11-12-2020: VISITATION PLANS UPDATE
COVID-19 positive tests in facility and community halting visitation
Over the past couple of weeks and more critically since Monday of this week, we have experienced a growing number of positive COVID test results among our staff and residents. This combined with a significant increase in positive cases in both Hamilton County and other surrounding counties have led us to make the difficult decision to halting Window/Booth visitation. Until we have opportunity to see our positive cases in the facility cease and positive cases in the community subside, we are certain it is best to temporarily halt these visits.
Information on new positive cases within Standifer Place
Specific to the Health Center at Standifer Place (HCSP), we have 4 staff and 5 residents who have tested positive since 11-11-2020. We immediately moved those residents to our COVID Unit (400 wing) which is located in the Hamilton Terrace building. The families of all 5 positive residents have already been notified of the positive test. The COVID Unit has fully dedicated staff and is separated from all other residents and staff. The professional caregivers on that unit are well trained and positioned to provide continued care in a safe and secure manner.
The 4 staff members who tested positive has been removed from work and placed under quarantine. They will not be able to return to work until they complete CDC criteria for the timeframe required being asymptomatic and testing negative for the virus. We have also completed contact tracing and have taken necessary steps with others including additional testing as warranted.
Steps taken to quarantine certain units
One of the results of our contact tracing was to quarantine certain nursing units. We have quarantined 5 of our nursing units where the positive cases were found. These units are as follows: In Hamilton Terrace — 600, 700, 900. In our Dalton Place building, they are — West 1 and West 3. We are also providing additional testing to the residents and staff on these units throughout the time of their quarantine. If any test result is positive, we will be notifying the resident and family immediately and taking other steps per CDC guidelines.
We fully expect that Hamilton County will be at or above the 10% positivity rate by this coming Sunday evening’s report. We are already prepared to test all staff twice weekly as required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid and the Tennessee Dept of Health.
Visitation that is continuing
The following remain within the regulations and recommendations of the Tennessee Department of Health (TDOH) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS).
FaceTime – HCSP has been offering since the start of the pandemic in March the ability for residents and families to communicate and see each other via phone or tablet. If anyone would like to schedule this kind of visitation, you should contact your Social Worker or the Activities staff member on the unit of the resident.
Compassionate Care and/or End of Life Visits — HCSP has been offering since the start of the pandemic in March. If anyone would like to schedule this kind of visitation, you should contact your Nursing Unit manager or Social Worker for the unit of the resident.
We are very disheartened by this news. The positivity rate for each county is measured weekly with a new report each Monday morning. You can see the positivity rate of all the counties in TN yourself by going to the following link: https://www.tn.gov/health/cedep/ncov/data/clusters-in-long-term-care-facilities.html . Once there, click on “Test Percent Positivity by County”.
Thank you for your patience and support. You can contact your Social Worker or Nurse Manager if you have any questions or concerns.