Nursing home facility in Chicago IL called me (only daughter) yesterday to inform me they’ve restricted visitors. The nursing supervisor wanted to inform me directly because I she knows that I come daily. I asked her for how long and she said she was unsure.
Coincidentally, last week a new CNA dropped mom (72). Mom suffered 2 hematomas but is recovering very well. I had 2 CT scans performed 3 days apart. Everything looks good. Nothing was broken.
Mom is a feeder. She has few words now and is in full diapers. Surprisingly, she uses her eyes and body language to communicate with me. It is the absolute cutest thing ... not sure if I’m able to go more than a day without visiting with her besides I give her Ensure Plus, yogurt and graham crackers as a snack every day too. Any thoughts?
Ask if they will allow you to visit if you suit up.
Now the babies in the NICU! That would break my heart! I was there 2 months with my preemie boy. I just would never leave rather than leave and risk not getting back in. So sad!
They are still getting information about this virus but it appears that you are contagious before you have a fever. So screening people for fevers isn't going to stop the virus.
If they haven't thought this through, they should have. They'll still be taking deliveries, having maintenance done, receiving mail - anybody who goes into residents' areas ought to be following some kind of protocol. And presumably the staff don't all live on site?
Over here there was talk of recruiting volunteers to boost staffing in nursing homes (I'm not at all sure they've thought that through! - not to mention somebody's bright idea of bringing extra doctors and nurses out of retirement, unless it's a cunning plan to bump them off and save on their pension payments), and what sort of crash course in care, catering and infection control would get them up to speed fast enough.
I'm taking my temperature every morning, besides our standard guidelines. If it's a whisker over normal I'll call in, and I assume I'll be told to stay away. But the virus is in the area, somebody's already tested positive for it, and really it's only a matter of time.
Strategies to Prevent the Spread of COVID-19 in Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCF)
A new respiratory disease – coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) – is spreading globally and there have been instances of COVID-19 community spread in the United States. The general strategies CDC recommends to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in LTCF are the same strategies these facilities use every day to detect and prevent the spread of other respiratory viruses like influenza.
Long-term care facilities concerned that a resident, visitor, or employee may be a COVID-2019 patient under investigation should contact their local or state health department immediately for consultation and guidance.
Prevent the introduction of respiratory germs INTO your facility
Post signs at the entrance instructing visitors not to visit if they have symptoms of respiratory infection.
Ensure sick leave policies allow employees to stay home if they have symptoms of respiratory infection.
Assess residents symptoms of respiratory infection upon admission to the facility and implement appropriate infection prevention practices for incoming symptomatic residents.
Symptoms of respiratory infection, including COVID-19:
-Fever
-Cough
-Shortness of breath
Prevent the spread of respiratory germs WITHIN your facility
Keep residents and employees informed.
Describe what actions the facility is taking to protect them, including answering their questions and explaining what they can do to protect themselves and their fellow residents.
Monitor residents and employees for fever or respiratory symptoms.
Restrict residents with fever or acute respiratory symptoms to their room. If they must leave the room for medically necessary procedures, have them wear a facemask (if tolerated).
In general, for care of residents with undiagnosed respiratory infection use Standard, Contact, and Droplet Precautions with eye protection unless suspected diagnosis requires Airborne Precautions (e.g., tuberculosis).
Healthcare personnel should monitor their local and state public health sources to understand COVID-19 activity in their community to help inform their evaluation of individuals with unknown respiratory illness. If there is transmission of COVID-19 in the community, in addition to implementing the precautions described above for residents with acute respiratory infection, facilities should also consult with public health authorities for additional guidance.
Support hand and respiratory hygiene, as well as cough etiquette by residents, visitors, and employees.
Ensure employees clean their hands according to CDC guidelines, including before and after contact with residents, after contact with contaminated surfaces or equipment, and after removing personal protective equipment (PPE).
Put alcohol-based hand rub in every resident room (ideally both inside and outside of the room).
Make sure tissues are available and any sink is well-stocked with soap and paper towels for hand washing.
Identify dedicated employees to care for COVID-19 patients and provide infection control training.
Guidance on implementing recommended infection prevention practices is available in CDC’s free online course — The Nursing Home Infection Preventionist Training — which includes resources checklists for facilities and employees to use.
Provide the right supplies to ensure easy and correct use of PPE.
Post signs on the door or wall outside of the resident room that clearly describe the type of precautions needed and required PPE.
Make PPE, including facemasks, eye protection, gowns, and gloves, available immediately outside of the resident room.
Position a trash can near the exit inside any resident room to make it easy for employees to discard PPE.
For the most up-to-date information, visit www.cdc.gov/covid19.
Contact administrator of facility & ask if you can visit if you take specific precautions.
This is not about you but rather the residents. Call the nursing supervisor and make sure they know your routine for feeding your mother. I'd also ask if any of the staff have called out sick. Perhaps if staff have called out sick, the nursing supervisor will consider allowing you to volunteer your time to help your mother and other residents eat and wash their hands.
Please be mindful of the fact that the CDC does not yet know how COVID spreads. As of this morning: "The virus that causes COVID-19 seems to be spreading easily and sustainably in the community".
But the media insists on hyping this virus up to hysterical proportions and we're buying into it. As a result, we are demanding that our nursing facilities be hyper vigilant about taking precautions to save the lives of our elders. Then we're complaining that we can't visit our loved ones or that we're being asked to take extra precautions in order to do so?
We need to make up our minds............how do we want to treat this virus? Like a death sentence (which it isn't), or like just another virus that we may or may not get? We can either live in fear and drive ourselves crazy with worry, or we can live our lives and let the chips fall where they may. We can stock up on toilet paper and have enough to last us till 2030, or we can calm down and recognize that toilet paper isn't a necessity AT ALL. Even if we ran out, there is still soap and water available to use.........unless we collectively decide to buy up all the soap on the shelves as well.
I work in the health care industry and my mother lives in a Memory Care home as well. I went to visit her yesterday & everyone there is fine. My daughter is an RN at a hospital and she's doing fine; not being eaten alive by worry either.
There are 12 cases of this virus in Colorado and 5.7 million people live here.
Let's keep this all in perspective, folks. Taking precautions is good. Going overboard isn't. That's my 2 cents
These new restrictions protect our elderly and compromised health individuals. There is no vaccine or immunity to help protect these people. We have seen first hand in Washington state how deadly this virus is in the elderly.
You may or may not care if your loved one dies, but others do not feel that way. One sick person allowed into a facility could be the death sentence for many, not just your unloved one.
"You may or may not care if your loved one dies,...."
The rest of your comment was true, forthright, and did not mince words. I liked it!
Add some See's candy for the staff. It will be fun, and the rest of your time will be a respite for you.
These precautions are necessary to prevent the spread of many illnesses at this time.
As I was typing this the supervisor called me and stated that the regulations have changed as of today and we are not able to visit. He is going to try and arrange Skype. I can still pick up and drop off her laundry at the door and pay her bills at the desk. He would not promise or decline the ability to see my mother through the front door occasionally. He understands we are upset.
We wish to visit, because my mother is totally dependent, is finally almost healed from a pressure sore to the foot (threat of amputation of leg if not healed), and because of the turnover...we cannot be assured that staff will position her correctly, put on her booties, apply the correct dressing to her foot, not turn off her pressure mattress inadvertently, turn her, put pillows to prevent skin breakdown between her knees (contracted) and remember not to leave her arthritic hand under her body when turned (very painful for her).
We are there 40 hrs a week, between the two of us, to put aright all the things that go wrong. Things have improved dramatically since she was admitted about a year ago. But, we still have instances where staff do not read the orders or the orders were not put in the computer or the orders are misinterpreted. We'll be damned her foot is going to square one because of this restriction. When I asked if he would promise that my mom's foot would not revert to a staged pressure sore...he would not promise. He would only say that they would do their very best. So, you can imagine how I feel. Will their very best be enough? It is very frightening, because the governor and officials do not realize that it is family that prevents death and suffering and loneliness, as well. I do understand all the pressures that the administrator is under. I know that the staff are worried for themselves and their families, too. These are very uncertain and upsetting times.
Maybe getting around the visiting restrictions are not a good idea, as I suggested. Even visiting professionals are going to be monitored or restricted in some ways.
I understand your concerns, but maybe there is another way.
I so very much wanted to support you though, and to be sure your Mom was safe and well-cared for.
Hoping any need for restricted visits will soon pass.
If your mom isn't in a Private Room, then you wouldn't be able to visit.
You might think about taking her to your home or have them will her outside for visits.
Hopefully this situation we are all in will peter out and we can go back to seeing our family members as often as we want!
If you are considering installing hidden cameras at a nursing home, there can be very serious legal consequences because a nursing home is still private property. There also can be Federal law issues as well under HIPAA. https://www.forpeopleforjustice.com/legal-install-video-camera-inside-nursing-home/
You can install cameras in YOUR home--it's YOUR property, but not other people's private property without their permission or knowledge.
It won't be that much longer for the shutdown. As long as my mom is being taken well care of, that is all that I care about...