Covid-19 Procedures being implemented by AFH Management for our facilities:
Working with guidelines provided by:
NCAL (National Center for Assisted Living) and
AHCA (American Health Care Association):
This notice outlines some additional steps AFH Management istaking to protect our residents, their families, as well as our staff and their families. Since COVID-19 is spread from person-to-person through droplets in the air, very similar to how influenza spreads, we are using the strategies known to reduce the spread of respiratory viruses which includes:
• Monitoring our staff and visitors for following hand washing or use of alcohol hand gels
• Reviewing our contact isolation procedures and making sure staff follow them consistently
• Reviewing plans for cohorting residents in the same room or wing who become sick to prevent the spread to other residents and staff, should the outbreak continue to grow
• Reminding staff, contractors, volunteers to stay home if they are sick
• Starting now, posting notices for visitors who are sick to stop visiting and work with families on alternate ways to visit their family members, like Skype, phone calls and email. Check with the local health department if they are recommending more restrictive criteria for visitations as COVID-19 spreads.
• Staying in close contact with our local and state health department and posting infection preventionist signs up for health department announcements as well as CDC announcements
• Monitoring the CDC COVID-19 website for the latest information on Coronavirus prevention strategies, testing guidance and recommendations for health care workers. Reviewing testing guidelines for testing of persons under investigation suspected of COVID-19.
CDC COVID-19 website: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
• Making sure our staff is aware and keeps up with CDC and our local health department guidelines (which are changing) as to when to contact them for testing suspected cases. Providing information to our staff and their families on what they can do to protect themselves. Per CDC this includes following preventive actions known to prevent the spread of viruses including:
The CDC has offered strategies for health care providers on how to optimize supplies of N95 respirators in the face of decreasing supply, which can be found here. These strategies include
• Minimizing the number of health care professionals who need to use respiratory protection
• Use alternatives to N95 respirators, such as facemasks where feasible, and prioritize the use of N95 respirators for those with the highest risk of acquiring infection or experiencing complications from infection.
Strategies from the CDC for optimizing the supply of N95 respirators can be found here:
You can learn more about the CDC’s strategies for optimizing the supply of personal protective
Equipment here:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/hcp/healthcare-supply-ppe.html
AFH Management