Nursing homes boosting isolation
Don’t expect to be able to visit your parents or grandparents if they’re in a nursing home while the COVID-19 pandemic lasts.
Since the shelter in place order intended to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus went into effect March 20, nursing homes have expanded their measures to protect residents from the infectious disease COVID-19, which is caused by the virus. People over the age of 65 and with compromised immune systems are the most vulnerable to falling seriously ill from the disease. Chun Watts, owner of Hall Avenue Rest Home in Eureka, which has 15 beds, had a day program five days a week at her facility that she no longer holds.
“Since last month, everyone is staying home,” Watts said.
Watts said she worries about her staff, but makes sure they are properly geared up and thoroughly wash their hands before entering the facility. If they aren’t feeling well, Watts said she has them stay home.
Residents’ temperatures are also checked every morning, and local people donated hand sanitizer to the facility to ensure it had enough, she said.
Other facilities said they’ve increased the level of isolation for residents, canceling group activities and shutting down the dining hall, bringing food to residents’ rooms instead.
Before the shelter in place order went into effect, Alder Bay Assisted Living had begun screening visitors for COVID-19 symptoms. Now, said Mark Stephenson, administrator at Alder Bay Assisted Living, visitors are no longer allowed.
“We continue to have our doors locked and limit entrance into the building to anyone other than essential healthcare personnel,” Stephenson said.
Residents are handling the situation pretty well given the circumstances, Stephenson said, and only a couple of the residents leave the facility to go for walks. They’re advised on proper safety precautions, such as maintaining 6 feet of distance from others and wearing a mask, he said.
“I think we’re doing the best we can to limit the possibility of exposure,” Stephenson said.
Roger Endert, executive director of Sequoia Springs Senior Living Community, said access into the facility began shrinking gradually to the point where virtually no one beyond health care and hospice workers are allowed inside today.
Those workers have also spread out their visits, Endert said. Hospice workers used to come in five to six times per week, but that’s gone down to once every other week as needed, he said.
Sequoia Springs canceled its activities that breached social distancing guidelines, but has started other activities in its place, Endert said. That includes scavenger hunts and bingo in the dining room where each resident gets his or her own table 10 feet from other residents.
“We mix it up,” Endert said. “Most important, happy hour every Friday has not been interrupted. We’ve got that hallway cart going and they love it.”
Even though residents can’t receive visitors, Endert said his staff is helping them facilitate video chats to keep in touch with their friends and family.
Endert said he and his staff are prepared for COVID-19 if it does emerge at the facility because nursing homes regularly have to deal with another set of viruses, noroviruses, which cause gastroenteritis and leads to symptoms such as diarrhea and vomiting.
Noroviruses are much more contagious than the novel coronavirus and the facility was able to fight off a batch of it in January through good infection control, Endert said.
“So if we can do noro(virus), we’ll be get through this experience,” Endert said. “We just had a drill two months ago. We’re ready to go.”