Update on Community and Opening: May 2020
We will all be grateful when the threat of COVID-19 is no longer a consideration and we can resume our lives as a community with friends and family. Please know that we have had ongoing changes as we adapt to the precautions necessary to keep our population safe. The apartments continue to have tray service for all meals and a rolling bar for Friday Happy Hours and small gatherings that offer social distancing. The comprehensive unit has utilized all our dining areas and resident rooms to manage social distancing for meals and activities. Our activity staff is bringing their ongoing programs into each household and medical visits are virtual with the help of our vigilant nurses.
Elizabeth Residence will continue to adhere to the heightened precautionary measures currently in place as advised by the CDC and medicare. Staff are monitored daily with temperature checks and are required to report any signs and symptoms of any upper respiratory symptoms. We have ongoing inservices for all staff on infection control practices and implementation for daily cares. Residents are also monitored with daily temperatures and for any upper respiratory symptoms.
We realize that residents are feeling the absence of outside visitors and we are offering virtual visits through facetime and or skype so that families and friends can connect with residents and tenants. Please call to schedule a time. Designated visiting spaces are provided in each facility for compassionate situations which are determined by a resident’s condition and their respective nurse. During the COVID-19 pandemic we are restricting visits to weekdays between the hours of 10:00 am and 4:00 pm so that we have staff to adequately screen visitors in compassionate situations. During the warm weather we will also be using our outside areas for visits. All visitors are required to be wearing masks in the presence of residents and tenants.
Elizabeth Residence will continue to thoughtfully follow the guidelines set forth by the CDC that help protect our resident population. There are no quick fixes or established safety routes to resume open visitation at this time. It’s important for us to continue to adhere to the guidelines set forth by the CDC regarding safety practices to protect our resident population and staff.
We are thankful to all our employees who have remained committed to providing services to our residents and tenants during these challenging times. The support and cooperation of all our resident and tenant families and friends is greatly appreciated and needed. Thank you.
For more information you can visit Resources for Health Care Facilities: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/healthcare-facilities/index.html.
Be safe and be well,
JoAnne, Richard, Geralyn, John, & Mark: The Owners of Elizabeth Residence
Help Keep our Residents Safe from COVID-19: April 2020
We are committed to keeping our residents safe and we need your help. The virus causing Coronavirus Disease 2019 (Abbreviated COVID-19) can cause outbreaks in Assisted Living Facilities. Many of our residents are elderly and may have medical conditions putting them at a very high risk of becoming sick, or even severely ill, with COVID-19. Visitors and healthcare personnel (HCP) are the most likely sources of introduction of the virus that causes COVID-19 into a facility.
To protect our vulnerable residents, even before COVID-19 is seen in our community we have been taking the following aggressive actions to reduce the risk of COVID-19 in our residents and staff:
Effective: Restricting all visitation. All visitation is being restricted except for certain compassionate care situations, such as end of life situations. These visitors will first be screened for fever and respiratory symptoms. We know that your presence is important for your loved one but, per guidance for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), this is a necessary action to protect their health. We are introducing alternative methods of visitation (such as Skype and FaceTime) so that you can continue to communicate with your loved ones. Visitors who are permitted to enter the building will be required to frequently clean their hands, limit their visit to a designated area, resident room, wear a facemask. As the situation with COVID-19 is rapidly changing, we will continue to keep you updated.
We are monitoring healthcare personnel and residents for symptoms of respiratory illness. Non-essential healthcare personnel and volunteers are now restricted from entering the facility. Healthcare personnel will be actively monitored for fever and symptoms of respiratory infection. Ill healthcare personnel will be asked to stay home. You may see healthcare personnel wearing facemasks, eye protection, gown and gloves in order to prevent germs from spreading and help keep residents safe. Healthcare personnel will clean their hands frequently. We are assessing residents regularly for fevers and symptoms of respiratory infection in order to quickly identify ill residents and implement additional infection prevention activities. When ill residents are identified, they will be monitored closely, asked to stay in their rooms or wear a mask.
We are limiting activities within the facility. We are cancelling all group activities within the building and all community outings. We will be helping residents to practice social distancing, including during meals, and to frequently clean their hands.
We encourage you to review the CDC website for information about COVID-19, including its symptoms, how it spreads and actions you can take to protect your health: https://www.cdc.gov/corona-virus/2019/index.html
Thank you very much for everything you are doing to keep our residents and facility staff sage and healthy. We continue to monitor the situation in our community; we will keep you informed about any new precautions we think are necessary to keep your loved one safe.
Please visit our website at www.elizabethresidence.com and in the contact section, feel free to send a love note to your loved one and we will read the message to them ASAP.
Please contact us with any additional questions.
Be safe and be well,
JoAnne, Richard, Geralyn, John, & Mark: The Owners of Elizabeth Residence
Responding to Covid-19: March 2020
In response to the evolving incidence of COVID-19, we are following the recommendations of the WI Department of Health Services' new recommendations for the protection of our older and medically vulnerable population. As of March 12, 2020, The Department of Health Services has determined the threat of widespread community transmission is imminent. To protect our populations, we are following these changes in our practice.
Restriction or limitation of visitation by non-essential personnel.
Visits by family members are limited to end of life circumstances or when a visitor is essential for the resident's emotional well-being and care.
All essential personnel entering the building and resident visitors deemed essential will need to sign in at the door and meet safety criteria for visiting.
Entrance to the buildings are prohibited for anyone who has traveled in the past 14 days to countries or regions of the USA known to have widespread community transmission of COVID-19.
We will be following these recommendations for the next 30 days and adapting along the way.
The Elizabeth Residence Family appreciates your support and consideration as we all work through this changing situation. Please call your respective Residence with any questions and for updates.
Be safe and be well,
JoAnne, Richard, Geralyn, John, & Mark: The Owners of Elizabeth Residence