The latest move came on Wednesday, when Gov. Mike DeWine said he was issuing an order to limit visitation to nursing homes and assisted living facilities to one person per day per resident. There must be a single entrance, he said, and everyone must be screened and log their visit.
Butler County Health Commissioner Jenny Bailer said DeWine has asked public health officials to focus on the elderly and those with chronic diseases.
Local facilities said they’re following the guidelines from the Ohio Department of Health and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Others are taking additional pro-active steps: Considering preparing meals with a lengthy shelf life for home-bound residents and canceling trips into the community.
MORE CORONAVIRUS: Gov. DeWine on coronavirus: ‘Critical time’ to slow the spread, save lives
Monica Smith, executive director of Central Connections, Middletown’s senior center, said she’s in constant contact with the Ohio Department of Aging and monitors suggestions from other elderly service organizations.
She said the center is considering preparing shelf-stable boxes that will contain canned soups, peanut butter, and other foods that provide the nutrition older adults require. The boxes will be delivered to those who receive daily meals from the center or those unable to eat at the center if it closes due to the coronavirus.
The center is working with vendors on pricing and hopes for financial assistance from agencies to offset the cost of the boxes.
Smith said the center delivers 480 to 500 meals a day to its clients, and the center has between 800 to 900 paying members.
There also are numerous bottles of hand santizer located throughout the center, she said. Visitors are urged to use “common sense” and stay home if they’re sick, she said.
While Central Connections hasn’t cancelled any events, a trucking company postponed an event scheduled at the center because it didn’t want its employees traveling. The event has been rescheduled for the fall, Smith said.
Earlier this week, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told older adults to avoid crowds, cruises and plane rides.
“Our goal is to protect you,” Dr. Nancy Messonnier of the CDC said Monday. “This will require you and your family to take action.”
She said starting at age 60 — roughly 20 percent of the U.S. population is aged 60 and older — there is an “increasing risk of disease, and the risk increases with age,” adding the highest risk is in people older than 80.
Coronavirus has proved especially deadly to the elderly, according to the WHO. The fatality rate in China for those over 80 is an estimated 21.9 percent, per the WHO.
Debby Kinchner, executive director of Spring Hills of Middletown, an assisted living and memory care facility, said the staff is receiving additional training on how to prevent the spread of coronavirus. She said weekly trips into the community — dining and shopping — have been cancelled until further notice. She said residents will take bus rides through the city, but won’t be permitted to leave the vehicle.
She said the coronavirus is “concerning” for everyone, but especially the aging population consider the highest at risk.
Plans for a weeklong bus trip in May to the East Coast could be in jeopardy at the Deardorff Senior Center in Franklin, said Taylor Mayne, executive director. She said a private travel company is organizing the trip and a decision will be made probably next month.
For questions about the coronavirus, call 1-833-4-ASK-ODH. The Ohio Department of Health Coronavirus Call Center is open from 9 a.m.-8 p.m. daily.
Amy Acton, director of the Ohio Department of Health, strongly recommends all long-term care facilities immediately take the following actions:
Steps facilities can take:
Limit visitation. Have a single point of entry with signs instructing visitors not to visit if they have symptoms (fever, cough or difficulty breathing). Direct visitors to wash their hands before proceeding to their visit. Implement a communal laptop that residents can use for video chatting with visitors unable to come; disinfect between uses.
Allow sick employees to stay home. Screen employees at the start of their shifts and send home anyone who has signs or symptoms of COVID-19. Develop sick leave policies that allow employees to stay home if they have symptoms or a respiratory infection.
Encourage good cough etiquette and hand hygiene. Retrain staff and residents on hand washing and cough etiquette. Ensure staff wash their hands before and after every interaction with each resident. Consider posting visual reminders of proper hand washing and cough etiquette. Place alcohol-based sanitizer both inside and outside of patient rooms, and make sure tissues are available.
Separate ill residents to limit spread of disease. Separate residents with respiratory symptoms from other residents; however do not allow residents with symptoms to interact, unless the cause of their illness is confirmed to be the same.
Increase cleaning. Increase the frequency of cleaning of shared surfaces with EPA-approved cleaning products. Limit sharing of medical equipment.
Steps residents can take:
Stay Informed. Stay informed about what your facility is doing to prevent infection. It is important that the facility has a process for notifying residents, family members, and visitors so everyone can take steps to decrease the chance of spreading the infection or getting ill.
Remind others about prevention. Remind staff to wash their hands often and cough and sneeze into their elbow. Use your voice and remind caregivers to practice good hygiene.
Look for signage. Ask your facility to post signs to encourage good hand hygiene and cough etiquette for staff and visitors.
Ask about infection control plans. Ask your facility about their infection prevention plan and policy for visitors.
Inquire about sick leave policies for staff. Ask your facility about their staff's sick leave policies in order to ensure that sick staff members are staying home and how they will make sure there are adequate staff to meet your needs.
Steps families and visitors can take:
If you're sick, please stay home. Visitors can inadvertently spread infections in long-term care settings. If you're unable to visit your loved one in the facility, find creative ways to communicate with them like email, phone calls, FaceTime, or asking a healthy friend or family member to drop by for a visit or to deliver a note.
Practice good hygiene. Wash your hands, practice good cough etiquette, and observe facility staff to ensure they are doing so too.
Use hand sanitizer when soap and water is unavailable. Encourage good hand hygiene by placing alcohol-based hand rub inside your loved one's room, but only after consulting with the Director of Nursing about safety.
Ask questions. Stay informed about what the facility is doing to prevent infection and ask questions about its infection prevention policies.
SOURCES: Centers for Disease Control, National Ombudsman Resource Center, Ohio Department of Health
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