August 9, 2022
Dear Residents and Families,
All Palm Grove Healthcare residents and staff have been tested for COVID-19 and we will continue testing when clinically indicated. We are happy to report that we have no active COVID-19 cases in our building at this time.
Palm Grove Healthcare cares deeply about the safety and well-being of our residents. Our facility has adequate staffing and an adequate supply of personal protective equipment (PPE).
We are in regular communication with Riverside County Health and Human Services and CDPH. We continue to implement all current CMS, CDC, and CDPH guidelines regarding COVID-19.
We encourage both residents and loved ones to continue communicating with each other by email or enjoying time on Zoom, FaceTime, or Skype.
If you have a family member in our care and would like an update on his or her condition, please call our facility at 915-845-3125. You can also visit our website https://pghsnf.com/ for other helpful information and links to CDC and CMS websites.
Sincerely,
Madelyn Smith
Administrator
In-Person Visitation
General Visitation Guidance
Facilities shall conduct visitation through different means based on the facility’s structure and residents’ needs for circumstances beyond compassionate care situations, such as in resident rooms, dedicated visitation spaces, and outdoors; however, facilities must adhere to the core principles of COVID-19 infection prevention (PDF) at all times. Visitation must be person-centered, consider the residents’ physical, mental, and psychosocial well-being, and support their quality of life. LTC facilities must also enable visits to be conducted with an adequate degree of privacy and should be scheduled at times convenient to visitors (e.g., outside of regular work hours).
Any visitor entering the facility, regardless of their vaccination status, must adhere to the following:
- Be screened for fever and COVID-19 symptoms, wear appropriate facial covering, and perform hand hygiene when in the facility
- If personal protective equipment (PPE) is required for contact with the resident due to quarantine or COVID positive isolation status (including fully vaccinated visitors), it must be donned and doffed according to instruction by HCP.
- If a visitor has COVID-19 symptoms or has been in close contact with a confirmed positive case, they must reschedule their visit.
Visitors who are unable to adhere to the core principles of COVID-19 infection prevention should not be permitted to visit or should be asked to leave.
Indoor, In-Room Visitation for Residents and Facilities Meeting Specific Criteria
Facilities shall allow indoor in-room visitation for:
- Fully vaccinated residents (e.g., individual residents who are 2 weeks following receipt of the second dose in a 2-dose series, or 2 weeks following receipt of one dose of a single-dose vaccine) in “green” (unexposed or recovered) or “yellow” (exposed or observation status) areas, regardless of the county tier (including Tier 1, Purple) under Blueprint for a Safer Economy
- Unvaccinated or partially vaccinated residents in “green” (unexposed or recovered) or “yellow” (exposed or observation status) areas for facilities in Tier 2 (Red), 3 (Orange), or 4 (Yellow) counties
Indoor visitation shall meet the following conditions:
- Visitors in Tier 1 (Purple) counties for fully vaccinated residents must test negative on a POC antigen or PCR rest on a sample taken within the prior two days, regardless of the visitor’s vaccination status. Facilities may offer POC antigen testing. Fully vaccinated visitors of fully vaccinated residents may have brief, limited physical contact with the resident (e.g., a brief hug, holding hands, assisting with feeding or grooming).
- All visitors and residents should wear appropriate facial covering during their visit and should maintain 6-ft physical distancing. Fully vaccinated visitors of fully vaccinated residents may have brief, limited physical contact with the resident (e.g., a brief hug, holding hands, assisting with feeding or grooming).
- Visits for residents who share a room should be conducted in a separate indoor space or with the roommate not present in the room (if possible), regardless of the roommate’s vaccination status.
- Full PPE must be worn for yellow zone visitation.
All facilities must continue to allow outdoor and communal space visitation options for all residents, regardless of vaccination status or the county tier.
Outdoor Visitation
Outdoor visits pose a lower risk of transmission due to increased space and airflow; therefore, outdoor visitation is preferred and should be offered unless the resident cannot leave the facility, or outdoor visitation is not possible due to precipitation, outdoor temperatures, or poor air quality. Facilities should facilitate scheduled visits on the facility premises {e.g., visits on lawns, patios, and other outdoor areas, drive-by visits, or visit through a window) with 6-ft or more physical distancing, use of face coverings by both residents and visitors, and staff monitoring of infection control guidelines.
- Outdoor visits should be permitted with appropriate facial covering during the visit and generally maintaining 6-ft physical distancing. Fully vaccinated visitors of fully vaccinated residents may have brief, limited physical contact with the resident (e.g., a brief hug, holding hands).
Visitation in Large Communal Indoor Spaces that Allow for Physical Distancing
If outdoor visitation is not possible (e.g., inclement weather, poor air quality, resident inability to be moved outside, etc.), facilities shall accommodate visitation in large communal indoor spaces such as a lobby, cafeteria, activity room, physical therapy rooms, etc. where 6-ft distancing is possible. Facilities may need to rearrange these spaces or add barriers to separate the space to accommodate the need for visitation of multiple residents.
Other Visitation Options in Addition to Outdoor and Communal Spaces
In addition, to maximize visitation opportunities and keep residents and families connected, facilities should:
- Offer alternative means of communication for people who would otherwise visit, including virtual communications (phone, video-communication, etc.).
- Assign staff as primary contact to families for inbound calls and conduct regular outbound calls to keep families up to date.
- Offer a phone line with a voice recording updated at set times (i.e. daily) with the facility’s general operating status, such as when it is safe to resume visits.
- Create/increase listserv communication to update families, such as the status and impact of COVID-19 in the facility.
Facilities must continue to follow all other safety procedures and requirements for indoor visitation, including:
- Visitors should be able to adhere to the core principles and staff should provide monitoring for those who may have difficulty adhering to core principles, such as children.
- Facilities should limit the number of visits per resident at one time and limit the total number of visitors in the facility at one time (based on the size of the building and physical space). Facilities should consider scheduling visits for a specified length of time to help ensure as many residents as possible are able to receive visitors. Visits should be scheduled for no less than 30 minutes.
- Facilities should limit visitor movement in the facility. For example, visitors should not walk around different halls of the facility. Rather, visitors should keep six feet distance from others and go directly to and from the resident’s room or designated visitation area.
- Facilities must have adequate staffing.
- Facilities must have a testing plan in place in compliance with AFL 20-53.3 and Title 42 CFR 483.80(h).
- Facilities must maintain regulatory compliance with CDPH guidance for safety and have an approved COVID19 Mitigation Plan.
On August 5, 2021, the California Department of Public Health issued a new Public Health Order in response to an increase in the number of COVID cases in California attributable to the Delta variant of the coronavirus.
Though there are no positive cases in our facility, the Public Health Order is applicable to all healthcare facilities including skilled nursing facilities such as ours, regardless of the presence or absence of positive COVID-19 cases.
The Public Health Order applies only to indoor visitation. Summarily, visitors must either:
· Provide verifiable proof of full vaccination for each visitor; or
· Provide verifiable documentation of a negative SARS-Co-2 test taken within 72 hours of visitation.
Verifiable proof of full vaccination must be any of the following:
· COVID-19 Vaccination Record Card (issued by the Department of Health & Human Services, CDC or WHO Yellow Card); or
· A photo of the Vaccination Record Card as a separate document; or
· A photo of the client’s Vaccination Record Card stored on a phone or electronic device; or
· Documentation of COVID-19 vaccination from a healthcare provider; or
· A digital record that includes a QR code that when scanned by a SMART Health Card reader displays to the reader client name, date of birth, vaccine dates and vaccine type. The QR code must also confirm the vaccine record as an official record of the State of California; or
· Documentation of vaccination from other contracted employers who follow these vaccination records guidelines and standards.
If testing supplies are available, we will endeavor to provide COVID-19 testing at the facility upon your arrival.
Of course, if your loved one is in critical condition and in the final phase of life, you are exempted from the above requirements.
Further, regardless of vaccination status or test result, you must:
· Always wear a well-fitting face mask (a surgical mask or double mask) upon entry and within the facility;
· Wear any other personal protective equipment while in the resident’s room that facility staff deem appropriate to the situation; and
· Physically distance from health care personnel and other residents and visitors which are not part of your group at all times while in the facility.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation.
