To All Families and Friends of Pine View Personal Care Facility:
We are required by Governor Wolfe to post to our website and update our families of such postings regarding testing, stocking of ppe equipment, plans for possible exposure and positive covid cases, and possible opening up of our home.
Please know, we spend hours every day trying to read over guidelines, follow all requirements, and try to maintain a safe and happy environment for our residents. We don’t take any of the requirements lightly and understand that it is difficult for our families and for our residents. We appreciate all the cooperation you have all shown. I ask that you share this information with anyone that might be coming to our home to see a resident.
We will continue to have scheduled visits out in the pavilion – to do so we ask that you call in advance to see if any one has the space at that time. Please do not call the resident as they do not have the schedule with them. We try to schedule visits in one hour intervals. It is a state requirement that all visitors must wear a mask, the only exception now is children under the age of 2. The state requires you maintain 6 feet social distance as well, if you are not feeling well in any way, fever, sore throat, headache, body aches, we ask that you please do not come to visit. We are more than happy to schedule a face to face visit as well virtually. Please just call Pineview and set that up.
Testing Information:
As most of you are aware we had our entire staff and all of our residents tested in August – all tests were negative.. If a resident was sent to the hospital, we requested a covid test before discharge and we also isolated the resident for 10-14 days in their room before letting them move about the building. This is not an easy thing to do, but at this time we have no other option. We are taking temperatures daily and documenting results on all residents and staff must take their temp and document before moving about the building. This is every shift.
As far as routine testing, at this time as long as we do not have an outbreak it is recommended but not required that we do routine tests. So we take this day to day and if it becomes a requirement we will notify you immediately. For now we do not have another mandatory test scheduled. This will change if the number in Armstrong County begins to climb, or if we have a case develop.
If someone, resident or staff, tests positive we will implement testing immediately. We will do this by swabbing all residents and staff and sending all test kits to Pro Lab at Allegheny Valley Hospital.
When/If a resident shows any signs/symptoms of the virus such as but not limited to fever, aches, chills, cough, or new shortness of breath depending on the severity we will either call 911 and have them transported to the hospital or we will call the physician for orders. Either way the resident will be moved immediately to an isolation room . All staff doing care will have proper ppe equipment on every time entering the room. Of course the resident’s family will be notified immediately and an email will go out to everyone, not naming names but letting you know we do have a resident in isolation, pending a result, or that we sent someone to the hospital, not naming names, that we are waiting on test results.
If the above does happen, we have all necessary ppe equipment on site and in stock. This includes face masks, N95 masks, disposable gowns, gloves, and face shields. Our staff will put on ALL of the above, a N95 covered with a regular mask, face shield, gown, and gloves to go in and do care. We have several of each on stock and are able to order more if the supplies are needed. There will be a portable toilet in the room and a portable hand washing sink for resident use. We will maintain and monitor care hourly on the resident in isolation with suspicion or test positive case. The regulation is, they must stay in isolation for 10 days after the last elevated temperature or longer if physician advises. Once a resident tests positive they will not be retested for at least 3 months. The regulations do not permit retesting before 3 months. If a staff person tests positive, they will be off work, required to monitor and document their temperature 3 x a day and will not be permitted back at work until they are symptom free for 10 days. To be specific this is 10 days from the last fever and or symptom.
We do have one room at this time set aside for a covid positive case. We do have plans that if needed residents will be moved or “cohorted” in one or more rooms close together as far from other residents as possible. The published guidelines refer to cohorting to one wing. to divide staff for covid positive only etc. As you know, we are a very small personal care home. We are not a large facility, nor are we a skilled facility. We do not have a large staff employed at Pineview that is simply not possible. We can assure you that we are following all the guidelines as closely as possible. That is why we have to stay on limited visits and stay on lock down.
Dining will continue to go as we are doing now. This process is our residents are served in two different settings. We have one resident at a table, we are using paper products to serve all meals on, and of course staff is wearing a mask when meals are served. As far as activities we do understand the importance of activities, and we do try every day to do things with our residents. Our activity schedule does look different than before, we are not allowed to do activities with more than 5 at a time. We must maintain social distancing, hand sanitizing, and offer masks during group (up to 5) activities. We are trying various things with them, trying to stay within state requirements.
When we do move into the second step which will permit home health and physicians in the building we will let you know. For now, we are doing virtual visits with all physicians who are willing to do so. We are doing home health visits either in the pavilion or downstairs in a room that is accessed through the outside. We have plans on improving the room downstairs for visits with social distancing with families in the winter if it is needed. Anyone that a physician insists on seeing in the office, will be quarantined for 10-14 days when they come back from the visit. This is not something we like, but we must think of ALL the resident’s safety. If a resident does go out to a doctor appointment, a mask must also be worn the entire time they are out and appointment should be made at the office’s least busy time. Residents must remain in the car and not in the waiting room until they are put in an exam room. They should spend as little time as possible in the office, and must come straight back to Pineview; they should not stop at other places unless medically required. These guidelines must be maintained.
At this time only Pineview staff members are permitted in the building. You may hear the term neutral zone when listening to the Governor. This is a space set aside that is not typically occupied by residents, or used by residents that may have had exposure to covid for visiting. This is why we have visitation in the pavilion, we must keep this to 4 visitors per resident. Everyone must wear masks, use hand sanitizer, and call in to schedule the visit. Children under 2 are exempt to the mask requirement; however, all children are required to maintain the 6 feet distance, even if you need to use two tables to share a meal.
We will continue to monitor the county’s plitivity rate that is published on the first and third Monday of every month. We will update you as mentioned on any health concerns. We will be happy to answer any and all questions that you may have and continue to stock all necessary ppe equipment. We will continue to follow all state guidelines and requirements, and most importantly continue to care for our residents’ daily and try to help them understand and cope with all restrictions and new ways of how we must do things . Please know we understand how difficult this time is on our residents and families, we truly try every day to make it as easy as we can. Please do not hesitate to call us at any time.
Thank you,
Tommy 724 448 3006
Cheryl 724 448 6696