Update From Administrator – September 1, 2020
Our team and I hope this email finds you safe and healthy.
We are happy to report that we have attained Covid free status again. We conducted another round of resident testing last week and all test results returned negative. We will be doing another round this week, to include any new admissions during the last week, and are hopeful that we will remain free of the virus. We are also testing all staff on a weekly basis and all test results have also been negative. Through ongoing testing, we are hopeful to keep all our residents and employees safe while at Litchfield Woods.
Some of our families and residents have inquired about increasing time outdoors so we are actively trying to get people out of their rooms while maintaining the appropriate safety measures. As we continue to maintain a Covid free status, we will hopefully be able to reduce restrictions under the guidance of the CDC and CT Department of Public Health. Last week we were able to host an outdoor music event which was well received, and we hope to continue doing this while the weather is cooperating.
Last week, Governor Lamont issued an executive order making some modifications to visitation restrictions. Some people interpreted this as visitation being opened up within our facility so I wanted to provide some clarification on what changes were outlined in this order. Many of the items noted our facility is already complying with but the new “changes” are as follows:
- Outdoor visits must be a minimum of 30 minutes
- Opportunity to have a visit should occur at least weekly
- Visits must be offered at least 5 days per week, with at least one day being a Saturday or Sunday
- Compassionate care visits will continue for residents to be deemed at the end stage of life as deemed by a MD or APRN and/or for those residents experiencing a significant change in condition as determined by a MD/APRN. Our team will do its best at communicating these changes to the family/responsible party in a timely manner to ensure the ability to be at your loved one’s side during this challenging time. These compassionate care visits would be discontinued if another onset of Covid were to hit the facility.
Please remember that the outdoor visits must be pre-scheduled to ensure safe and healthy visits for you, the residents, and our staff. It also allows our team to ensure your loved one is available and ready for your visit to make the most of your time together. These visits require appropriate PPE (masks) to be worn at all times and a social distance of 6 feet between you and your loved ones for the entirety of the visit. If these restrictions pose issues for you please keep in mind that we continue to offer other visitation alternatives like Facetime, Skype and window visits. You can schedule a visit by calling 860-489-5801 or emailing us at recreation@litchfieldwoodshcc.com. If you have any difficulty finding a convenient time to visit, please do not hesitate to contact me so that I can do my best to assist with the support of the team.
As a reminder, our next “Town Hall” meeting is scheduled for Thursday, September 3rd at 1pm. We encourage any residents and family members to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have. Our commitment is to be as transparent as possible and work to address any issues that arise.
Thank you and please stay safe!
Marisa Jones LNHA, MBA
Administrator