COVID-19 Information
The safety of your loved one is our top concern and priority.
We appreciate the trust you have placed in us and the privilege of taking care of your loved one. Please know that we are staying updated about COVID-19 by working directly with our local and state health departments, the CDC, CMS, and our Medical Director. Our Infection Preventionist is working with the local Department of Health and monitoring all residents for signs and symptoms of respiratory infection. We want to assure you that our care community has well established infection control protocols and our staff members continue to follow the CDC’s recommendations to reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. These include strict handwashing procedures, wearing facemasks, and when interacting with residents who are sick wearing facemasks, eye shields, gowns, and gloves.
We continue to have supplies of personal protective equipment (PPE) and have contingency plans in place. To minimize the risk of our residents becoming ill with COVID-19, we have immense precautionary measurements in place such as only essential staff reporting to work, daily COVID-19 screening of all staff and all residents, following CDC guidelines on the proper use of personal protective equipment, reinforcement of hygiene protocols to ensure clean hands, isolation of residents to their rooms and have restrictions on visitors and vendors, among many other components.
Thank you & Appreciation Video from our President, Kerri Romes, and leaders throughout our organization
Vaccination Facts
We understand there is concern regarding the COVID-19 vaccine. As of now, when the vaccine is available, our industry, including high-risk populations, healthcare workers, and older adults, will be the first to receive access to it. In some areas, we anticipate having the vaccine before the end of 2020.
Our COVID-19 leadership team has created a vaccine policy and procedure to ensure a smooth process for administering the vaccine at all HCF locations. We continue to stay updated daily on the COVID-19 pandemic and vaccination by reviewing information from the Centers for Disease Control(CDC), State Departments of Health, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
The health, safety, and wellbeing of our staff and residents is always our top priority. To learn more about the vaccination facts, please visit the CDC website at the link below.
Our first COVID-19 vaccine clinics started the week of December 21st. The HCF employees featured below received the vaccine as part of the first round of clinics available at HCF. Everyone will receive their second dose required with this vaccine at the second clinic. If you did not receive the vaccine during your care community’s first vaccine clinic date, you can still receive your first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at the second scheduled vaccine clinic.
Updates on COVID-19 and a Thank You Message April 24, 2020
Kerri Romes, President of HCF Family of Companies Speaks on COVID-19, Published March 12, 2020
Visiting Restrictions
As of October 12, 2020, zone neutral indoor visits are permitted in nursing homes and assisted living centers that can meet all regulatory guidelines. There are several factors influencing possible cancellations of visits. If a temporary suspension of visitation should occur, family members will be promptly notified. Please contact the care community your loved one resides at to determine if visitation is permitted, and/or to schedule your visit, and to learn more about the precautions.
In most cases, we are able to allow indoor zone neutral visits and outdoor visits. Both type of visits may occur simultaneously and must be scheduled. Thank you for your continued patience as we make changes with regulatory updates and implement practices to best protect the safety of our residents, staff, and communities we serve.
Indoor Neutral Zone Visitation:
- All visits must be scheduled by calling the care community.
- Specific visitation hours will be established.
- This area may be a lobby, living room, activity space, etc.
- Visitors will have a specified entrance and route.
- All visitors are required to perform hand hygiene, wear a surgical mask and maintain a 6 foot distance at all times from residents and staff.
- All visits will be limited to 30 minutes with a maximum of 2 visitors.
- Frequency of visits will be determined based on schedule openings.
Indoor In-Room Visits:
- These visits are currently limited to compassionate care, end-of-life, and Hospice residents.
- Visitation could be restricted if there are cases of COVID-19 within the care community or a large spread in the city/county.
Nursing Homes & Short-Term Rehab
On Monday, July 20th skilled nursing facilities were given permission to assist family members with scheduled outdoor visits. Specific safety guidelines must be followed during the visits. Please understand the criteria for skilled nursing centers to allow outdoor visitation has very strict elements that must be met at all times, some are out of our control. If there comes a time where we cannot meet all of these requirements, we may have to prohibit outdoor visits for a period of time. If that should happen, we will contact family members directly.
Thank you for all your understanding and patience as we navigate this time together and ensure the safety of our residents. We are excited to see everyone, outdoor visits must be scheduled, please contact the care community your family member resides at to inquire if outdoor visits are taking place and to reserve your date and time.
Assisted Living Facilities
Outdoor Visits – On Monday, June 8, 2020 Assisted Living Facilities were given permission to allow outdoor visits. Specific safety guidelines must be followed during the visits. Please contact the Assisted Living Facility your loved one resides at for more information and to schedule an outdoor visit.
How to connect with your loved one
We believe that connecting with family members is vitally important to our residents. Other ways to connect while your loved one is in or care includes telephone, email, text, or through Skype or Facebook. We can also help arrange window visits or deliver Smile Mail by contacting social.media@hcfmanagement.com.
Window Visits
Window visits are a great way to keep in touch with your loved one while our doors are still closed to visitors. If you need assistance finding your loved one’s window, or if we can bring them to a common area window, please call us and we will be glad to help.
To keep your loved one safe during a window visit, please don’t:
- Open the window to touch, hug, or give a gift
- Take the screen of the window out
Remember, if other families are visiting their loved one, please social distance yourself at least 6 feet away.
Smile Mail
Instead of mail, send us virtual mail. Residents would love to see you through “Smile Mail.” Send us pictures, share a message to your loved one, cards, or anything to brighten the resident’s day! Email your “Smile Mail” to social.media@hcfmanagement.com. Please include the facility name and the name of the resident you would like to share your mail to. If you don’t have a loved one at our care community and just want to spread joy, please indicate it is for all residents and the facility name.
Care Packages
We are still allowing residents to receive care packages or deliveries from families. If you are bringing items, please call ahead and ensure we are still accepting items and where to leave them. We will not directly have contact with you to receive them. We will likely ask you to leave it between the two doors at the front entrance. Please ensure it is marked with the resident’s name.
To protect the resident and staff, please consider sending them in the following manner:
- Food, we prefer prepackaged items, in small quantities that can easily be stored in their room.
- If you make homemade food it must be single-serve items in a disposable dish clearly labeled.
- We will not store resident food in a communal fridge. If you are sending more than one serving, the resident must have their own refrigerator.
- Flowers or plants must be in a container that will not leak and staff can carry without touching the plant.
- Activities that the resident can do in their room-Puzzle books, photo albums, music, etc.
- Personal care items that the resident prefers such as lotions, tissues, or bathing products.
Also, we may ask you to do resident shopping if your loved one needs items and our staff are unable to get out to do the shopping. Please talk to the staff about any concerns you may have. If you have questions or concerns please reach out to the Administrator, Director of Nursing or Resident Services Coordinator.
Air Purification
We continue to look for additional and innovative ways to safeguard our facilities from future illnesses and improve overall quality.
We are excited to announce a new whole home air purification system was recently installed at several HCF locations. The Halo LED with REME-LED Technology is the industry’s first LED in-duct, whole home air purification system that proactively treats every cubic inch of air conditioned space, thereby reducing airborne and surface contaminants and pollutants.
These select care communities were carefully chosen by the organization to trial this revolutionary indoor air purification system. Our team will be closely monitoring results over the next several months to determine additional HCF care community installations. To learn more please reference the spec sheet or contact the care community where your loved one resides.
Frequently Asked Questions
We believe that connecting with family members is vitally important to our residents. Other ways to connect while your loved one is in or care includes telephone, email, text, or through Skype or Facebook. We can also help arrange window visits or deliver Smile Mail.
Window Visits
Window visits are a great way to keep in touch with your loved one while our doors are still closed to visitors. If you need assistance finding your loved one’s window, or if we can bring them to a common area window, please call us and we will be glad to help.
To keep your loved one safe during a window visit, please:
- Don’t open the window to touch, hug, or give a gift
- Don’t take the screen of the window out
Remember, if other families are visiting their loved one, please social distance yourself at least 6 feet away.
Smile Mail
Instead of mail, send us virtual mail. Residents would love to see you through “Smile Mail.” Send us pictures, share a message to your loved one, cards, or anything to brighten the resident’s day! Email your “Smile Mail” to social.media@hcfmanagement.com. Please include the facility name and the name of the resident you would like to share your mail to. If you don’t have a loved one at our care community and just want to spread joy, please indicate it is for all residents and the facility name.
A COVID-19 “outbreak” in a long-term care setting is defined by having just one active case. This one active case can be a resident, or an employee. Please know that we are following all isolation protocols if a resident were to contract the virus. If an employee were to test positive, we also have strict protocols, including sick employees to remain off work until medically cleared by a physician, and our organization.
Long-term care is a very heavily regulated industry, even when there is not a pandemic. We must follow and implement all guidelines released to our industry by the State, Health Department, and Centers for Disease Control (CDC). Currently, this includes no communal dining or social gatherings out of precaution to protect our residents. Please know we are still holding activities throughout the day, every day, and the residents can still enjoy the outdoors, it all just looks a little different while under these precautionary measures.
We understand your concerns. Our organization has adapted to these social limitations and are offering many alternatives to the residents to ensure they still have social interactions while following the social distancing and isolation protocols.
We are staying updated daily on any new guidance from the Governor, Director of Health, Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS). As soon as any changes are released to us from our governing agencies, we will promptly notify family members. In the meantime, we recommend reaching out to your local, state, and federal elected officials.
Our organization values the health and well-being of everyone we serve. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we work hard to protect our residents and employees. We are here for you, if you have any additional questions, please reach out to the care community.
How can you help?
PPE Donations
The nation is facing a critical shortage of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) due to the coronavirus (COVID-19). As long-term care providers, we are also in need of this equipment to safeguard our residents and employees. If your business has an inventory of PPE and would like to make a donation, please contact the care community or our designated donation line at (419) 999-2010. Specific PPE supplies include, N95 masks, surgical masks, face shields, gowns, goggles, and gloves. Thank you for helping us to protect our healthcare heroes and the residents we serve.
Homemade Mask Donations
Please consider helping us as we prepare to safely respond to the COVID-19 crisis. We are accepting donations of fabric face masks to help fill the gap of the nation’s shortage of protective gear (PPE). All hand-sewn masks will be properly laundered and prepared prior to any use. We are accepting many different varieties, we just request masks have pleats to expand and cover the nose, mouth and chin area. Please contact the care community to arrange the delivery of donations, or contact us at our designated donation line at (419) 999-2010.
Resident and Staff Donations
Many businesses and family members have inquired about how to treat our staff and/or residents to lunch and other treats. If you would like to make this type of donation, please contact the care community directly and ask to speak to the Administrator or Resident Services Coordinator. Thank you for thinking of our heroes during this time.
Care Community Updates
As a family member of a loved one in our care, if we have updates or find that we have a confirmed positive COVID-19 case within the care community, we will call you. Our goal is always to be upfront and keep you informed. There is a great deal of fear from the public in the pandemic situation we are in, which could lead to false information being shared on different platforms such as social media. We want to assure you that you will hear directly from us if there is important information we need to let you know about. From the HCF Family to yours, thank you for your trust and support.
