Updated: Friday, April 9, 2021
Governor Inslee issued a Proclamation on March 18 relaxing visitor restrictions in nursing homes and assisted living facilities. DSHS and DOH developed guidelines and regulations for us to follow. We began allowing visitors on March 29. Please review the following rules to ensure that we can safely open our doors to you, and continue to allow visitors.
Your cooperation in maintaining infection control protocols, including handwashing, social distancing, and wearing masks is imperative. If COVID-19 finds its way into the Odd Fellows Home, residents will be subjected to quarantine, and all visitation will cease for at least one month.
At this time, we have no cases of COVID-19 among our residents or staff. We are testing all our staff regularly.
We continue to screen all residents and all employees for signs and symptoms of this disease on a daily basis. Employees with any symptoms, whether tested or not, are sent home for a 14-day quarantine period.
Obviously, those infected individuals who present no symptoms elude our screening efforts.
East Care Center
# of residents with confirmed COVID-19 | 0 |
# of residents with suspected COVID-19 | 0 |
# of residents with symptoms of COVID-19 | 0 |
3 or more residents or staff with new respiratory symptoms | no |
West Care Center
# of residents with confirmed COVID-19 | 0 |
# of residents with suspected COVID-19 | 0 |
# of residents with symptoms of COVID-19 | 0 |
3 or more residents or staff with new respiratory symptoms | no |
Assisted Living
# of residents with confirmed COVID-19 | 0 |
# of residents with suspected COVID-19 | 0 |
# of residents with symptoms of COVID-19 | 0 |
3 or more residents or staff with new respiratory symptoms | no |
Merriam Street Apartments
# of residents with confirmed COVID-19 | 0 |
Clinton Street Apartments
# of residents with confirmed COVID-19 | 0 |
Employees
# of employees with confirmed COVID-19 | 0 |
# of employees with suspected COVID-19 | 0 |
# of employees with symptoms of COVID-19 | 0 |
Why do I have to wear a mask after getting immunized to COVID-19?
How long does vaccine immunity to COVID-19 last?
How will viral mutations affect COVID-19 vaccines?
Due to the current COVID-19 pandemic, the Washington Odd Fellows Home is taking extra precautions to prevent potential exposure to our residents. Any resident admitted to our skilled nursing facility from the hospital or the community who is not fully vaccinated will be admitted under quarantine for 14 days regardless of the presence of any symptoms. Fully vaccinated means that at least 14 days have passed since the final vaccine dose.
We routinely test staff for COVID-19.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have recommended a number of steps that we have implemented to help reduce the potential for the virus to enter our building. However, we need your help in battling COVID-19.
These restrictions are in place to protect our residents from unnecessary contact with people who may have had contact with COVID-19. Twenty percent of residents residing in Long Term Care facilities who have contracted this disease have died. We implore you to do your part to not add to that statistic.
Preventive measures and changes that the Odd Fellows Home has implemented:
If you are not local, you can learn about COVID-19 in the Walla Walla area. The Walla Walla County Health Department provides updated information at its website.
The health, safety, and care of your loved one is our priority. Thank you for your support as we navigate this unprecedented situation.
Walla Walla County is in Phase 3 of the recovery process. However, nursing homes and assisted living facilities are considered to be in Phase 2. As Walla Walla County progresses through the re-opening sequence, the phased re-opening of long term care facilities is independent of that.
The County must maintain a transmission rate of fewer than 75 cases/100K for two weeks in order for facilities to qualify for moving to Phase 2 of the re-opening. That metric was met on March 19. Walla Walla County currently has a transmission rate of 59.5/100K. In addition, the Odd Fellows Home must have a 28-day lapse since the last positive COVID-19 test; we meet that requirement. Finally, we must ensure that we have adequate staff, PPE, supplies, testing, and capacity; we do not meet this requirement, but we continually attempt to procure needed staff and supplies.
Phase 2 for re-opening long term care facilities includes a provision for outdoor family visits. As of August 12, 2020 we have been permitting outdoor visits. These take place at various patios on the campus. Tables are set up in groups of three to promote social distancing.
There are a few rules for these visits Outdoor Visits:
On March 13, 2020 the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services implemented a COVID mandate to all nursing and long-term care settings regarding visitor restrictions. The new requirements state that all facilities should restrict visitation for ALL visitors and non-essential healthcare personnel, except for certain compassionate care situations, which includes Hospice or end of life situations. On November 17, 2020, these policies were updated with changes being added due to new mandates put in place by Washington State DOH & DSHS. The state regulations have been revised yet again on February 1, 2021, and yet again on March 19, 2021. The following guidelines must be strictly followed under our Compassionate Care Policy:
Please understand our residents are the most AT-RISK POPULATION. If you do not follow the above guidelines you place your loved one and our facility at risk. If your loved one becomes positive, there is exposure to our staff that also increases exposure risk to our 300+ residents in the Odd Fellows Home. If any of these guidelines are not followed, we have the right to revoke your visiting privileges.
We are asking difficult things of you during these very difficult times. While COVID 19 often is a mild disease with the general population, this is not the case in nursing homes. Facilities locally have had huge outbreaks and several deaths. Please help our facility to not become part of these statistics.
We encourage families to communicate with their loved ones via FaceTime or Google Duo. Our Activities Staff can help residents with this technology. Please contact Lisa to help facilitate a virtual visit!
FaceTime is a free video communication program from Apple for iPhone or iPad users.
GoogleDuo is a free video communication program for anyone with a GMail account. Download at the App Store or Play Store.
Window Visits are set up so that you can visit with a resident through an intercom system. We have infrared heaters installed to try to make these visits as comfortable as possible for our families.
Of course, you are welcome to bring goodies or a “care package” to your loved one. Just ring the doorbell at the main entrance from 8:00 am until 5:00 pm, and we will meet you at the door to deliver your package!
Please remember, it’s not just your family member that you are sharing things with. If you introduce the virus, 300+ people are now at risk. Please help us keep everyone safe and respect the restrictions. They apply to us all.
Kari has been keeping our Assisted Living community updated with a weekly newsletter. Here are the back issues: