This Friday, July 10, will mark a milestone for Cherry Hill Manor in Johnston, as the last two patients recovering from COVID-19 are released from the special ward and return back to their normal setting.
Executive Director Katie Gerber told the Sun Rise on Tuesday morning that residents who test positive for coronavirus are moved from their room, away from their regular roommate and staff, to a separate wing. Once they are cleared, though – as these patients will experience Friday – the staff celebrates with balloons and dancing as they are escorted back to their familiar confines.
“It’s definitely challenging them to be in a completely different environment and with people in hazmat suits. While they’re on that unit, some are more ill than others, so as they get feeling better, there’s a waiting period for them to be able to come out of the unit,” Gerber said. “There’s a Department of Health process where they have to be symptom-free for a period of time and have two negative tests.”
She added: “So they get very anxious during that time frame, waiting for those magical days to pass, waiting for that magical second negative which then they know and understand they’re going to be able to come off that unit and back up to that regular unit.”
Nursing homes and assisted living facilities have been hit hardest by the pandemic. About 80 percent of the state’s fatality total can be attributed to congregate care settings, as between 765 and 773 residents have died from the virus. Cherry Hill Manor was one of the many centers impacted, seeing between 75 and 79 cases and 20 to 24 deaths.
Cherry Hill Manor, like many of the other congregate homes in the state, has tumbled down the curve. It has reported zero new cases in the past two weeks, and Gerber said it’s “encouraging” to see the final two recovering patients receive a warm welcome back.
“So by the time that we get to that ceremony, everyone’s been counting down the days,” Gerber said. “We know what day they’re eligible to go up, they know what day they’re eligible to go up and when it happens, it’s pretty exciting and everybody is really, really happy for them and that’s why we want them to know we know how hard they’ve fought and how long it’s been and how happy we are to get them back with the staff they know and the other residents that they know.”
It is the culmination of a week of significant moments at the Manor, as visitors were allowed Wednesday for the first time in months. Gerber said she and her staff had to submit a plan to the Department of Health for approval, with strict visitor screening and education guidelines, as well as social distancing marks on the floor and traffic flows for visitors and residents.
“A disinfecting process, both before and after visitation, and then notification to the families of some of the rules such as unfortunately, no hugging, you can’t bring anything in at this time,” Gerber said. “The limitation of two people, no one under 18, 30 minutes limit, and we started off with just visits during the day, so we could watch our process and then our plan is to expand to evening visits.”
Gerber added that those who do visit are encouraged to self-monitor for symptoms for 14 days.
“If they were to test positive that they would notify us, or even if they were to become symptomatic that they would notify us,” Gerber said. “That is part of our education process.”
Cherry Hill Manor’s supply of personal protective equipment, or PPE, is adequate for now, Gerber said. However, she cautioned it will have to be watched closely going forward in order to ensure guests can be properly safeguarded against potential infection.
Gerber also noted that hazard pay was retroactively extended until the end of June, but said she has not heard of anything beyond that date.
“We do want to make sure they do have proper PPE and also as residents are allowed to co-mingle we have to make sure that they have ample PPE, and also we’re getting ready to have some of our other vendor-type personnel – such as hairdressers and entertainers – be allowed back into the building, and we feel responsible to make sure that they do have proper PPE and we would never want to turn somebody away because they didn’t have what we feel they need, so we want to stay on top of it,” Gerber said.
She added a “thank you” to her staff for their work, and to families who have sent notes of confidence and support throughout the crisis.
“[We’re happy] for the residents and their families to be able to get together again,” she said.
Comments
No comments on this item Please log in to comment by clicking here