At Peak Healthcare, we believe that effective communication is an important part of containing the virus. We update employees, patients, and families with both the latest in preventative measures as well as actual cases in our center. This is our effort to also update the communities we serve. These restrictions will continue to change as we are able to test more patients and residents.
Peak Healthcare facilities have been able to obtain and use resources and expertise to help mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus. We must begin by acknowledging and thanking our employees, who are going above and beyond to compassionately care for patients and residents in this unprecedented health crisis impacting the world. They truly are our helpful, caring and responsive health care heroes.
Our centers acted early to restrict access to the facility, currently require universal masking for our direct caregivers, provide isolation units for those patients or residents with or suspected to have novel coronavirus, and implemented infection control processes based on the CDC’s recommendations. Depending on the supply of testing kits and the recommendation of local officials, we are able to test those without any symptoms in some locations. Our efforts will continue until the pandemic is contained. We are in very close communication with our medical director, clinical support team, and local and state health officials about the appropriate steps to serve the best interests of our patients, residents, employees and visitors. We instruct our staff, patients and residents to follow recommended preventative actions. Regardless of whether we have a positive case, are concerned about a patients’ risk, are helping a patient recover from a novel coronavirus related hospital stay or are assisting patients returning from the hospital for other needs, we have systems in place to protect and care for our patients and residents.
During this unprecedented time, our commitment to families of patients and residents, as always, is to provide timely and accurate information COVID-19 information for our facilities by phone calls, letters, and by updating our website, which will be updated daily at this time.
Our dedicated health care team will keep you updated and connected with your loved one via skype, facetime calls, phone calls, window visits or cards and notes.
Peak Healthcare facilities have been able to obtain and use resources and expertise to help mitigate the spread of the novel coronavirus. We must begin by acknowledging and thanking our employees, who are going above and beyond to compassionately care for patients and residents in this unprecedented health crisis impacting the world. They truly are our helpful, caring and responsive health care heroes.
Our centers acted early to restrict access to the facility, currently require universal masking for our direct caregivers, provide isolation units for those patients or residents with or suspected to have novel coronavirus, and implemented infection control processes based on the CDC’s recommendations. Depending on the supply of testing kits and the recommendation of local officials, we are able to test those without any symptoms in some locations. Our efforts will continue until the pandemic is contained. We are in very close communication with our medical director, clinical support team, and local and state health officials about the appropriate steps to serve the best interests of our patients, residents, employees and visitors. We instruct our staff, patients and residents to follow recommended preventative actions. Regardless of whether we have a positive case, are concerned about a patients’ risk, are helping a patient recover from a novel coronavirus related hospital stay or are assisting patients returning from the hospital for other needs, we have systems in place to protect and care for our patients and residents.
During this unprecedented time, our commitment to families of patients and residents, as always, is to provide timely and accurate information COVID-19 information for our facilities by phone calls, letters, and by updating our website, which will be updated daily at this time.
Our dedicated health care team will keep you updated and connected with your loved one via skype, facetime calls, phone calls, window visits or cards and notes.
Our Facility Restrictions:
- Restriction of group activities including communal dining and activity programming.
- Staffing assignments are kept as consistent as possible.
- Patients, staff and employees are screened for signs and symptoms at least daily.
- Restriction of non-medically essential persons from visiting the facility.
From the CDC
COVID-19 cases have been reported in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, and multiple U.S. territories; many having wide-spread community transmission. Given the high risk of spread once COVID-19 enters a LTCF, facilities must act immediately to protect residents, families, and staff from serious illness, complications, and death.
Strategies include recommendations to:
• Keep COVID-19 from entering your facility
• Identify infections early
• Prevent spread of COVID-19
• Assess supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) and initiate measures to optimize current supply
• Identify and manage severe illness
Authorized visitors and employees are screened daily for:
• Confirmation of positive COVID-19 test
• Exposure to positive COVID-19 case
• International travel
• Cruise ship travel
• Unexplained fever > 100.0° F within the last 14 days
• A diagnosis of pneumonia or lower respiratory tract infection of unexplained etiology in the last 14 days
• Any other possible signs and symptoms identified by the CDC as possible symptoms
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/long-term-care.html
Strategies include recommendations to:
• Keep COVID-19 from entering your facility
• Identify infections early
• Prevent spread of COVID-19
• Assess supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) and initiate measures to optimize current supply
• Identify and manage severe illness
Authorized visitors and employees are screened daily for:
• Confirmation of positive COVID-19 test
• Exposure to positive COVID-19 case
• International travel
• Cruise ship travel
• Unexplained fever > 100.0° F within the last 14 days
• A diagnosis of pneumonia or lower respiratory tract infection of unexplained etiology in the last 14 days
• Any other possible signs and symptoms identified by the CDC as possible symptoms
Source: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/long-term-care.html
Reporting Regulations for Nursing Facilities
After shocking instances of nursing homes failing to disclose the existence and extent of COVID-19 cases within their facilities, the federal government will require nursing homes to inform residents, their families and representatives when residents or staff contract the illness.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced that notification must come within 12 hours of a confirmed single case of COVID-19. Residents, families and representatives must also be told when three or more individuals develop respiratory symptoms within a 72-hour period. The new rules also require nursing homes to report COVID-19 cases directly to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the CDC works to build a nationwide database of the occurrence of the illness. Nursing homes are already required to report such data to state and local public health officials.
"Nursing homes have been ground zero for COVID-19," Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma said in a statement announcing the new rules, which she described as an effort to provide "transparent and timely information to residents and their families."
The new rules also require nursing homes to detail measures the facility is taking to mitigate the spread of the disease.
Outbreaks and deaths from COVID-19 have occurred at nursing homes across the country, which house among the most vulnerable of high-risk individuals.
For the most up to date information about COVID-19, please refer to the CDC's website by clicking here.
Other resources: https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services announced that notification must come within 12 hours of a confirmed single case of COVID-19. Residents, families and representatives must also be told when three or more individuals develop respiratory symptoms within a 72-hour period. The new rules also require nursing homes to report COVID-19 cases directly to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention as the CDC works to build a nationwide database of the occurrence of the illness. Nursing homes are already required to report such data to state and local public health officials.
"Nursing homes have been ground zero for COVID-19," Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services Administrator Seema Verma said in a statement announcing the new rules, which she described as an effort to provide "transparent and timely information to residents and their families."
The new rules also require nursing homes to detail measures the facility is taking to mitigate the spread of the disease.
Outbreaks and deaths from COVID-19 have occurred at nursing homes across the country, which house among the most vulnerable of high-risk individuals.
For the most up to date information about COVID-19, please refer to the CDC's website by clicking here.
Other resources: https://www.npr.org/sections/coronavirus-live-updates
Peak Healthcare & COVID 19
