COVID-19 Update 1.4.22

1/4/2022

COVID-19 Update

Dear Patients, Residents, Family and Staff:

As Covid cases continue to rise in our area, they unfortunately have also risen in our building. Five Residents, and one Staff member have test positive today. In reviewing practices that were put in place since last week, the JOCO Department of Health has been in agreement, and is still currently endorsing restricted visitations (compassionate care only) due to the number of Residents who have tested positive.

Folks have asked for further information about the Hybrid Covid Unit that Maple 2 has been designated as, and now Willow 1 as well due to Covid cases rising in this part of the building. In an effort to place all Covid Residents who’ve tested positive in the extended Covid Unit, we’ve filled all the rooms. And as rehab-to-home folks have been “graduating” from Covid in the Covid Unit and going home, we’ve then utilized those rooms for our own Residents. We’ve been able to do this since we halted admissions last Friday when the know exposure event occurred in Maple 2. We then began testing everyone; and as Residents began to turn positive, we made efforts to transition folks to the Covid Unit. When room was depleted in the Covid Unit, the next best thing to do was to isolate Covid positive Residents “in-place” in Maple 2 as that area of the building had the majority of Residents who tested positive. This intervention was discussed, reviewed, and endorsed by the Department of Health for Maple 2 and Willow 1. We closed the double doors, set up a hand sanitizing station right outside the doors, placed signage at the double doors with precautions for entering the Hybrid Covid Unit, stalked and stationed isolation carts outside of every room which houses a Resident who tested positive for Covid, placed a red trashcan for soiled PPE inside the room, and we placed signage on the doors with precautions before entering the room. We hope this information provides you with a better idea of what a Hybrid Covid Unit entails.

Given the current dynamics, we predict that we will be going back to “normal” in the next few weeks. Given that most of our Residents have been fully vaccinated, we expect lessened intensity of symptoms, and greater chances for successful recoveries. We feel hopeful that all efforts placed into mitigating Covid in collaboration with the Department of Health will yield the best possible outcome for our Residents whom we love and Patients as well.

As a reminder for Staff, OSHA’s Vaccine Mandate Deadline to be Fully Vaccinated will be 01/10/2022; this Monday Coming Up! We ask All Staff who have not provided completed Vaccination Card copies, or who have not been vaccinated yet, to please see Nik in HR to provide a copy of your full Vaccination Card no later than by 12:00pm on Monday 1/10/2022 so the Team can have sufficient time to submit all the virtual paperwork for reporting. If you are unsure if you have been registered in the system as fully vaccinated, it is your responsibility to check with Nik to ensure you have reached compliance before the deadline.

We appreciate everyone’s collaboration, compliance and discipline with all guidelines at this time; we will get through this!

 

At your service,

The Leadership Team at Shawnee PARC