Update from Administrator – May 3, 2021
May 3, 2021
Dear Families,
This week, we celebrate National Nurses Week, which begins on May 6th each year since 1974 and ends on May 12th, in honor of Florence Nightingale’s birthday.
Next week, we begin celebrating National Skilled Nursing Care Week (formerly National Nursing Home Week). This year’s theme is “Together Through the Seasons.” NSNCW begins on Sunday, May 9, Mother’s Day and runs through May 15. The theme will honor the collaborative commitment of our staff in providing compassionate care to your loved ones during this unprecedented time.
Over the past year, despite the challenges of the pandemic, our team has shown an incredible and steadfast commitment to providing quality care and ensuring the safety of their residents.
Throughout the week, our team has many activities and special meals planned for our residents. Please look on our Facebook or contact our recreation team to learn more.
Some updates for you:
Visitation
- A revised guideline from CMS came out that we are now implementing.
o Residents and visitors who are fully vaccinated may visit without social distancing and masks if alone in the resident’s room or alone in a designated area.
o If the visitor is not vaccinated, they can visit with a fully vaccinated resident alone in the resident’s room without distancing while both are wearing well-fitting masks.
o You are also now permitted to eat with your loved one IF you and your loved one are both fully vaccinated and in your loved one’s room alone or alone in a designated visiting area.
- We continue to explore ways to increase our visitation calendar, especially for outside visitations.
- A reminder, even outside visitations still require a mask, currently. The CDC and state continue to update their guidance for nursing homes – and we’ll keep you up to date on any changes. If you are unfamiliar with our protocols, please ask us.
- We always offer visitations using our technology (iPads, tablets, calls, etc.) and when we can, window visits and outside visits.
o Outdoor visitation is not affected by an internal outbreak on a unit, while we await the results of the initial round of testing.
o When an outbreak is detected among residents or staff, all visitations must be suspended except for compassionate care visits, until at least one round of facility-wide testing is completed.
Recreation / Activities:
- We are delighted to once again safely begin holding small, socially distanced group activities.
- Outdoor activities are always encouraged and preferred by the CDC and CMS, however indoor events are once again taking place following the outbreak guidance.
- These events will safely welcome back in our volunteers and vendors including entertainment, clergy, artists, and instructors.
- A reminder to everyone that we do have various tablet devices for your loved one to utilize to access games, various communication tools, games, news, and more. We have done some tutoring and training of the tablets so that residents are more comfortable with them. The feedback from residents on the availability of the tablets has been fantastic!
Dining:
- Following guidance from the CDC and CMS, we are again serving meals in our dining rooms, allowing for additional opportunities for socialization among our residents.
- Update:
o Communal dining and activities may occur without physical distancing and without source control masks if all residents are vaccinated. If any unvaccinated residents are participating in the dining experience or activity, everyone must practice social distancing and wear a mask when not eating.
o A reminder on bringing food to the center for your loved one. Please keep in mind any dietary restrictions for your loved one. The most recent guidance notes that you and your loved are now permitted to eat together if you and your loved one are both fully vaccinated and in your loved one’s room alone or alone in a designated visiting area.
- However, we will ensure that your loved one enjoys the meal, treat, etc. once the visit is complete.
Vaccination Update
- As we have said before, although not mandatory, we continue to encourage any employee who has not been vaccinated to obtain one. Currently, they may obtain one at a community clinic. We are also working with our state to do “catch-up” clinics to assist our team and new residents in obtaining the vaccine right here in our center.
o Fully vaccinated staff are no longer required to be tested each week, unless an outbreak is detected, or the local county’s positivity number is very high.
o Unvaccinated staff still must be tested weekly.
- Regional hospitals are working on plans to offer the first dose of a COVID vaccine to their patients being discharged to nursing homes.
Miscellaneous:
- Our barber and beauty salon is open for appointments
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, , until at least one round of facility-wide testing is completed.
All non-essential indoor compassionate visits will be affected as well, for anyone who is not true immediate end of life, or if the resident has undergone a significant change of conditions.
Some updates
- Food can be dropped off by families for their loved one’s enjoyment and take out delivery has also been authorized. Please coordinate delivery with us.
- 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.
- Every weekday, I and my administrative team round on 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.
As a reminder, our next “Town Hall” meeting is scheduled for today and Tuesday May 4, 2021 at 4:00pm and we will discuss more detailed information during this time. We encourage any residents and family members to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have about the care we are offering. Our commitment is to be as transparent as possible and work to address any issues that arise.
Once again, thank you for your time and understanding.
Please stay safe and healthy!
Best,
Janet Shahen