Update of Information: 4/2/2020
Family Email Communication to: assistadm@chateaucenter.com
Dear Residents, Family Members and Staff,
Again, as we have done previously, thank you for your understanding and patience during this time.
We have heard from several sources that communication from the facility to our families has gotten better and we apologize for any difficulties you may have experienced during the first week or two of this change at Chateau. In week two of the COVID work here at Chateau we made a decision not to forward calls to the units. We made this decision to allow our Caregiving staff to continuing providing care to our residents and not be distracted by telephone calls. Our receptionist is taking messages and passing them on to Social Services or Administration to return calls. Social Service staff are then checking progress notes, vital signs and any symptoms and then returning calls. This should all take place within a few hours of any calls.
We also are receiving communications through email (see above email address) which has also been quite effective.
As we reported in our last update, life here at our home is slowly returning to “normal”, although, there is probably a “new normal” but things are moving and getting better each day. We thank you for your patience and support as we continue to work hard to meet the care needs of each of our residents.
Social Service and Activity staff are doing one-to one visits with our residents. We are also providing books, magazines, puzzles, coloring and other things to help occupy our residents’ time and keep them engaged. Last Friday, the Activity staff hosted a sing-a-long from residents’ doorways while staff orchestrated from the hallway.
Our enhanced infection control practices continue. For more than two weeks prior to any active cases identified here, we proactively initiated and implemented increased infection prevention strategies and practices. These activities included:
- Symptom screening of staff.
- Symptom screening of residents.
- Enhanced environmental cleaning and disinfection.
- Visitor screening and restrictions. New visitor restrictions of non-essential visitors have also been restricted to try and close the gap of an infection break in our facility.
- Assessing and ordering additional PPE supplies.
Our Increase Monitoring of all Residents Continues:
The most significant monitoring for further spread of the virus and to identify increased symptoms in identified resident cases, is to increase monitoring of our residents’ vital signs. Vital signs include checking temperatures. To that end, residents identified as Positive for COVID-19 have Vital Signs done twice a shift and residents identified as Negative for COVID-19 Vital Signs are done every eight hours.
We continue to have increased hours of two Nurse Practitioners, we have engaged the support of a Registered Respiratory Therapist, and continue to interview new staff members that want to work at Chateau.
As always, our residents’ and staff’s health, safety and well-being, remains to be our highest priority, and we recognize the uncertainty and concern regarding the rapidly evolving COVID-19.
To avoid tying up phone lines and our staff’s time we are continuing to ask if you have any further questions, or concerns that you communicate to: assistadm@chateaucenter.com