Dear Residents, Families, and Associates of The Cardinal,
I am sending this letter to inform you that a third-party personal service provider caring for the assisted living resident who recently tested positive and a healthcare associate of The Cardinal tested positive for COVID-19 as a result of our screening efforts on Saturday. Both of these individuals are currently isolating at home and are asymptomatic. Aligned with CDC protocols we are conducting a thorough review of these cases and will notify and address any residents, associates, and third-party providers identified as having potential exposure to these individuals. Based on our current safety measures, with associates wearing protective equipment (PPE) following CDC guidelines, we are confident of minimal exposure. In accordance with patient privacy laws, additional details about these individuals and updates on their condition will be provided only by healthcare authorities.
In addition to these to two new cases, The Cardinal management team was notified by a family member of an Independent Living resident that they tested positive for COVID-19 on Sunday morning. This family member visited their loved one at the community on Wednesday, November 11th. Through contract tracing with this family member, we identified 3 residents with potential exposure who we tested yesterday, and they are quarantining until test results return. At this time, we have no other known cases. Because of scenarios like this one, it is imperative that everyone properly wear a mask at all times, especially when visiting with loved ones. The face mask should completely cover your nose and mouth at all times and should not be removed or lowered when talking. In addition to wearing a mask, social distancing of 6 feet or more must also be adhered to when interacting with others.
The protocols that we put into place earlier, remain critical. These include restricting visitors for essential needs only, daily monitoring of each resident and associate for temperature and respiratory symptoms, modified wellness activities to maintain social-distancing, and increased disinfecting of all high-traffic/high-touch areas. Our associates are required to wear masks at all times, as well as any residents leaving their apartment for an essential purpose.
For the safety of all residents, we will continue to follow all current COVID-19 protocol and will be making the following changes to ensure the risk of further exposure is minimal. Communal dining in The Overlook, Skilled Nursing and Enhanced Assisted Living will remain closed. Meal delivery service for all meals in these neighborhoods will continue until further notice. We request all healthcare residents shelter in place in their apartments this week. We will be retesting all residents and healthcare associates tomorrow, November 17th. Indoor visits in healthcare with residents and family members have been temporarily suspended. Outdoor visits will not be affected at this time. However, if we witness any resident or family member not following proper protocol during their visit, we will end the visit immediately. Repeated occurrences of this type of behavior could result in suspension of visiting privileges at this time. We know that you share in our concern for the protection of our residents and associates and appreciate your support in prioritizing the safety of the community.
The number of cases in our local community continues to rise and we will be watching Governor Cooper’s press conference this afternoon for guidance as we navigate our state and county’s current increase in cases. We are hearing promising news of a vaccine on the horizon and are hopeful that there will be some reprieve soon. Until that time, we ask that our residents and families remain vigilant and refrain from going shopping, dining in restaurants, especially indoors, and gathering with friends and family outside of your personal bubble of safety.
As we continue to monitor this situation closely, we will keep everyone informed of any changes. We will continue to promote the safety and overall well-being of everyone at The Cardinal. We appreciate your continued support and compliance with our COVID-19 protocols to keep our residents and associate as safe and healthy as possible.
Sincerely,
Tom Ford, Executive Director
Mary Casey, Assistant Executive Director