NOVEL CORONAVIRUS 2019 (COVID 19) UPDATE:
Download the latest Family Update as a PDF.
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COVID-19 Vaccine
All PMMA communities signed up for the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program. All 15 PMMA communities, which offer skilled nursing and assisted living services, were eligible to participate and signed up through either Walgreen’s or CVS.
The pharmacy partners will begin contacting campuses in mid-December to schedule three vaccine clinics at each location. Clinic dates are subject to change based on the availability of the vaccine. CVS and Walgreens anticipate scheduling the first round of clinics at the end of December, with subsequent clinics scheduled in January and February.
PMMA strongly encourages all eligible residents and employees to carefully consider what these vaccinations will mean for themselves and our PMMA communities. As front-line providers of senior care services, our employees are among those at the greatest risk of COVID-19 infection, and our residents are at the greatest risk of serious illness or death if they are infected.
In preparation for these clinics, PMMA communities are already working to ensure all the required consent forms and physician’s orders are in place.
Kansas is expecting to receive 75,000 doses of the vaccine by the end of December. Missouri expects to receive 300,000 doses of the vaccine in the same time frame. Both states have identified frontline health care workers and skilled nursing and assisted living residents as high priority to receive the vaccine.
The COVID-19 vaccine requires a two-step process consisting of two shots to get the most protection from the virus. The first shot starts the process of building immunity protection within the body, with a second dose required a few weeks later to provide the maximum amount of protection available.
Click to download an FAQ about COVID-19 Vaccines.
Community Visitation
PMMA’s (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America’s) president and CEO, Bruce Shogren issued a letter November 16 strongly urging residents to shelter in place and remain on campus this holiday season.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), small inside gatherings of people who are not wearing masks and socially distancing has been a significant contributing factor in recent COVID-19 outbreaks. The CDC is warning everyone that even small holiday gatherings could be a potential source for spreading the COVID-19 virus. The CDC issued guidance stating “the safest way to celebrate Thanksgiving this year is to celebrate only with people living in your household.” For our residents, this means remaining on your PMMA campus.
As you discuss your upcoming holiday plans, we encourage you to follow the advice of health officials, infectious disease experts and the CDC. If you make the decision to attend an in-person gathering, please follow the CDC guidelines for small gatherings. These guidelines are available at the websites below:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays/thanksgiving.html
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/holidays.html
Check the CDC website, as well as the local and state health departments, for the most current guidance. It is likely to be updated as we move through the holiday season.
PMMA’s Family Letter RE: Holiday Gatherings
CMS and state guidelines allow communities to establish protocols and reasonable limitations around visitation. View our Visitor Information Card. Outdoor visitation is preferred whenever possible. Reasonable limitations include requiring visitors to schedule visits in advance, limiting the number of visitors each resident may have at one time to 2 people, limiting the total number of visits that may be scheduled during a time period, and screening visitors for entry to the community. Screening includes answering a questionnaire about recent travel, health status and exposure risk, and taking and logging temperatures before they are allowed entry into the community.
Resident safety always comes first. Based on the recommendations from the CDC and CMS, outdoor visitation will be preferred as long as weather permits. Outdoor visitation provides the best ventilation and opportunity to maintain safe social distances during visitation. It also provides the most locations for residents and families to meet together.
Please be vigilant in self-monitoring for signs and symptoms of COVID-19. Visit the CDC website and check your symptoms with the online Self-Checker available here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html.
When you visit our communities, you are expected to adhere to safety practices and take necessary precautions to protect our residents and employees.
You should:
- Schedule your visit in advance with the community’s designated contact.
- Be respectful of visitor limitations (2 visitors per resident per day) and time limitations. Time limits are set to allow as many opportunities as possible for residents to visit with their family and friends. It also provides opportunity for the community to complete cleaning protocols between visits.
- Provide proof of negative COVID-19 test within 2-3 days in advance of your visit, if required. (Indoor visits when county positivity rates are between 5% and 10%.)
- Answer screening questions honestly.
- Have your temperature taken at entry to the community.
- Adhere to safety measures, including wearing the provided face mask over nose and mouth at all times, washing or sanitizing hands before and after a visit, and maintain physical distance. Hugging, kissing and handshaking is prohibited to protect residents and employees.
- Follow all instructions given for movement within the community.
- Report immediately to the community if experiencing any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 or any positive COVID-19 test results occurring within 14 days of visiting any community.
COVID-19 Prevention Practices
Our campus screens employees at the beginning of their shifts upon entering the community and before the employees have had any direct contact with residents. These screening measures include taking staff temperatures and asking a set of questions about their health status and COVID-19 exposure risks and review a list of COVID-19 symptoms.
Employees who have a fever or report feeling unwell are not allowed to work and are asked to get tested for COVID-19 if they have symptoms of the disease. These measures continue to be updated as guidance changes. We encourage all staff members to follow CDC guidelines and best practices as these are continually updated.
Employees who test positive remain in isolation until cleared to work by the health department. We follow CDC and KDHE guidelines for when an employee may return to work. Under the current guidelines, symptomatic employees may return to work when at least 72 hours have passed since resolution of the employee’s fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and the employee’s symptoms have improved and at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared. Asymptomatic positive employees will quarantine for at least 10 days. Upon the employee’s return to work, we follow CDC recommendations related to work practices and restrictions.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has mandated surveillance testing of our staff. Surveillance testing requires all employees, agency employees, volunteers, hospice, lab and therapy providers at our campus to be tested on a frequency determined by our county’s COVID-19 testing positivity rate. Based on our county positivity rate for COVID-19 tests, our campus is testing staff once a week.
Residents who tested positive are placed in COVID-19 isolation and cared for by designated staff members. We follow CDC and KDHE guidelines for when the residents may come out of isolation. Under the current guidelines, symptomatic residents may come out of isolation when at least 72 hours have passed since resolution of the resident’s fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and the resident’s symptoms have improved and at least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared. If asymptomatic, the residents will remain in isolation for at least 10 days. Designated team members are following doctor’s orders for treatment protocols and following Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) infection prevention protocols.
We continue to stay current with preventive measures in accordance with the CMS/CDC guidelines and best practices. We strongly encourage all residents to shelter in place and adhere to the precautions we provided.
Follow these basic safety precautions to protect yourself and others and prevent the spread of COVID-19. Wear a mask or cloth face covering. Maintain adequate social distance between yourself and others who do not live with you. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or an alcohol-based hand gel. Residents should limit trips off campus, and family members are encouraged to avoid crowds.
Please be vigilant in self-monitoring for signs and symptoms of COVID-19. Visit the CDC website and check your symptoms with the online Self-Checker available here: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html.
NOVEL CORONAVIRUS 2019 (COVID 19) UPDATE:
PMMA campuses open visitation cautiously
(OCtober 9, 2020)
PMMA’s (Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America’s) 15 communities are reopening to visitors cautiously in the wake of new guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued September 17.
“We know how important it is to begin reopening our communities and providing our residents with a sense of normalcy,” said Bruce Shogren, PMMA president and CEO. “Reopening to visitors and reuniting our residents and their families is one of the most important things we can do to ensure the mental health of our residents.”
The new guidance from CMS is aimed at balancing the need for residents and their family members to reunite with the dangers inherent in permitting visitation in the middle of a global pandemic. The guidelines outline a process for both outdoor and indoor visits, as well as identifying triggers that would require a senior living community to return to more restrictive visitation policies. Communities are required to continue offering virtual visitation in addition to in-person options.
PMMA has adopted CMS’ core principles outlined in the September 17 memorandum, “Nursing Home Visitation – COVID-19.” All PMMA communities will allow visitation through various means based on the community’s structure and residents’ needs, including but not limited to resident rooms, dedicated visitation spaces both outdoors and indoors, and compassionate care situations.
“The bottom line is, we need to commit to allowing visitors while still minimizing the risk of infection to our residents,” Shogren said in a letter dated October 9, 2020. “We have to be especially diligent in paying close attention to the details when opening our campuses to visitation. This is especially important as we approach the traditional flu season.”
Communities will continue to follow CMS guidance regarding screening and surveillance testing for employees. CMS issued guidance in late August requiring senior living communities with skilled nursing to conduct regular testing of employees, volunteers, and other service providers on a frequency based on county positivity rates. PMMA implemented this guidance in early September and continues to conduct surveillance testing at its 14 campuses that offer skilled nursing.
HOW IS VISITATION STATUS DETERMINED?
A community’s visitation status is also dependent on the county’s COVID-19 testing positivity rate. Indoor visitation will not be allowed when county positivity rates are above 10% or the campus has had a positive case of COVID-19 in a resident or employee. A positivity rate above 10% is considered high risk and only outdoor visitation is allowed per the CMS guidelines. If visitation is paused for a positive test in the community, the campus must have no new positive cases for 14 days before visitation can begin again.
When county positivity rates are between 5% and 10%, visitation is considered medium risk. During medium risk periods, outdoor visitation will be allowed, weather permitting, with strict adherence to the outlined safety protocols. A negative COVID-19 test is not required for outdoor visitors. Indoor visits may also be scheduled, however, anyone wishing to have an indoor visit will need to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test no more than 2-3 days in advance of the visit. Indoor visitors also have to adhere to the mandatory safety protocols.
A county positivity rate of less than 5% is considered low risk for visitation. Both outdoor and indoor visitation is permitted, depending on weather, and indoor visitors will not need to provide proof of a recent negative COVID-19 test. Visitors will be required to adhere to the mandatory safety protocols.
HOW IS PMMA IMPLEMENTING VISITATION?
CMS and state guidelines allow communities to establish protocols and reasonable limitations around visitation. Outdoor visitation is preferred whenever possible. Reasonable limitations include requiring visitors to schedule visits in advance, limiting the number of visitors each resident may have at one time to 2 people, limiting the total number of visits that may be scheduled during a time period, and screening visitors for entry to the community. Screening includes answering a questionnaire about recent travel, health status and exposure risk, and taking and logging temperatures before being allowed to enter into the community.
Resident safety always comes first. Based on the recommendations from the CDC and CMS, outdoor visitation will be preferred as long as weather permits. Outdoor visitation provides the best ventilation and opportunity to maintain safe social distances during visitation. It also provides the most locations that can be cleaned and sanitized between visits at our campuses.
PMMA communities are working to prepare for increased indoor visitation as colder weather approaches. Communities are working to purchase necessary equipment for safety and sanitization and to designate specific areas where visitation may take place.
YOUR ROLE AS A FAMILY MEMBER OR VISITOR:
When you visit our communities, you will be expected to adhere to safety practices and take necessary precautions to protect our residents and employees.
- Schedule your visit in advance with the community’s designated contact.
- Be respectful of visitor limitations (2 visitors per resident per day) and time limitations. Time limits are set to allow as many visits as possible to be scheduled for as many residents as possible while adhering to the community’s safety protocols for disinfecting spaces when visits are complete.
- Provide proof of negative COVID-19 test within 2-3 days of visit, if required. (Indoor visits when county positivity rates are between 5% and 10%.)
- Answer screening questions honestly and participate in the temperature check.
- Adhere to safety measures, including wearing the provided facemask over nose and mouth at all times, washing or sanitizing hands before and after a visit, and maintain physical distance. No hugging, kissing or handshaking.
- Follow all instructions given for movement within the community.
- Report immediately to the community if experiencing any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 or any positive COVID-19 test results occurring within 14 days of visiting any community.
Visitors who are unable to abide by these safety measures will not be allowed to visit a PMMA community.
SURVEILLANCE TESTING FACTS
County positivity rates also play a role in the new surveillance testing guidance issued by CMS in late August. The new CMS guidance mandates surveillance testing for all skilled nursing facilities. Surveillance testing requires all employees, agency employees, volunteers, hospice, lab and therapy providers at our campus to be tested on a frequency determined by the local county’s COVID-19 testing positivity rate.
Senior living communities with skilled nursing in counties with a positivity rate below 5% must test at least once a month. Senior living communities offering skilled nursing in counties with a positive rate between 5 and 10% must test weekly. Senior living communities with skilled nursing in counties with a positivity rate above 10% must test twice a week. The frequency is determined based on a 14-day positivity average. If the average goes down, it must sustain that trend for 14 days before the senior living community may reduce testing frequency. If the average goes up during the 14 days, the testing frequency must be increased immediately.
At this time, testing is not required for senior living communities that do not offer skilled nursing, however, PMMA has chosen to test all employees on the campuses that offer skilled nursing. On the Fort Scott, Kan., campus is not conducting surveillance testing because it is licensed for assisted living only.
In addition, CMS is sending point-of-care testing machines to all senior living communities with skilled nursing by the end of September. Some PMMA communities have received the machines and a limited amount of testing supplies, and others have not yet received the machines. The point-of-care antigen testing units form the backbone of the Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) plan to curb COVID-19 infections deaths in the nation’s nursing homes.
PCR tests look for pieces of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, in the nose, throat, or other areas in the respiratory tract to determine if the person has an active infection. Antigen tests look for pieces of proteins that make up the SARS- CoV-2 virus to determine if the person has an active infection. However, a negative antigen test does not rule out COVID-19 because antigen tests are not as sensitive as PCR tests. In cases where COVID-19 is strongly suspected, a negative antigen test should be confirmed with a more sensitive PCR test.
The point-of-care devices provide the capability to conduct a rapid test at the campus, but are not sufficient for handling mass testing at a community because of the protocols needed to ensure the integrity of the sample and the time needed to process each test.
