We thank you for your cooperation during this community surge and our recent facility outbreak. We have had positive tests results on multiple residents and staff throughout the week which have been updated on our call in line. As of midnight on January 13, 2022, we have had 10 additional residents and two staff member test positive. Thankfully, no one is showing strong symptoms. Our positive and potentially exposed residents are quarantined and positive staff are off work. Many of our positive staff have completed quarantine and have already returned to work. We are following CDC and department of health guidance related to contact tracing and testing.
The current outbreak, starting December 29, 2021, warranted our voluntary decision to pause on accepting new admissions. While we feel there are definite benefits of open visitation, we continue to be very concerned with the community surge as well as our own facility outbreak status.
In a continued effort to manage and control the escalation of the outbreak, we have been working with our local department of health office and are continuing the limited stop to in-person visitation in our building for an additional week. This will apply to all nursing units in the building. We will evaluate again on Thursday, January 20, 2022, for potentially re-opening specific units for visitation on Friday, January 21, 2022. We ask your cooperation with visiting virtually. We will be limiting in-person visits to end of life situations. Please share this with your family members who do not receive this email so they are aware of our temporary halt to in-person visitation.
We continue to take extraordinary efforts to safeguard residents and staff against the COVID-19 Omicron variant. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) data supports that vaccine boosters for care home residents are considered vital during the Omicron surge. We have advocated for vaccines and boosters throughout the pandemic and, as a result, have cast a safety net that ranks ahead of the national average.
As of January 13, 2022, 97% of our residents have been vaccinated and 92% have received booster shots. Our staff is 100% vaccinated. Overall, our facility staff and residents are 98.9% fully vaccinated.
The CDC is working with state and local public health officials to monitor the spread of Omicron.
Our top priority is to protect the residents, staff and families. We appreciate that you entrust us with the care of your loved ones. Our main goal is to provide high-quality care and to keep your loved ones safe.
FaceTime calls: To schedule FaceTime calls for residents in our yellow or red zones, please contact Ahava Menachin or Samantha DePaul in Life Enrichment. Ahava can be reached at amenachin@jhep.org or 570-344-6177 ext. 1113 and Samantha at sdepaul@jhep.org or 570-344-6177 ext 1314.
Please note we have had some staff out in Life Enrichment staff out temporarily so if you have any difficulty reaching the Life Enrichment Department to set up virtual visits please contact the receptionist who will rely your message and have someone call you back. As much as we would like to provide daily face time calls for all families that are requesting them, we ask your understanding to be flexible and try to limit requests to no more than three times weekly so that we can meet all of the residents’ virtual visits and activity schedules.
Our Facility’s Resident Impact (Since March 30, 2020, through January 13, 2022)
34 – Residents currently in our building with a confirmed active case of COVID 19
91- CONFIRMED: Residents with laboratory positive COVID-19
0 – SUSPECTED: Residents with new suspected COVID-19
87 – Confirmed Staff Total: with a positive COVID-19
- Please note that test results are reported on our call-in line at 570-207-6711 which is updated daily if we have new positive results. Family members and all others impacted by the virus will be contacted directly and provided with results and updates.
Thank you again for entrusting us with the care of your loved ones. If you have any questions, we are always available for you.
Sincerely,
Mary Rose Applegate, MBA, RD, NHA
Administrator
