As we enter our third month of managing this pandemic, I wanted to share some encouraging news with you. As we noted, when we identified a positive test in our Haven’s facility, we made the decision to test all of our residents and staff in that building. I’m happy to report that all of the resident tests came back negative. All of the returned employee tests have come back negative as well, and we are still waiting on a few results. We continue to follow strict infectious disease protocols in that area. All of our staff continue to wear masks and eye protection when they enter a resident’s room, and we are strongly encouraging our residents in that building to wear masks as well. We want to make sure we are taking every precaution we can to protect everyone.
We are also encouraged that some of our staff who were diagnosed earlier with COVID-19 have passed the return-to-work protocols and will be back on duty starting next week. While I’m on that topic, I want to share with you the process we will follow for our residents in regard to removing some of the restrictions currently in place. Although the Governor implemented Phase 1 of the reopening plan today, this does not mean Brandermill Woods will be following the same guidelines. Many states place senior living facilities in the last phase of reopening. Based on the guidelines of the health department, an outbreak can be considered “resolved” within a nursing facility when 28 days have passed since the last positive test. As we get closer to our goal, we will have a meeting with the health department to review what has been done, what can be relaxed and what continues to be necessary. Obviously, the goal is to return as many operations as possible back to normal within the CMS guidelines on visitation and communal activities like dining.
In another effort to make our facility safer, we will soon be installing UVB UCV lighting in our HVAC systems to kill bacteria in our air circulation system. We also have acquired portable units that we can use as needed to assist in killing germs in rooms.
While we are encouraged by the progress we are making, we also know that setbacks will likely happen. We want you to know that we are doing everything we can to protect the residents of our community. We understand how difficult this has been for many families, but we do see light at the end of the tunnel. As we approach the important milestones established by the health department, we will share more updates on how we can reopen our facility to visitors in the not too distant future.
