Update from Administrator – June 13, 2020
Good evening,
I hope you are well, safe and healthy!
Starting Monday, June 15, 2020, we are excited to offer in-person visits between residents and their families! As we continue along our hard fought battle with COVID-19 we are ready to see families united. In accordance with our new policy, we will be offering outdoor social distancing visit options for residents to spend time with family, friends & loved ones. As outlined in the DPH memorandum to Nursing Homes dated 6/1/2020 the following are the stipulations and requirements.
Guidelines for Outdoor Social Distancing Visits
This facility is pleased that we are now able to facilitate outdoor social distancing visits between you and your loved one. We recognize how stressful the visitor restrictions have been on our residents and their families/friends and we want this to be a successful and safe opportunity for all. Procedures have been established with guidance from the MA. Dept. of Public Health, the MA. Dept. of Epidemiology and State Long Term Care Ombudsman Office and must be adhered to for the safety of our residents.
Guidelines
- All visits must be scheduled in advance and will take place in a designated area.
- The visitor must have their temperature taken and answer simple questions prior to the resident coming out for the visit.
- The resident and their visitor(s) must always wear a facial mask.
- Social distancing must be maintained throughout the entire visit. This means that the resident and their visitor(s) must always be at least six (6) feet apart.
- Person to person contact between the resident and visitor(s) is prohibited.
- No items may be transferred between visitor(s), residents and staff.
- The visits will be for a maximum of thirty (30) minutes.
- The maximum number of visitors allowed at one time is two (2).
- Visits will only be scheduled before sundown.
- A facility staff member will be required to remain with the resident and visitor(s) at all times
- Covid-19 Positive residents are unable to receive outdoor visits at this time. Once recovered outdoor appointments can be offered.
- Smoking is not permitted during visits with loved ones. Family cannot join a loved one during resident smoking times.
- If violations occur the visit will end and the resident will return to the facility & visit will need to be rescheduled based on availability.
At this time, we will start scheduling in-person outdoor visitations starting 6/12/2020.
- Days for scheduling in-person visits are Monday – Sunday & staggered daily between UNIT 1 & UNIT 2. UNIT 3 not at this time. Weather permitting. If weather is not ideal, window visit may be offered.
- Those who do not have internet & email, will be offered to sign up by phone at the facility a minimum of 48 hours prior to visit.
- Visitors must arrive at least 10 minutes prior to visitation for proper screening by center (at the main front entrance). All visitors must be wearing a facemask or facemask will be given before screening.
We are still offering other options for visiting with your loved one such as electronic devices and/or window visits that can be scheduled through “Sign-Up Genius”. (click link here).
Enjoy your time with your loved one and please comply with these safety guidelines as listed above. If you have any questions please do not hesitate to call or email me at any time.
We currently have 32 positive residents in house & set to have our first 4 recovered soon & no new deaths. I know these are trying times but please bear with us as we work through the process of dealing with COVID. Know that your loved ones look forward to spending time again, although separated they are much stronger than you would think and doing well given the circumstances.
Lastly, we had our visit from DPH today to see that we are adhering to guidelines set forth by DPH & CDC and they are extremely happy with our processes. I hope to have the survey results in the coming days to share.
Thank you for your patience as we continue along & please stay safe!
Kind Regards,
Corey Beaudette, NHA