Update from Social Worker – May 4, 2020
This pandemic has been an incredibly challenging time, and we continue to work every day to ensure that we provide the safest possible care for our residents. Our nursing home workers are saving the lives of patients every day, and they are saving the rest of us by serving on the front lines and limiting the reach of this insidious virus. The coronavirus pandemic has hit nursing homes at a disproportionately higher rate than the greater community.
From the beginning of this crisis, we have implemented extensive infection control measures to protect residents.
Recent independent state inspections have consistently found our facility fully in compliance on issues of infection prevention and PPE.
In Rhode Island, patients and staff have tested positive in more than 40 centers. Sadly, we also have had patients test positive for COVID-19. As you know, this has been devastating to our staff. We are doing all we can to treat them and our thoughts are with those patients afflicted with this virus and their loved ones. We will discuss this in more detail in our weekly call (information below).
We also continue to do all we can to protect our other residents and remain committed to ensuring the personal protective equipment (PPE) our staff needs and are in compliance with CDC and state guidelines regarding the appropriate use of PPE. We continue to follow every lead to secure PPE from existing and new vendors and request equipment from the state.
We are in touch daily with the Department of Public Health and our local Health Department. The state DPH has visited our center and found us to be in compliance for PPE, staffing and infection control and prevention issues. We continue to follow all CDC and state guidelines and receive regular updates on new guidelines that are offered. The facility has received permission from the department of health to retest all residents who were positive but have been asymptomatic for 2 weeks.
I am incredibly grateful for our dedicated nursing home team and ask you to join me in ensuring that they are included as “Health Care Heroes” battling COVID-19. They are doing everything they possibly can to care for those suffering and support them as they battle this disease.
We are fortunate that we have not experienced staffing issues due to the commitment our staff has in providing the highest quality of care to their patients, even in the most challenging times. We have increased compensation to staff in our center, Orchard View Manor, and continue to advertise and recruit for additional per diem staff to supplement our teams. We support our talented staff whose commitment to caring for our residents throughout this health crisis inspires us every day.
We have heard from many of you about how you can recognize our staff – like what is happening all around our state with other “Health Care Heroes.” If you want to organize a Parade for our team, make them customized masks, deliver a meal, etc., they would appreciate the recognition as they are a huge part of the health care heroes doing their part in the battle against COVID-19.
This is an incredibly challenging time and we will continue to do all we can to get through this, together.
Thank you and please stay safe and healthy!
Douglas Klein
Social Worker