Lancashire Hall COVID Communications

We received notification  this morning that one   (1)  asymptomatic   staff member tested positive during our weekly testing  this week .  It has been over a month since our last positive employee test result and almost four months since a resident tested positive.  We continue the screening of all individuals who enter the facility and do not permit admission to anyone presenting with symptoms or failing the screening process.  Additionally, staff are wearing eye protection and N95 masks throughout the building.  The Infection Prevention Nurse and other management staff monitor employees daily for compliance with use of PPE and infection control precautions.   According to the PA DOH Guidance to Skilled Nursing Facilities published September 3, 2020, one new positive employee or resident test result is considered an "outbreak".  Therefore, we are required to go back to St ep  1 of  the  reopening  proc...

 We are pleased to report that our symptomatic resident tested negative.  This unit has been returned to a Green Zone status.  Employees continue to wear eye protection and masks throughout the building in accordance with current PA DOH guidance. They also continue to follow current CDC, CMS and PA DOH infection control precautions.   All employee test results are negative with half of them returned for this week.  There are no other changes to report at this time.  We will provide an update when the rest of the results are returned.

 Our weekly testing of employees continues this week in accordance with CMS and PA DOH recommendations.  All test results from last week were negative.  Today, a resident presented with upper respiratory symptoms.  We have conducted a COVID-19 test on this resident to rule it out.  In the meantime, we have implemented isolation precautions on this unit which is now designated as a Yellow Zone until we receive the results.  Staff have been educated on the use of PPE for residents and signage was updated and posted throughout the building.  Social Service staff have called the families or representatives of the resident's on this unit and provided an update to all residents.   At this time, there are no changes to our re-opening plans since we do not have a confirmed positive test result.  We do believe that our current policies and practices for visitors is safe and we can effectively assure that there is no risk for exposure to our resid...

 We continue weekly employee testing under guidance from CMS and PA DOH according to county positivity rates.   The positivity rate for Lancaster County published by CMS on Thursday is 5.1% which means that we will continue to test weekly.  There are currently no positive resident or employee cases. It has been one month since our last positive employee test result and over three months since our last positive resident case.  We continute to follow current PA DOH guidance on use of PPE and infection prevention measures in our mitigation efforts. All staff are required to wear eye protection and masks throughout the facility.   Since the facility has been in Step 2 for 14 days and we have had no new  positive test results, we are now considered to be in Step 3 of the Re-opening plan.  That means we are permitted to have activities with social distancing, hand hygien and universal masking and outings limited to the number of people where s...

 We are happy to report that the re-opening went as planned yesterday!  It was truly heartwarming to see residents united with loved ones!   The positive energy and happiness was palpable!  We do appreciate your patience as we have worked diligently through this long process.  The facility remains free of any active COVID-19 cases.  As reported, we have gone more than three (3) months without a positive resident test result.  We have had sporadic employee positive test results which has delayed our opening.  DOH guidance requires that we go fourteen (14) days with no new positive cases (employee or resident) before we can open.  We have been testing weekly for the past several weeks.  Our plan was to move to monthly testing this week. However, new guidance from CMS and PA DOH requires us to conduct screening testing based on county positivity rates.  It is based on the COVID-19 activity level in the county.  There is detai...

 All of this week's test results are now in and all are negative.  We have gone 14 days with no new positive employee cases and over 90 days with no new resident cases. We are very excited to let you know that we will be proceeding with our re-opening plans as scheduled for Wednesday, September 9th!!!!!😀😀😀😀😀😀😀 Visits are scheduled four days a week at designated times by unit.  Many have already been booked for this week. If you have not already done so, please contact the Therapeutic Recreation Department to schedule your visit.  All visits must be scheduled in advance.  We do have very structured visitation schedules so that we can ensure proper social distancing, infection control measures, and adequate use of PPE.  As you come to the building, the front entrance is very well marked to guide you to the visitor registration area.  You will have your temperature taken and be asked a series of questions in accordance with our screening protocol....