Update From Administrator – July 17, 2020
July 17, 2020
Hello Family, Friends, Representatives, and Residents:
Please remember that the outdoor visits must be pre-scheduled to ensure safe and healthy visits for you, the residents, and our staff. It also allows our team to ensure your loved one is available and ready for your visit to make the most of your time together. These visits require appropriate PPE (masks) to be worn at all times and a social distance of 6 feet between you and your loved ones for the entirety of the visit. If these restrictions pose issues for you please keep in mind that we continue to offer other visitation alternatives like Facetime, Skype, and window visits. You can schedule a visit by calling Director of Life Enrichment, Allison Michalski, by calling her directory at 508-927-3316 or by emailing her at recreation@plymouthrhcc.com.
Reminder of detailed DPH guidelines during all in-person visits:
- 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.
Updates from our recreation team:
Starting July 19, 2020, the in-person visits between residents and their families have changed slightly. In accordance with the new guidance from Department of Public Health Care Memorandum to Nursing Homes dated July 2, 2020:
- Days for scheduling in-person visitation will be Tuesdays, Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays between the hours of 9am to 5pm daily. On Wednesday between the hours of 9am to 6:30pm.
- All appointments must be scheduled with the Director of Life Enrichment, Allison Michalski, by calling her directory at 508-927-3316 or by emailing her at recreation@plymouthrhcc.com 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 facemask or facemask will be given before screening.
- In-person visitation will have a duration of 30 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 opportunity to have visitations, all residents at this time can only have one in-person visit per week.
We are happy to report that we are still currently COVID free! As mentioned in our previous Town Hall call, we conducted another round of employee testing on July 15, 2020 and all test results returned negative. We will conduct employee random testing weekly moving forward per DPH guidelines and we are hopeful that we will remain free of the virus. Some of our families have inquired about increasing time outdoors so we are actively trying to get people out of their rooms while maintaining the appropriate safety measures. As we continue to maintain a COVID-free status, we will hopefully be able to reduce restrictions under the guidance of the CDC and MA Department of Public Health.
The next Town Hall Zoom meeting will be on Thursday July 23, 2020 @ 2pm. If you do not receive the invite from our Center, please email or call the administrator Michelle Newcomb.
Please continue to comply with these safety guidelines as listed above and if you have any questions at any time, please do not hesitate to call or email me.
Sincerely,
Michelle Newcomb, LNHA
Administrator – administrator@plymouthrhcc.com