COVID-19 Update 1.8.22

1/8/2022

COVID-19 Update

Dear Patients, Residents, Family and Staff:

As we continue to experience the effects of Covid at Shawnee PARC, we continue to ask for your diligence and discipline in living and promoting safety practices to minimize exposure at Shawnee PARC and in our community. Four Residents and a Staff Member tested positive for Covid today. Though Families and Visitors are at liberty to visit loved ones, understand that you visit at your own risk. If you choose to visit, you must ensure that you are properly wearing a mask to cover nose and mouth at all times while in the building, hand hygiene is required, and please don’t forget social distancing. With over forty-four Residents who have tested Covid positive, it would be most advisable to postpone your visit when this event resolves; but you are given the options to make the smartest choice for yourself.

Please keep in mind that both Maple 2 and Willow 1 are still designated Hybrid Covid Units due to the number of Residents who are currently Covid positive in these two areas, and who are currently isolating and recovering in-place. We expect that several of our Residents will be “graduating” from Covid as soon as Monday. As our Residents graduate, our Clinical Team will make Family Members and Responsible Parties aware. Though anticipation might be building up as to a graduation date of your loved one, we ask that Families be patient as you will receive a call from one of our Clinicians once the Physician finally deems a Resident Covid free. You should also expect a phone call if there’s been a change in condition with your loved one. Our Clinical Staff is being inundated with phone calls which are making it more challenging to focus on the Residents and Patients; we ask for your grace and patience in these unprecedented times. 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.

With so many healthcare workers currently quarantining throughout the U.S. and the World, Staffing has been our number one challenge. This can be very frustrating to our Residents and Patients when they experience longer than normal call light times and meal times not always being consistent; we know it’s not ideal, but it’s the best we can do for now. We ask for grace, understanding and patience for All our Team Members who are currently fighting the good fight on behalf of your loved ones with all they’ve got and then some. The Governor has given direction to the utilization of Contingent Staffing; which, in short, means that we’re allowed to utilize para professionals to subsidize the Staffing needs of the building; but given the Staffing shortages everywhere, we’ve not be able to utilize this intervention. We will continue to be diligent in providing the best Staffing outcome around the clock current circumstances and interventions will allow.

As a reminder for Staff, OSHA’s Vaccine Mandate Deadline to be Fully Vaccinated will be 01/10/2022; this Monday Coming Up! If you are unsure if you have been registered in the system as fully vaccinated, it is your responsibility to check with Nik in HR 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 together!

At your service,

The Leadership Team at Shawnee PARC