The number of coronavirus cases nationwide surged past the 100 mark Tuesday while contributing to at least a half-dozen deaths. Federal officials are urging calm as industry groups scramble to give members useful advice and information.
“We should be cautious and take appropriate measures to prepare and protect ourselves, but we should not be afraid,” Surgeon General Jerome Adams said Tuesday.
Argentum announced Tuesday it has posted a Coronavirus Preparation and Response Toolkit for operators. The resource emphasizes preventive measures, especially frequent and thorough hand washing. It also calls on senior living personnel to use “cough, sneeze and distance etiquette.”
The latter includes the following:
- Covering coughs and sneezes with a tissue, then dispose of it in a trash can, preferably one with a touchless lid opener.
- Avoiding touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Doing so makes it more difficult for the virus to get from a surface to yourself.
- Checking your community for supplies of tissues, touchless trash cans, hand sanitizer and soap.
- Practicing social distance: Keeping approximately three feet between yourself and anyone coughing or sneezing.
A thorough review of infection control policies and staff education is going to be more important than ever for operators to prevent the spread of the coronavirus, experts said.
“The recent Washington state nursing home discovery of COVID-19 makes it necessary for facilities to carefully review their infection control and prevention policies, procedures and practices,” Amy Stewart, MSN, RN, RAC-MT, RAC-MTA, DNS-MT, QCP-MT, vice president of curriculum development for the American Association of Post-Acute Care Nursing, told McKnight’s Senior Living.
Facilities should have a system in place to screen residents, visitors, staff and volunteers for the disease, Stewart added. She explained that education also will be key and called on providers to educate staff members on the signs and symptoms of the disease, which include a fever, coughing and shortness of breath.
The American Health Care Association / National Center for Assisted Living also weighed in Monday on what communities and facilities can do to protect their residents from the virus. Providers’ emergency preparedness and infection control plans “should be more than adequate for a viral pandemic that’s occurring,” David Gifford, M.D., chief medical officer and senior vice president of quality and regulatory affairs for AHCA / NCAL, said during a media call Monday afternoon.
Gifford noted that despite the outbreak concerns, officials are not recommending that relatives remove their loved ones from facilities.
“Moving someone out who needs that care can be very disruptive and problematic. If COVID-19 is in the community, they can still be exposed,” he explained.
Meanwhile, some facilities have also been having trouble locating the equipment due to many supplies, such as masks and gloves, being manufactured in China, according to Gifford.
“We have heard of some facilities having some shortages, and some of their suppliers are having some backorders out there. We have been talking to and relaying this [information] to the [Centers for Disease Control and Prevention] and [Department of Health and Human Services]. With that, they’ve been recommending, and we’ve been recommending our members, to reach out to the local and state health departments to help find supplies,” Gifford said.
The association also hosted a coronavirus informational webinar yesterday.
