Update from Administrator – April 14, 2021
April 14, 2021
Dear Families,
We hope this email finds you healthy and as optimistic as we are about the continuing decline in COVID cases in our surrounding community. Considering these encouraging numbers, we will begin to take a slightly different approach with these weekly email updates to you, focusing more on recreation activities taking place in our center, special events, and significant changes taking place.
Vaccination Update
- Although not mandatory, we continue to encourage any employee who has not been vaccinated to obtain one. Currently, they may obtain one at a community clinic. We are also working with our state to do “catch-up” clinics to assist our team and new residents in obtaining the vaccine right here in our center.
- Regional hospitals are working on plans to offer the first dose of a COVID vaccine to their patients being discharged to nursing homes.
Visitation
- No significant changes to our center or our visitation plans, which are based on our state’s guidance from the CDC and CMS recommendations.
- We always offer visitations using our technology (iPads, tablets, calls, etc.) and when we can, window visits and outside visits. If you do not have an appointment scheduled, please contact the recreation department at 413-584-8457 to schedule an appointment for an outdoor visit, window visit or virtual visit.
- Outdoor visitation is not affected by an internal outbreak on a unit, while we await the results of the initial round of testing.
- Outdoor visitation is still the recommended form of visitation from CMS and the CDC.
- When an outbreak is detected among residents or staff, all visitations must be suspended except for compassionate care visits, until at least one round of facility-wide testing is completed.
Recreation / Activities:
- We are delighted to once again safely begin holding small, socially distanced group activities.
- Outdoor activities are always encouraged and preferred by the CDC and CMS, however indoor events are once again taking place following the outbreak guidance.
- These events will safely welcome back in our volunteers and vendors including entertainment, clergy, artists, and instructors.
- A reminder to everyone that we do have various tablet devices for your loved one to utilize to access games, various communication tools, games, news, and more. We
- have done some tutoring and training of the tablets so that residents are more comfortable with them.
Dining:
- In addition to we are once again welcoming our Residents back into a communal dining atmosphere following all guidance set forth by the CDC and CMS. This means our Dining Rooms are again open for meals, allowing for additional opportunities for socialization among our residents.
Thank you and, as always, please stay safe and healthy!
Katrina Dahlgren, MHA, LNHA
Administrator