Covid 19 Safety

1. Prevent Introduction

• Visitors
  • We are limiting visitors to ONLY families of residents who are on hospice and medical professionals.
  • We have locked all secondary entrances. This means that all persons must enter through the community’s main entrance; where they will be screened and will be required to have their temperature taken. Any person whose temperature exceeds 100-degrees will be denied access into the community.
  • New signage has been posted throughout our community letting people know the ban on most visitors.
  • Hand sanitizer is widely and readily available throughout our community buildings.
  • We have canceled all activities that take our residents into the community-at-large and into public spaces, such as the shopping malls and restaurants.
  • Medically necessary appointments may continue after “telehealth options” are explored first. Then, and only then, will emergent appointments continue outside the community.
  • We have canceled all activities that bring more together more than 10 people. In the event that 10 or less people congregate due to business necessity; we require social distancing to stay at a minimum of six-feet apart at all times.
  • Our dining rooms will also be closed to more then 10 residents at a time. Some communities have gone to room delivery only. For those that have not, social distancing is being practiced.
  • We are continuing to execute alternate plans for resident dining and activities.
  • If you have any questions, please email or call the Executive Director.
• Employees
  • All employees, no matter their age, with any symptoms of respiratory infection are being asked to stay home.
  • All team members are being screened and have their temperature taken at the beginning of every shift.
  • All employees are required to wear a mask or face covering while at work.
  • If, in the unlikely possibility, there is a team member who works in a different community where there has been a confirmed COVID-19 case; this individual will be taken off our work schedule until further notice.
• Residents
  • We continue to monitor existing residents for symptoms and screening new residents prior to move in with infrared thermometers. All residents will have their temperature checked on a daily basis.
  • All new residents who move-in will be placed on an automatic 14-day quarantine to ensure the safety of our team members and existing residents. This takes effect immediately.
  • We are asking residents and visitors to avoid close contact and to properly disinfect supplies between use or avoid using altogether.
  • If we learn that any resident has been diagnosed with COVID-19 or is symptomatic with the disease; we will notify the family, emergency personnel and the health department in order to provide them with the best possible chance of a positive outcome. We will then notify the residents and families of the affected community.

2. Prevent Spread

• • Everyone is to practice safe hand hygiene by washing hands frequently, by avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth. And, if coughing or sneezing, to cover mouth and nose.
  • Everyone is to maintain a social distance of at least 6-feet.
  • We have enacted a strict cleaning schedule to disinfect all areas where residents congregate, along pathways within the building and at touch points.
  • All employees are required to wear masks/face coverings to ensure the possibility of asymptomatic personnel are not spreading the disease.

3. Gather Supplies

• • Westmont is using all of our resources to have all personal protective equipment available to our staff and visitors, including gloves, masks, disinfecting supplies and hand hygiene supplies.
  • On a daily basis, supplies are ordered at the corporate level and deployed to our communities in need. We are using a PPE estimator as a way to ensure that all of the communities are properly stocked with all of the supplies that they need to keep everyone safe.

4. Respond to Symptoms

• • We will isolate any resident with flu-like symptoms to his/her apartment or home/cottage and minimize staff activity within the apartment and use disposable or single use care supplies.
  • We have implemented Standard Precautions, Contact Precautions and Droplet Precautions as recommended by the CDC.
  • We are using Personal Protective Equipment, such as gloves, gowns, mask and eye protection.

5. Education

• Staff
  • We have reviewed infection control policies and procedures, both the signs and symptoms and how to take prevention efforts and precautions.
  • Every Executive Directors continues to hold daily all-staff meetings at each community to review practices and protocols and to share any new updates from the CDC or health departments.​
• Residents and Families
  • We continue to monitor the situation globally and monitor our residents locally. We continue to track and follow CDC and health department guidance. We want anyone who feels ill, to please stay home.
  • Executive Directors have begun Zoom meetings with the families of our residents as a way to remain connected and to be in regular communication on the events that are happening at the community level as well as give families an opportunity to ask questions.