An update from Nursing and Rehab: June 19, 2020

We are pleased to report that we remain healthy and safe, with no positive COVID tests among residents or staff. We have received additional clarification from Iowa Health Care Association and the Iowa Department of Public Health this week regarding the phased reopening of nursing homes. The guidelines put in place for nursing homes to move out of Phase I require that we have adequate PPE for conventional use-meaning that we would have enough to change for each resident at each interaction. At this point, that is not possible, but we continue to explore options with our vendors to work toward adequate PPE supply to move to comply to move to Phase II. We also have to go 14 days without suspected or COVID + staff/residents. There has been staff off with COVID-type symptoms on a weekly basis since this started, more so since they broadened the symptoms we are screening for. So each time we have staff with symptoms, our 14 day clock starts over. I want to stress, that most of the staff that have been off due to symptoms have been tested, no one has tested positive. However, that does not mean we can count them negative. Since the government now can cite nursing homes for deficiencies and add fines for COVID outbreaks, it makes it difficult for us to relax anything at all-for fear of having the residents become ill, and the facility also faces the possibility of citations and fines.

We continue to work toward Phase II and will be doing mass staff testing on June 23rd. If we have positive staff, you will be notified, and we will begin resident testing. I am crossing my fingers that we all test negative and do not need to subject the residents to testing.

Everyone is missing their family, but we are working hard to love your loved ones as our own until everyone can be safely reunited. I wish I could give everyone some hope or a light at the end of the tunnel. I don’t know when this will end. All I can tell you is we have to continue to do the safest thing with this very vulnerable population. My heart truly breaks each time I have to bear the news that we cannot yet allow visits. Continue to call, write, send care packages, video chat, window chat. It is important that everyone knows they are still remembered.

Jessica Henkle, BS, RN-BC, NHA

Director of Long Term Care Services

Virginia Gay Nursing and Rehab

Phone (319) 472-6347

***

Skype User Name:

Vgm0018@icloud.com

FaceTime User Name:

vgm0017@icloud.com

***

Weekly Update on COVID-19:

0 Confirmed Cases

***

Community Partnerships: VGH leadership meets weekly with Benton County Emergency Management, Benton County Public Health, and the Benton County Sherriff’s Department to discuss our local Covid-19 preparedness and response efforts. We meet at our local Emergency Operations Center. We are fortunate to belong to a community that supports our efforts!

Activities Update:

Hello Everyone,
Can you believe half of June is gone already? WOW! We have still been watching our corn field. What a difference a month made.

Last week’s Bingo winner was Marj L. We are still having fun with that and looking forward to it.

We made the patriotic door wreaths last week. These have really been a hit. This week we made the patriotic necklaces. They are really cute and our ladies love them.

Monday, we also had our monthly birthday party with cake and ice cream, and we celebrated National Veggie day with a beautiful veggie tray from Fareway. It was awesome! Thursday was National Picnic Day. For lunch our Maintenance Department grilled hotdogs and hamburgers outside.

Grilled food is a must for a picnic, so is red and white gingham print plates and napkins. This was such a treat, I heard many compliments. It presented so pretty and it smelled amazing, I hear it tasted delicious. We really had a very good time with this. Sometimes you have to just bring the outside inside. Thanks to the many people who made this happen!

Today starts C.N.A. week. Our C.N.A.’s are so great! Thanks to them all, we appreciate them very much! That all being said, we are losing one. Amy Lane has accepted a position in Home Health and will be leaving N&R. She has been here for many, many years. We will miss her. Don’t be a stranger Amy!
(There is a Plexiglas barrier between the staff in this photo).

This will be a big weekend, first day of summer on Saturday and Father’s day on Sunday. I will drop in on Sunday to present a gift to our men. I cannot say what it is as of now, but there will be pictures next time. Happy Father’s to everyone.

Please remember to send cards and letters to your loved ones, they all love that so much. That really makes them feel loved, connected, and thought of. We can do FaceTime or Skype if any of you have the capabilities for that. Also, just feel free to call your loved one more frequently, we do have a cordless phone we can take to their room if they do not have a phone of their own.

We are all staying strong, happy and healthy, hope you are all doing the same. Keep smiling and laughing.

Our Bingo winner, Marj L.

***

*For more information on Virginia Gay Hospital’s response to COVID-19, please visit our COVID-19 Need to Know web page.