Family members of Bethany Village residents who reside in our nursing home, assisted living and short-term rehab facility will receive this communication. Social media is often the fastest means of communication, so we are sharing this letter with the larger community as well:
We want to update you on the proactive approach Bethany Village is taking regarding the global Novel Coronavirus (#Covid19) outbreak. There are no confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Montgomery County, Ohio as of this letter. There are four confirmed cases of Covid-19 in the state of Ohio. The most recent reported case in Ohio indicates we have community spread, which means the case did not originate from travel to an area with known cases. The number one priority at Bethany Village is to protect our residents and employees. Covid-19 has a long incubation period and you may be infected and not have any symptoms. This means you could unknowingly bring the disease onto the Bethany campus. According to the CDC, older adults and those individuals with compromised immune systems are most at risk for contracting and experiencing complications from Covid-19.
Effective March 12, 2020, the nursing home and assisted living areas of Bethany Village will operate under a restricted visiting standard. Visitors will only be permitted to enter the building under unique situations, reviewed and approved by the unit manager and administration. There will be very few exceptions to this standard. This change is a result of guidance from the Centers of Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) that is encouraging all nursing facilities across the country to limit visitors during this outbreak.
- To request an approved visit, you will attest that:
- You, or any member of your household, have no signs of respiratory infection, including sore throat, fever, cough or shortness of breath
- You, or any member of your household, have not been in contact with an individual who has tested positive for Covid-19
- You, or any member of your household, have not traveled internationally in the past 14 days
- You, or any member of your household, do not live in an area where community spread of Covid-19 is currently occurring
We understand this change is strict but protecting older adults, and medically compromised seniors is our number one priority as they are the most vulnerable and at risk. This change is temporary, but will be in place for at least two weeks. Your loved one also received a communication outlining this change. During this time, we encourage you to use technology to “visit” your loved one. Phone calls and FaceTime chats are popular.
You should know we are also limiting employee interactions on campus. Bethany Village is unique because every resident building is connected. We have over 800 employees on campus and some are employees of other Graceworks service lines. As you know, Graceworks Lutheran Services is the nonprofit organization that sponsors Bethany Village. All employees in non-resident facing roles will refrain from walking through the nursing home and assisted living areas of campus during this outbreak. Meetings will be moved to other parts of campus and teleconferences used to avoid large gatherings of individuals.
Please continue to use common sense and everyday precautions to avoid contracting Covid-19:
- Vigorously wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds, as needed
- Cough into your elbow
- Immediately discard used tissues into trash
- Avoid crowds as much as possible
- Avoid cruise travel and non-essential air travel, especially if you are 60+
- Use social distancing to stay about six-feet away from others when in public
- Keep a minimum two-week supply of groceries and medication in your home in case you need to self-quarantine
When there is a change to this restricted visitor standard, we will send another communication. In the interim, you can always follow Bethany Village on Facebook for current updates.
As always, if you have questions regarding these measures, you may contact your loved one’s unit manager at (937) 433-2110.
