Stonehill Communities Health Center Mitigation Efforts to Slow the Spread of COVID-19
- Employees perform screening (monitoring for COVID-19 symptoms and temperature) at the beginning of each shift.
- We are conducting surveillance testing as recommended by CMS.
- We are conducting antigen testing/PCR testing if symptoms warrant.
- Employees with COVID-19 symptoms are excluded from work and return after testing and COVID-19 symptoms are reviewed.
- Employees wear a surgical mask or N95 respirator mask as well as other recommended PPE while caring for residents.
- Education has been provided on infection prevention and control.
- Incident Command team meets to discuss changes to procedures and protocols.
- Residents are being tested regularly (weekly and more often as determined by incident command team).
- Residents reporting COVID-19 symptoms are assessed and tested with rapid antigen test (confirmatory PCR test as warranted).
- Residents reporting COVID-19 symptoms are immediately placed on Droplet/Contact Isolation Precautions and employees are changing their personal protective equipment upon entry/exit of resident room.
- Residents that are COVID-19 positive are monitored closely by the resident’s interdisciplinary team and local public health.
- Arrangement/placement of residents for cohorting positive COVID-19 residents.
- Stonehill has increased use of telehealth, Zoom, and other virtual connecting opportunities to support less contact from individuals outside of the facility.
- Alcohol Based Hand Sanitizer is placed in room resident rooms, unit hallways, and other areas for easy employee access.
- We continue to offer COVID-19 vaccines to residents and employees on-site at the Stonehill campus.
- Communication about updated COVID-19 information is shared internally/externally through our Stonehill Constant Contact e-mail group; internal employee e-mails; the Stonehill website; and internally on the Stonehill Intranet.
- Visitors are limited to reduce risk of transmission. Stonehill allows compassionate care and end of life visits at all times. Visitors are screened and provided a surgical mask to wear in the Health Center. Residents are limited to 1-2 visitors at a time.
- Stonehill encourages all residents, resident representatives, employees and public to practice social distancing; wearing a mask; and other recommended public health mitigation strategies.
- Cleaning and disinfecting procedures have increased in frequency. Since the beginning of the pandemic the Environmental Services staff have switched to a disinfectant that takes 3 minutes to kill germs on surfaces versus a previous product that required 8 minutes. And in addition, the number of times common areas and resident rooms are cleaned have increased. Resident rooms (non-isolation) are cleaned twice daily. Public restrooms are cleaned four times a day. Common areas like hallways, sitting areas/living rooms, end lounges, coffee shop, conference rooms, and employee break room are cleaned three-four times daily. Other common touched surfaces are cleaned more frequently as well including handrails, door knobs, push bars on doors, vending machines, lift machines for resident care, light fixtures, phones, chairs, push buttons or pads for codes on doors, elevators, fronts and sides of hand sanitizer dispensers, etc. Additionally, extra disinfectant spray was provided to departments such as Wellness Center, HR, Switchboard, Transportation, Business office, Front offices, etc. Staff in these areas are assisting with cleaning frequently touched surfaces more often throughout the day.
- The process for cleaning isolation rooms and COVID-19 positive rooms was also adjusted so that nursing staff will clean while in the room instead of Environmental services to reduce the potential spread to staff.
Revised 8.25.21