Update from Administrator – May 4, 2020
This pandemic has been an incredibly challenging time, and we continue to work every day to ensure that we provide the safest care possible to our residents. Our nursing home workers are saving the lives of patients every day, and helping the rest of us by serving on the front lines and limiting the reach of this insidious virus. The coronavirus pandemic has hit nursing homes at a disproportionately higher rate than the greater community. Sadly, the virus has impacted almost our entire community here at Litchfield Woods. As I have shared, many lives have been lost due to COVID-19. There are no words to describe the overwhelming feelings of grief, distress, and sadness felt by myself and staff.
From the beginning of this crises, we have implemented extensive infection control measures to protect residents. This information remains on our website. As always, please let me know if you would like me to call you directly with details.
Our recent independent state inspection has found our facility to be in full compliance on issues of infection prevention, staffing, and PPE. I fully expect more inspections to ensure ongoing compliance.
In Connecticut, patients and staff have tested positive in more than 65% of the nursing homes in the state. Sadly, you know that the virus has severely impacted our nursing home. As of today, we have 69 residents in house that are positive for COVID-19. We continue to do all we can to monitor and treat each resident with the virus and our thoughts are also with the family and friends who are unable to visit them during this time. We continue to follow Department of Public Health and CDC recommendations. We also continue to collaborate with Hartford Healthcare to ensure we are doing all we can to promptly identify symptoms that may require a higher level of care. Our team, under the direction of Dr. Yoelson, also made a decision to test every resident, regardless of being symptom free. I don’t believe other nursing homes are doing this. This testing has added to our high numbers as we have many residents whom are asymptomatic test positive. However, this testing will offer extra monitoring on these residents as well, praying for a safe recovery for all. On a positive note, we also have 16 residents that are currently considered, “Covid Recovered” and continue to make gains. Many residents are also participating in therapy to help them get stronger each day. Multiple residents are very close to being recovered per the guidelines of the CDC. I look forward to these positive numbers growing each week!
Please be reassured that we have all the personal protective we need at this time. We secure PPE weekly from our vendors, Department of Public Health, and Athena Healthcare. We will continue to follow all CDC and state guidelines and receive regular updates on new guidelines that are offered. We continue to monitor staff to ensure PPE is used according to recommendations.
I am incredibly grateful for our dedicated nursing home team and ask you to join me in ensuring that they are included as “Health Care Heroes” battling COVID-19. They are doing everything they possibly can to care for those suffering and support them as they battle this disease.
We are fortunate that we have been able to adequately staff our home due to the commitment of our employees, even in these most challenging times. We have increased compensation to staff at our center and continue to advertise and recruit for additional per diem staff to supplement our teams. We support our talented staff whose commitment to caring for our residents throughout this health crises inspires us every day.
Please let me know if I can answer any questions you may have and please stay healthy!
Denise Quarles, Administrator