Marinuka Manor Update (9/22/2020)
We would like to notify you of the first Marinuka Manor staff member that has tested positive for COVID-19. We received notification on 9/21 of the positive test that was completed Sunday due to mild symptom on-set on Friday (9/19). This staff member has not been in our building since last Sunday (9/13), which is great because this means there is a minimal exposure risk to our residents and other staff members. However, we understand the severity of this virus and are taking the necessary precautions to keep ourselves, other staff, and residents safe and healthy.
Due to CMS, state, and county recommendations we will be testing all staff and residents in the next 7 days. We are working closely with the county public health department and following the appropriate guidance to keep everyone safe. There are several things we are doing in the facility to mitigate the risk of spread such as, daily screening at the beginning of each shift, social distancing, wearing face masks, quarantining new admissions/symptomatic residents, etc.
We are also encouraging staff to be safe outside of work knowing that the numbers in the surrounding areas have been increasing. We know that these times can be scary for anyone in connection to our facility, but please understand we are doing everything we can to keep everyone safe.
Please call the facility at 608-582-2211 with any questions regarding COVID-19.
Greetings from BSJ Care Center,
First, I am happy to report that we remain Covid-19 free in our facility. Thanks to all our staff and visitors for taking precautions here and in the community to maintain that status.
Unfortunately, La Crosse County is not doing as well. Last week we lead the nation in Covid-19 positivity rates. That combined with new guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), we will be updating our visitation practices. The guidance defines the “Core Principles of Covid-19 Infection Prevention” which includes in part; screening of everyone who enters the building, hand hygiene, face coverings, social distancing of 6 feet, cleaning and disinfecting high touch surfaces, and resident and staff testing. You can review the entire memo at https://www.cms.gov/files/document/qso-20-39-nh.pdf.
According to the CMS memo listed above, a high county positivity rate (10% or greater) means that visits should only occur for compassionate care situations. As a result, we are cancelling all routine outdoor and indoor visits for the next two weeks. We will evaluate the situation at that time to decide about future visits. Our compassionate care visits are also being reduced in number and frequency during this time. Everyone who has been approved to visit, will be contacted in the next two days to notify them of the changes. As before, residents on transmission-based precautions can only have virtual or window visits until the precautions are ended.
We have received a point of care testing machine, along with 80 testing cards that can be completed at the facility. We use these supplies primarily to test suspected cases due to limited supply availability. The state has also assigned a lab for us to use and we are in the process of setting up routine staff testing. Residents only need to be tested if they have symptoms or if we have an outbreak.
The CMS memo reduces the restrictions on communal dining and activities in the facility. This will help to provide more socialization for residents.
In summary we are pleased with our results so far and continue to stay vigilant to remain safe. We are one of a very limited number of facilities that allowed outdoor and some indoor visits while staying Covid-19 free. As hard as this all is, please continue follow safe practices so when we can resume visits, it is safe to do so.
Please call with any questions you have and discuss them with a Social Worker.
Thank you,
Larry Pupp, Administrator
CMS.GOV
www.cms.gov
How to Talk to a Loved One About Assisted Living http://vlnkx.com/FDkOi9p
The Onalaska Care Center would like to notify you of two additional employees who have tested positive for COVID-19. These tests were both done on Wednesday, September 9th as part of our routine testing; the facility was notified Friday, September 11th. We have begun contact tracing and are taking appropriate precautions for those who were potentially exposed. We are continuing routine, mandatory testing for all employees weekly due to latest CMS Guidelines. With these guidelines we will also be testing residents again next week.
We are working closely with the local county health department on what steps to take to mitigate the risk of spread to residents in the facility. Both of these employees had minimal exposure to residents and did not work closely with our other previously positive staff members. Therefore, at this time we believe this was community acquired vs. facility acquired.
We are continuously reminding staff of the precautions to be taking when at work and when in the community and will be reinstating the use of face shields for any staff while on the resident wings. While outside of work we encourage all staff to wear face masks, social distance, and avoid large gatherings. In the facility we have done training on proper infection control practices and continue audits to ensure compliance. We understand this can be a stressful time for anyone in connection to our facility, but be assured, we are doing everything we can to keep our residents safe.
As of now, outdoor visits will continue as currently scheduled and we are beginning to brainstorm how to continue them safely as the weather gets colder. With our guidelines and plans to keep everyone safe we feel it is not necessary to put these on hold with these additional positive staff. We value the relationships between our residents and their families and understand that this is necessary for the quality of life for everyone involved.
As always, please call the facility at 608-783-4681 with any questions or concerns involving COVID-19 or outdoor visitation.
Sunday Mass is Returning at the BSJ Care Center in LaCrosse.
We are pleased to announce that starting Sunday, September 13, 2020, we will begin weekly Sunday Mass. Please see the Recreation Informer for the time.
There will be some changes, including physical distancing in the Chapel, masks for all residents who tolerate them, and hand sanitizing at the entrance. Communion will be distributed with appropriate safeguards. At this time, Mass will be limited to residents only (no visitors or volunteers).
For those unable to attend Mass in the Chapel, Chaplin Therese will continue to make Sunday Communion visits and the Recreation Informer will continue to list Sunday TV Services.
Ecumenical Services will not be staring yet, but all are welcome at Mass.
Onalaska Care Center COVID-19 Update for 9/2/20
Due to previous employee COVID-19 cases and recommendations from the state, Onalaska Care Center has been doing routine, mandatory staff COVID-19 testing since the end of May. We were notified today (9/2/20) of another positive staff member who was tested on Monday, August 31st. There is no reason for us to think that this case was contracted within the facility, and believe this staff member was infected from a household contact. This staff member has not developed symptoms, which shows the importance of our continued testing. We will be testing residents in the next 7 days as well as have another round of mandatory staff wide testing on Tuesday, September 8th and Wednesday, September 9th. We are closely following guidance from La Crosse County, WI DHS, and the CDC. We have adequate supplies of PPE to mitigate the risks of spread throughout the facility. Staff continue to monitor for symptoms and are screened before each shift.
This does not have an impact on outdoor visitation. We understand there are risks, however, we value the quality of life of our residents and have specific safety guidelines in place to keep everyone safe. We appreciate the support and kind words we have received from all of you during these difficult times and feel it is the least we can do to keep you and your loved ones connected. As always, if there are any unanswered questions or concerns please call the facility at 608-783-4681.
Megan McLean, Temporary Acting Administrator
4 Services Adult Day Care Centers Provide http://vlnkx.com/gC2ETqR
The Onalaska Care Center is now hiring for a full-time Housekeeping and Laundry Aide. This position assists with dusting, mopping floors, vacuuming, washing beds, replenishing supplies, taking trash outside. Collecting soiled linen and sort. Load washer and dryers. Fold linens and personal clothing. Visit with residents of OCC while you work. Communicate effectively with co-workers and supervisors.
BETHANY ST. JOSEPH CORPORATION
Housekeeper
BSJ Care Center Notification – 10-8-20
We would like to notify you of a staff member that has tested positive for COVID-19. We received notification today of a positive test that was completed Tuesday during our routine staff testing. We are in the process of contact tracing in the building. The individual involved will be on quarantine and working with La Crosse County on contact tracing in the community.
We will be testing all residents. All staff will complete testing by the end of the day today. We continue to take all necessary precautions to keep ourselves, other staff, and residents safe and healthy including daily screening at the beginning of each shift, social distancing, wearing face masks, quarantining new admissions and symptomatic residents. We are encouraging staff to be safe outside of work knowing that the numbers in the surrounding areas are high.
Outdoor visits for next week are still planned, however based on testing results and the weather they may be changed on Monday. Please check email and phone calls for updates.
We have a new BSJ Care Center hotline which is updated whenever there is new information so you can easily check on our status. The hotline number is 608-519-9741.
Please call the facility at 608-788-5700 with any questions regarding COVID-19.
BSJ Care Center Update – October 5, 2020
We completed Covid-19 testing for all staff last week and all results have come back negative. Thanks to our staff for continuing to stay safe in the community. Starting this week, we will be testing staff twice per week as required by CMS and La Crosse County positivity rates.
We have evaluated visits for this week and will proceed with OUTDOOR SOCIAL VISITS only this week due to the high Covid numbers in La Crosse County. Visits will be more structured with strict guidelines that must be followed. We understand how difficult this is, but feel it is necessary to keep Covid out of the building.
For the next several weeks, we will be deciding about visitation every Monday for that week. This gives us all less time to plan, but with the changes in La Crosse County numbers we are not confident in deciding any further than the current week. The weather will also be a big factor until it is safe to move to indoor visits.
Our staff will call to schedule visits. Some visits that were previously scheduled at 10 am will need to move to 11 am this week. We will make every attempt to accommodate as many visits as possible but cannot guarantee that everyone can be scheduled. Hopefully, we will be able to continue visits next week.
I’m sure we all wish this would be over soon but so far there is no end in sight. The winter season could require even more precautions.
Thank you for your assistance and understanding.
BSJ Corporation Wants To Lighten The Halls http://vlnkx.com/Cifxvt4
BSJ Care Center Covid-19 Update – October 31, 2020.
One additional RCT’s (Nursing Assistant) Covid-19 test result came back positive today. We will be placing the entire building in quarantine. Fortunately, no additional residents have tested positive at this point. We will be repeating resident testing early in the week. All social visits remain on hold and compassionate care visits will be further limited. Due to the need for our staff to be in close contact for over 15 minutes, facetime and Skype calls are also on hold. We encourage you to visit using telephone calls and/or window visits until further notice.
Thank you for your support. Our goal is to get through this safely.
Larry J. Pupp
Administrator
BSJ Corporation Announces Education Scholarship Recipient http://lnk4u.us/KJTEu5_
BSJ Care Center Update
On Monday, Jan 4, 2021 all residents and 128 staff members were vaccinated with the Moderna vaccine. Of the eligible staff, this is about 76% vaccinated. We have 14 staff under 18 who are not eligible for the Moderna vaccine, and we had several staff members whose physician recommended they wait to be vaccinated. Several of our nurses got vaccinated at Gundersen. We are very pleased with this turnout.
The second dose is scheduled for Feb 1. We are hoping to get updated guidance from the Department of Health related to precautions and visits after the vaccinations.
Thank you for your continued patience as we make progress toward a more normal status.
BSJ Care Center Covid-19 Update - December 18, 2020
Great news again this week. We completed Covid-19 testing for all residents and staff, and everyone tested negative except one employee in the Dining department who did not have contact with residents. No quarantine will be required for residents, and our Holiday party on Wednesday is scheduled to go ahead.
We received news that we will be getting vaccines through the Walgreen’s program and are planning to start the week of January 4th. We will be getting the Moderna vaccine, which is great news because of the storage requirements (not ultracold) and the minimal side effects reported. A second dose is required 28 days after the first dose. We are excited that this will be the beginning of the end of the pandemic. Full immunity is expected a week or two following the second dose.
We will get guidance from the CDC and Wisconsin Department of Health on when we can open more for visitors.
Thank you and stay safe through the holidays. We wish you all a very happy holiday.
Santa Visits Onalaska Care Center http://lnk4u.us/Cl3_Nr5
Holiday Wishes from the staff and residents at the Onalaska Care Center. Thank you to Jeremiah Galvan, the new DON for helping to put together a grand display of holiday lights for the residents. Even Santa made surprise window visits.
Norseland Nursing Home
December 3, 2020 at 4:28 PM ·
Thank you Lewison family for your donation of the large snowman!
Thank you Brook & Jay Stangstalien for your donation of the beagle and jumbo lawn lights!
Thank you Cheryl Urbanek for taking the time to make the custom JOY window decorations with each resident’s name!
We are so fortunate to have such a supportive community! THANK YOU!
More to come...
