Update from Administrator – April 19, 2021
Good evening,
I hope this email finds you all doing well and enjoying the great weather.
Late last week, we had an employee test positive for Covid but she had been on quarantine for possible exposure prior to being tested. Therefore, there was no exposure for our residents and we are not required to make any changes to our visitation plan. It has been great seeing the increase in families visiting and we are hopeful the weather will remain supportive of ongoing outdoor visits as the fresh air benefits everyone. If you are looking to have an outdoor visit we ask that you get screened at our main reception desk upon arrival and then we can bring your loved one outside to visit. All indoor visits, excluding compassionate care visits, will still be coordinated through the Recreation team. Please let me know if you are having any difficulties having visits with your loved one so that I can resolve the issue with our team. Our goal is to allow for as much connection as possible while doing our best to keep our residents and staff safe.
Unfortunately, we are searching for a new hairdresser again. We were lucky to have Danielle Williams join us for a while but a new opportunity has been presented and she will be transitioning. If anyone is interested in assisting or knows of someone qualified, please reach out to me so that I can share additional details. Our residents have been greatly benefiting by having these services available so our hope is to minimize the amount of down time if possible.
As you are all aware, the pandemic has had a significant impact on Litchfield Woods. Our hard-hit nursing home was on the frontline of our state’s year-long battle against the deadly coronavirus that preyed on our nursing home residents. While the high rates of nursing home resident vaccinations points us to the other side of the pandemic, our nursing home is now in a period of unprecedented financial instability due to dramatically low occupancy and significantly increased costs associated with fighting the virus. During this critical time, I am asking you to join us in contacting our leadership on the Appropriations Committee and in the Connecticut General Assembly caucus to elevate the urgent needs of our Connecticut nursing homes as the final Appropriations Act, this year’s Deficiency Appropriation, and the distribution of federal American Rescue Funds are adopted in the coming weeks. Please copy and paste the attached link to send a message to our local state officials. In the “last name” box please list your last name, title and nursing home name. i.e.- Jones, Administrator Litchfield Woods HCC or Jones, Family Member Litchfield Woods HCC https://www.votervoice.net/CAHCF/Campaigns/84056/Respond?siteNumber=0. Let me know if you have any questions or need help. We appreciate any support you can provide.
Our next “Town Hall” meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, April 21 at 1pm. We encourage any residents and family members to contact us with questions or concerns you may have about the care we are offering. Our commitment is to be as transparent as possible and work to address any issues that arise.
Marisa Jones LNHA, MBA
Administrator, Litchfield Woods Health Care Center