Update from Administrator – October 15, 2020
Dear Families,
As always, our team and I hope this email finds you safe and healthy.
We continue testing our staff and residents at regular intervals as required by CMS, CDC and DPH. We currently have one COVID positive resident. As we must be COVID free for fourteen days, we are hoping to open indoor visitation on October 26, 2020.
Although we are following social distance guidelines, handwashing protocols, hygiene recommendations, and wearing masks in our center – are still STRONGLY enforced. We STRONGLY encourage that all staff and residents receive an annual Influenza Vaccine. We have received our shipment of vaccine, please consider completing a consent form to ensure your loved one receives their vaccine. We will continue to administer flu vaccines with a goal of 100% participation of staff and residents.
I want to reiterate that this pandemic is still active and the state of Connecticut is reporting an uptick in new cases of COVID and as we see in the news; some states continue to surge with new cases. This serves as a reminder that we must all remain vigilant in following all guidelines, recommendations, and best practices to stay safe and fight this pandemic.
Some updates
- The Department of Public Health (DPH) also announced that are resuming routine surveys. As always, we will continue to communicate to you when a state or federal agency has conducted a survey here.
- Food is now allowed to be dropped off by families for their loved one’s enjoyment and take out delivery has also been authorized. Please coordinate delivery with us.
- Our Beauty Salon will soon be open for select salon services, following strict guidelines.
- Each nursing unit has tablets assigned for resident use such as virtual visits, games, etc. and many of our residents are enjoying learning how to use this technology and having the world at their fingertips.
- Our outdoor social distancing activities programming continues to expand and evolve.
- Every weekday, my administrative team and I round a different nursing unit and meet with our residents to let them know we’re here for them and give them an opportunity to voice any questions or concerns they may have directly to us. We also use this time during rounds to assess our residents, our environment, and ask our residents specific questions such as satisfaction with meals, preferences, activities being provided, interaction and response from staff, proper operation of all equipment in room and more!
- We now have a resident ambassador who acts as an advocate for our residents and is able to provide extra support.
Indoor Visits
We have implemented our indoor visitation policy and procedures following to state and federal requirements. Again, we are hoping to begin indoor visitation by October 26,2020.
Nursing homes and visitors must adhere to the following conditions:
- We must limit the number of visitors per patient to two at one time and limit the total number of visitors in the center at a time. Based on the amount of physical space we have available for our designated visitation area, which will be our lower level recreation room, located by the patio.
- We need to continue to limit the duration of visits (30 minutes) to help ensure all patients can receive visitors. Just like our outdoor visits, once we have more experience behind us, we can adjust this, if necessary.
- Cleaning and disinfecting of the designated visitation area will occur by our staff in between visits. This is another factor affecting the amount of time and numbers of visitors we can have in our center.
- Screening for anyone who enters our center – temperature and health screen questionnaire – will take place.
- We cannot allow visitors to move freely throughout our center; visitors will go directly to the designated visitation area, the entrance is located at the patio.
- Hand hygiene must be followed and personal protection equipment (PPE) must be worn by visitors.
- Social distancing requirements remain as they do for our outside visits.
- We will offer indoor and outdoor supervised social distancing visits 5 days a week (M/Tu/Th/F/Sa).
Indoor, End Stage of Life Care Visits
Should a new case of COVID be identified in the center, all inside visits, except end stage of life, will be temporarily put on hold.
Outside & “Alternative” Visits
Please know that outside and “alternative” visitations will continue. While the weather is changing, we will work to continue to do outside visits on our patio for as long as possible and window visits are still possible. The weather seems to be holding steady for now.
Remember that we do offer iPads for our residents to use for video visits, phone calls, etc. to ensure that you and your loved ones remain in contact, as best as you can during these very uncertain times.
As always, thank you for your patience and please stay safe and healthy!
Melissa Vivo, LNHA
Administrator