7/22/2020
Dear Maristhill Residents and Families,
The facility has tested all of our staff again on July 17th for those staff members that had previously tested negative in April. The testing of our staff will allow us to establish another baseline timeline for the status of our staff regarding COVID-19. The results of the test are that two (2) staff members have tested positive from the July 17th testing. The two staff members were asymptomatic and were immediately placed on leave so they could be quarantined per CDC and DPH guidelines. The facility will test all staff and residents within the next week to ensure that COVID-19 virus has not re-entered the facility. At the time of this letter no residents or staff members has exhibited any signs or symptoms of COVID-19.
As I mentioned in a previous letter to you that on July 2, 2020 new guidance from the Department of Public Health regarding visits to residents had been distributed to nursing facilities. The new guidance keeps many of the previous guidelines for social distancing, facemask requirements, advance scheduling, availability of outdoor space, permissible weather conditions and staff availability in place. The changes that are added to the new guidance are the increase in visitation time to be offered to no fewer than 30 minute increments, at least five days a week including one day during the weekend and one day with visits offered outside the standard business hours. We have established a location in the front of the facility to assist us in providing a location for off hours and weekend visits. Please contact the Activities Department to arrange for a time slot.
I am pleased to inform you that on July 20th the Department of Public Health has provided us with new guidelines to provided limited dining and group activities along with the use of our rehab therapy gym for our residents. These guidelines require us to use many of the infection control safeguards that have helped us control the spread of COVID-19.
We ask that our residents and staff do all that they can to support our facility and our community by following the recommendations set forth by the CDC and DPH:
- Social Distancing/staying home if possible and wear a facemask in public;
- Washing Hands for 20 seconds with soap and water or use a hand sanitizer;
- Self-isolating if showing any signs or symptoms of COVID-19; and
- Seek medical assistance as necessary
We wish to remind you that we have updated our Maristhill website and we hope that this updated version will be helpful for the families to keep in contact with the activities and news from Maristhill. We can be followed on Facebook and Twitter as well. We had a story in the Parade Magazine last Sunday regarding the visitation program at Maristhill and this was one of 50 national positive stories concerning the COVID pandemic. Please visit us at www.Maristhill.org.
Thank you all for your support. If you have any questions, please let me know.
Regards,
James Tracy
James Tracy,
President