June 6 – Family Update
June 6, 2020
We hope you and your family are safe and healthy. Another “thank you” for all the staff’s hard work, dedication, and compassion for our residents here. Everyone is working hard, and their efforts do not go unnoticed.
Starting June 09, 2020, we are excited to offer in-person visits between residents and their families! In accordance with our new policy, we will be offering outdoor social distancing visit options for residents to spend time with family, friends, and loved ones. As outlined in the Department of Public Health Care Memorandum to Nursing Homes dated June 1, 2020, the following are the stipulations and requirements:
A long-term care facility may allow in-person visitation in a designated outdoor visitation space, provided that the long-term care facility implements the following safety, care, and infection control measures:
- A resident who is suspected or confirmed to be infected with COVID-19 cannot be visited. A resident who has recovered from COVID-19 may be visited.
- Prior to transporting a resident to the designated outdoor visitation space, the long-term care facility must screen the visitor for fever or respiratory symptoms. Any individuals with symptoms of COVID-19 infection (fever equal to or greater than 100.0 F, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, myalgia, chills, or new onset of loss of taste or smell) will not be permitted to visit with a resident.
- Transport of a resident to and from the designated outdoor visitation space must be safe and orderly. At a minimum, safe transport means that the resident cannot be transported through any space designated as COVID-19 care space or space where residents suspected or confirmed to be infected with COVID-19 are present.
- A long-term care facility staff member trained in such patient safety and infection control measures must remain with the resident at all times during the visit.
- Visitors must be limited to no more than two individuals. A visitor must remain at least 6 feet from the resident and attending staff member(s) at all times during the visit.
- Staff and residents must wear a surgical face mask and visitors must wear a face covering or mask for the duration of the visit.
- Visits with a resident in a designated outdoor space must be scheduled in advance and are dependent on permissible weather conditions, availability of outdoor space, and sufficient staffing at the facility to meet resident care needs, and the health and well-being of the resident.
- A long-term care facility may limit the length of any visit, the days on which visits will be permitted, the hours during a day when visits will be permitted, and the number of times during a day or week a resident may be visited.
As mentioned, we will start scheduling in-person outdoor visitation starting June 9, 2020. The following is the information about these visitations at our Center:
- Visits are from 8:00 AM to 6 pm.
- All appointments must be scheduled with Christine O’Rourke, by calling 508-860-5000, extension 5012 or by emailing her at recreation@worcesterrhcc.com a minimum of 48 hours prior to visit.
- Visitors must arrive at least 10 minutes prior to visitation for proper screening by the center (at the main front entrance). All Visitors must be wearing facemask or facemask that will be given before screening.
- In-person visitation at this time will only have a duration of 20 minutes.
- No more than two visitors during each in-person visit.
- Visitors cannot transfer or exchange any items with residents.
- Visitors must maintain 6 feet distance from residents and staff at all times (no physical contract).
- To give residents the opportunity to have visitations, all residents at this time can only have one in-person visit per week.
- All visitations are weather permitting, and the Center will do its best to contact visitors if canceling is required due to weather.
We are still offering other options for visiting with your family member such as electronic devices and/or window visits that can also be scheduled with Christine, by calling 508-860-5000, extension 5012 or by emailing her at recreation@worcesterrhcc.com. Enjoy your time with your loved one and please comply with these safety guidelines as listed above. If you have any questions at any time, please do not hesitate to call or email me at any time.
As of today, we have seen 54 of our residents convert to negative and are now symptom-free of COVID-19. We are very excited for these residents, their families, and our staff. We anticipate this number to continue to rise and we will begin holding “graduation” or recovery ceremonies, to celebrate their success. Currently, six residents are positive. We had our 2nd infection control survey with Mass DPH this past week and passed all criteria. We continue to have consistent staffing on all our units. We continue to follow all CDC and state guidelines and receive regular updates on new guidelines that are offered. This information is shared with our staff and additional training is continually taking place.
As a reminder. our next “Town Hall” meeting is scheduled for Thursday, June 11 at 3:30. We will continue to discuss more detailed information on center updates. Please use our special email address Info@WorcesterRHCC.com to ask questions. In addition, we encourage any family member to contact Miriam Lena, nursing supervisor, for questions about a family member on the 2nd or 3rd floors or ask for Caroline Tuttle, ADON for questions about residents on 4th and 5th floors.
Thank you and please stay safe and healthy!