Senior Care Centers Proactively Work To Protect Residents from Coronavirus

April 8, 2020 - Like everyone else, the coronavirus is very much on the minds of Jo Lucke and Rhondia Grant. Unlike most of us, as administrators of the Southeast Georgia Health System Senior Care Centers in Brunswick and St. Marys, they face a greater challenge. Both are part of a team working tirelessly to protect and keep residents at the centers happy and healthy during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We’re doing everything possible to reassure our residents and their families,” says Lucke, administrator of the Senior Care Center-Brunswick. “We had already implemented the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention CDC guidelines before they were officially announced.” Residents of both centers benefit from Lucke’s service on the Georgia Health Care Association Emergency Preparedness Committee. As a board member, she was among the first to receive the latest information for dealing with COVID-19.

Proactive Prevention

The Senior Care Centers take numerous steps to protect elderly residents:

1. Consistent Cleaning. The Environmental Services team cleans, disinfects and sterilizes surfaces throughout the day and equipment after each use.
2. Self-quarantining. Essential visitors (staff, medical transport, delivery persons, etc.) may only enter through the front door. Each person is asked five health-related questions, has their temperature taken and disinfects their hands with an alcohol-based hand sanitizer. To prevent the spread of coronavirus, the centers halted leave of absences. “Some of our residents leave on Friday to stay with family members and return Sunday. In this current climate, leave of absences defeat our efforts,” Lucke says. “Residents may still choose to leave, but their return will be delayed until after the outbreak has passed.”
3. Social Distancing. Residents are asked to stay six feet apart in common areas. The wide corridors make this easier. “We also observe this rule in the dining halls. That’s harder because residents enjoy socializing at mealtimes,” says Lucke.
4. Visitor Restrictions. For the safety of medically fragile residents, the centers follow federal guidelines by prohibiting visitors. In the meantime, the staff keep families connected in creative ways. “We keep families connected through FaceTime, Skype and window-to-window communication,” Lucke says. “One of our resident’s face “lit up” when speaking to his son by phone while his son stood outside his window. They were accustomed to daily visits, so that was important.”
5. Meaningful Conversation. Limited social interaction can cause seniors to decline, so the staff are deepening their conversations with residents to find out how they’re really feeling. “We diligently plan their care to stave off depression,” Lucke explains.
6. Maintaining Connections. Old-fashioned correspondence matters greatly to seniors. “We encourage families, friends, volunteers and churches to send cards and letters,” says Grant, administrator at the Senior Care Center-St. Marys. “We cannot release residents’ names, but families can share their relative’s contact information with their acquaintances and ask them to write to our residents. Including photographs and children’s artwork can really brighten their day.” The staff removes outside envelopes and delivers correspondence to the residents. For now, Grant and Lucke ask that family members do not send “care packages” to minimize the spread of germs. “If the public wishes to donate items, the residents are asking for potting soil, seeds, watering pitchers and plant pots. Please seal new items tightly in plastic bags to protect against the weather and leave them at our facilities’ front doors. Our staff will disinfect the items before sharing with residents,” Grant says.
7. Clear Communication. “We use the free Everbridge program to communicate with families. We email updates, Facetime instructions and individual staff member phone numbers if there are questions,” Lucke explains.
8. Daily Screening. The centers screen residents and staff for COVID-19 every 24 hours according to CDC guidelines.
9. Social Activities. To help residents cope with the “new normal”, both centers offer daily activities such as art, crafts, word games, puzzles and outdoor time. Outdoors may seem ideal for socializing, but visitor restrictions and six-feet-distance rules still apply.

The rules may seem stringent, but they help protect the medically fragile. “Many of our residents are here because of disease conditions and co-morbidities. It’s our responsibility to protect their health, while keeping them happy,” says Lucke.