talk and interact with others becomes withdrawn, seldom speaking but crying frequently; and
• A resident who needs cueing with eating or drinking, previously provided by family or caregiver, and is experiencing weight loss or dehydration.
• Allowing a visit in these types of scenarios would be consistent with the intent of compassionate care situations. Note that compassionate care visits may be conducted by any individual who can meet the resident’s needs, be it family member, clergy, or lay person.

Source: CMS
​