Update From Administrator – September 3, 2020
September 3, 2020
As always, our team and I hope this email finds you safe and healthy. I am pleased to report that we tested all staff and residents on 8/20/20 & 8/27/20 and were all negative both weeks. We continue with testing all staff and residents with a new Care Partner Sema4 Lab on 9.3.20. We had a visit from DPH and the National Guard today and we were found to be in compliance with infection control practices and have adequate PPE supplies.
Thank You for all your support that you have been giving us during this difficult time. We are doing our best to keep our residents safe and happy. With that being said, Grandparent’s Day is coming up on September 13th and we would like to do something special for our residents. If you have a grandparent in our facility and would like send them a card, grandchildren pictures and/or drawings please drop off with the receptionist. Please remember to label all items with name of grandparent. If you would rather send me an email, my email is info@northbridgehcc.com. Thank you for your efforts.
Visitation Update
As you may have seen in local media, the CT Department of Public Health (DPH) issued a new visitation order yesterday that among other things, added the ability to hold indoor “compassionate care visits” as defined by the order. Unfortunately, one or two media outlets misrepresented the order and reported that nursing homes were now open to indoor visitation which caused confusion for many families. Our nursing home Association brought this to the attention of DPH and they have requested that those media outlets issue corrections to their reporting.
The newly revised visitation guidance from the DPH. We are working to develop a new visitation plan and policy for our center that is thoughtful, safe and compliant with the new guidance. We will be in touch with you as soon as we have finalized the plan. In the meantime, our current visitation policy remains in place and all scheduled visits will go on as planned, without interruption.
We would also like to clarify that the new guidance did specifically add what is called a “compassionate care visit.” These compassionate care visits are limited to two circumstances: end stage of life and a significant change of condition. It is only these specific compassionate care visits that can occur inside of the center. No other indoor visits will be allowed by DPH at this time.
Family Survey
As you know more than anyone, it’s been a difficult few months as our center has battled with COVID-19. While the number of individuals stricken with the virus has decreased dramatically, we know that it is possible we will be dealing with another surge of positive cases in our community.
Our entire team has been at work planning for this possibility, and we’d like your input as we continue to refine our strategy to keep all of our residents and staff safe. To that end, we have developed this brief survey that we are asking family members and residents to complete. It will only take you a few minutes and will help us learn what your priorities and main concerns may be.
Please click on this link to take a brief survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/ZXF356S which will remain open until September 8th .
Thank you and please stay safe and healthy!
Erica Roman, LCSW, LNHA
Administrator