Update from Administrator – November 20, 2020
Dear Families,
As always, our team and I hope this email finds you safe and healthy.
We will continue testing our staff twice each week and reporting at regular intervals as required by CMS, CDC and DPH.
As we all know, community spread is becoming more and more prevalent throughout the region and our state and with the approaching holidays, more cases are expected.
We are reminding our staff to not only practice safeguards against COVID in our center, but to be vigilant outside of our center and share these practices with their friends and loved ones. We still ask you to do your part while in your community and PLEASE wear your mask, wash your hands, and watch your distance. And please promote these very simple precautions with your extended family and friends.
Holiday updates
- With Thanksgiving upon us next week, below are a few of the activities we have planned, as well as our menu:
- Oven Roasted Turkey with Savory Bread Stuffing and Gravy
- Mashed potatoes, Sweet Yams
- Peas with Pearl Onions
- With a side of Cranberry sauce
- A slice of Pumpkin pie for dessert
- We now have ample tablets assigned for our residents to use for virtual Zoom visits, games, tele-health visits, news updates, etc. Many of our residents are enjoying learning how to use this technology and having the world at their fingertips.
- There will be 4 recreation staff on duty Thursday to enable families to have a Zoom virtual Thanksgiving visit. Call the recreation department today to schedule an appointment. The virtual Thanksgiving visits will be 15 minutes long to enable everyone to see their family for the holiday. The start time is 10:30am through 2 pm.
- Then the recreation staff will be walking from room to room on each floor from 2p to 3p distributing holiday goodies to all residents. The Zoom virtual Thanksgiving visit appointments will resume from 3p to 5:30p.
Since November 3, “Visitation Level 3” has been in effect to curb the spread of COVID in nursing homes. Below are more details on the Governor’s orders, but essentially, we are back to only compassionate care and end of life circumstance visits with your loved ones.
Visitation Level 3: No visitation unless required under federal guidance, or in certain other circumstances.
- Visitation is suspended unless required under federal guidance; or in certain other limited clinical circumstances, including compassionate care.
- Compassionate Care visits are allowed only under certain circumstances according to the core principles of COVID-19 infection prevention, the facility visitation plan, and federal guidance. Even under these circumstances, anyone who meets the conditions listed above is prohibited from visiting, in addition to those who are younger than 18.
Please contact us if you have any questions about this new state directive. Updates will be posted soon on the RI DOH website.
Indoor, End Stage of Life Care and Compassionate Care Visits
When a new case of COVID be identified in the center, all inside visits, except end stage of life, are temporarily put on hold.
“Alternative” Visits
Please know that “alternative” visitations will continue. Remember that we do offer iPads for our residents to use for video visits, phone calls, etc. to ensure that you and your loved ones remain in contact, as best as you can during these very uncertain times. Please contact our social worker Catie or Dina and provide us with your email address to keep up to date.
As always, thank you for your patience and please stay safe and healthy!
As always if you have any questions feel free to email me directly at Administrator@OaklandGrovehcc.com or call at 401-769-0800.
Thank you and please stay safe and healthy!
Susan LaNinfa