Update from Administrator – November 5, 2020
November 5, 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 had one employee test positive last week for COVID. No other residents or staff have tested positive.
Last week, more than 35 nursing homes across the state reported staff and/or new resident cases of COVID-19 in their centers. Due to these numbers, CT DPH has ordered weekly testing of all staff to further safeguard against COVID entering our center, effective November 1. We are reminding our staff to not only practice safeguards against COVID in our center, but to be vigilant outside of our center and share these practices with their friends and loved ones.
PLEASE wear your mask, wash your hands, and watch your distance. These are simple things we must continue to do, not just in our centers, but in our personal lives to keep COVID out!
Due to the increase in the number of COVID cases in the community and communities across the state, we need to prepare for the inevitable – accepting COVID-19 positive patients into our center for their post-hospital recovery. Our partner hospitals in the community have begun asking us to take admissions and making referrals to us as well as other nursing homes.
Our center does have the capacity and capability to care for these recovering individuals, including ample PPE. If these residents are positive for the virus they will remain in quarantine. We are strongly advocating for the state to re-open the COVID-Recovery Facilities in Meriden and Torrington (and elsewhere) to ease the pressure on all nursing homes. Many nursing homes across the state are also supporting this effort.
Because these individuals would arrive in recovery, their admission to our center will NOT trigger a suspension of visitation plans, either indoor or outdoor, per the state DPH.
Some updates / Reminders
• FLU VACCINE: 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 if you have not done so already. Our goal is 100% participation of staff and residents.
• 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 are on hold.
• Next week in Recreation, we will be giving out flags to all residents in celebration of Veterans Day. We will also have a day based on all different types of inventors and inventions. Slotz Ball which is a beach ball with dice in it to replicate a slot machine. We will finish off the week with kindness day where we will make hearts of kindness and read about poems based on kindness.
Indoor Visits
As a reminder, our indoor visitation policy and procedures following state and federal requirements are on hold. Based on that, nursing homes and visitors must adhere to the following conditions:
• 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 by our center staff.
• We cannot allow visitors to move freely throughout our center at this time.
• Hand hygiene must be followed and personal protection equipment (PPE) must be worn by visitors.
• Social distancing requirements remain for our outside visits.
• We offer outdoor supervised social distancing visits 5 times a week as weather permits.
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!