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The past two years have been fraught with difficulties, including frequent changes in visitation policies and numbers of persons with COVID-19 in the South Hutchinson/Reno County communities. As we have learned more about the virus, dealing with the variants of the original virus and ways to keep people safe, we have been able to make adjustments that allow for more convenient visitation practices and an improvement in satisfaction for our residents.
We do have visitation practices in different areas of the campus, depending on the level of licensure. For independent living there are not federal guidelines on infection prevention practices; in these areas we make adjustments depending on the level of virus on the campus and then look to the general population for the number of positive cases. We are likely to recommend wearing masks when in public spaces and keeping your distance from others when not feeling well. At times we limit group activities/community outings if we think it will be too much of a risk for exposure to the virus.
In health care and assisted living we continue to monitor federal, state and local regulatory guidelines and the Reno County Health Department guidelines for on-going assistance. We ask that if you are not feeling well that you make plans to visit at another time.
In Health Care and Assisted Living there are times when we limit our group activities, congregate dining and outside medical appointments because of on-going illnesses. If we do have a positive case in one of these areas, we have the ability to do testing here in the facility. We do complete contact tracing as we are able to determine who may have been exposed to the virus. We can do testing as needed to prevent the spread of the virus and we put out phone call announcements to let you know the current status of COVID-19 in health care and assisted living.
Since COVID-19 has been around we tend to not think of other illnesses and their ability to spread. When we ask you not to visit if you are not feeling well – this applies to other illnesses as well! Older persons tend to have a weaker immune system and need to be protected from a variety of illness; not just COVID.
If you have questions you may contact your loved one’s Nurse or Life Enhancement Coordinator at 663-7175 or you may also email mfc@mennofriend.com.
COVID-19 spreads mainly among people who are in close contact (within 6 feet) for a prolonged period. Spread happens when an infected person coughs, sneezes, or talks and droplets from their mouth or nose are launched into the air and land in the mouths or noses of people nearby. Droplets can also be inhaled into the lungs.
Quarantine is used to keep someone who might have been exposed to COVID-19 away from others. Someone in self-quarantine stays separated from others, and they limit movement outside of their home or current place. Quarantine helps limit further spread of COVID-19.
Isolation is used to separate sick people from healthy people. People who are in isolation should stay home. In the home, anyone who is sick should separate themselves from others by staying in a specific room or space and using a different bathroom if possible.
Watch for fever, cough, or shortness of breath. Residents at mfc should report their symptoms immediately to their nurse. The nurse will assess your symptoms and notify the resident’s physician. In the meantime, the resident may be asked to stay in their room and away from other people.