Updated: Wednesday, May 4, 2022
We currently have no cases of COVID-19 among our staff and no cases among our residents. We may also accommodate visitors at outdoor areas. Per regulations we are open for visitation. Compassionate Care, Essential Support Persons (ESP) and Hospice visits will still be allowed. An investigation quarantine will continue for 7-days for vaccinated residents and 14-days for unvaccinated residents. All staff are vaccinated.
The Walla County Health issued a statement on Monday, February 14, 2022 concerning county COVID-19 prevalence – “Update on Visitation: Although our community transmission rate continues to be high, our COVID cases and positivity rate have decreased significantly. This results in a decreased risk to our residents of long-term care facilities in WW County. The Walla Walla County Department of Health is recommending resuming prescribed visitation guidance as outlined in the Washington State Safe Start plan and CMS Memo QSO-20-39-NH.
“In the event of a facility outbreak, we authorize the LTC facility to limit visitation to the essential support persons only (one visitor per resident), except for end-of-life visitation. They can maintain the restriction until the outbreak ends or there is no longer a risk to their residents.
Daniel F. Kaminsky, MD
Medical Director
Public Health Officer
Walla Walla County Community Health
COVID-related restriction have been greatly relaxed in the community. These less restrictive freedoms specifically exclude Nursing Homes and Assisted Living facilities. Employees, residents, and visitors are still required to wear masks and follow social distancing practices at the Odd Fellows Home regardless of vaccination status. If you are unable or unwilling to wear a mask during the entirety of your visit, you will be asked to leave. Repeated offense will result in a suspension of visitation for 48 hours while we work with the Department of Health on education and renewed access based upon compliance of infection prevention guidelines.
Governor Inslee issued new guidance to be implemented starting February 23, 2022 for visitation in Long-term care settings, including Skilled Nursing and Assisted Living. We now follows Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Department of Health (DOH), and Local Health Jurisdictions (LHJ). If there is a difference between state and federal guidance follow the more restrictive guidance. 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 Washington Odd Fellows Home, residents will be subjected to quarantine, and all visitation in exposed area will cease for at least two weeks.
At this time, we have no cases of COVID-19 among our vaccinated staff and no residents. We continue to test all our staff and residents 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 a COVID-19 vaccine?
How long does vaccine immunity to COVID-19 last?
How will viral mutations affect COVID-19 vaccines?
How does the COVID-19 vaccination work?
Vaccination Stats
Odd Fellows Home Data
Care Centers Resident Vaccination Care Centers Resident Boosters | 94.52% 85.51% |
Assisted Living Resident Vaccinations Assisted Living Resident Booster | 87.30% 94.55% |
Clinton & Merriam Apartments | 91.5% |
Odd Fellows Home Employees | 100% |
Employee Medical or Religious Exemptions | 0 |
Comparative Data
Washington LTC Resident Vaccination Washington LTC Resident Booster | 89.58% 79.87% |
Washington LTC Employee Vaccination Washington LTC Employee Booster | 92.05% 44.81% |
Walla Walla County | 64.0% |
Washington | 72.3% |
United States | 65.9% |
Posters & Information
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 test staff or residents for COVID-19 when symptomatic or when under investigation due to potential exposure.
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.
There are a few rules for 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 again on February 1, 2021, again on March 19, 2021, again on April 30, 2021 and on February 23, 2022. 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 suspend 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 significant 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.
We are committed to keeping our residents safe and we need your help. The virus causing COVID-19 can cause outbreaks in long-term care facilities. All of our residents are in the high-risk group for COVID-19 and may have medical conditions putting them at a very high risk of becoming sick, or even severely ill, with COVID-19. For the safety of your loved one and our community, we encourage you to consult with the facility or agency staff before taking trips into the community. Though masking and distancing recommendations have been relaxed for the general public, we recommend residents of long-term care facilities maintain core infection prevention practices during visits outside of the facility.
When taking trips into the community, residents should:
Friends and family members accompanying residents should:
The Odd Fellows Home should:
Kari has been keeping our Assisted Living community updated with a weekly newsletter. Here are the back issues: