We can't eliminate risk. We have to accept some risk when we allow visitors and family in, but we can mitigate that risk. We can limit the number of people in. We can ask that families comply, and if families don't comply with the infection control practices, they shouldn't be able to visit. However, we must let them in, because individuals who are older with dementia deteriorate not just physically from being alone in bed but very rapidly cognitively when they have no contact, in particular with familiar people.
Remember, people are walking into the room with masks, gowns and hats. They don't have good sensory comprehension as their dementia progresses. They can't hear well and they can't see well, so it's frightening and confusing. We can mitigate the risk. We must accept there'll be some. We can do this quite safely if we're thoughtful about it, and we have to. We can't let people die alone.