COVID-19 Virus

To Our Community:

We know this is a very challenging time for families and friends with loved ones in care facilities.

In particular, the elderly and those with underlying health conditions are at heightened risk of severe health complications when exposed to the COVID-19 virus, also known as coronavirus. Please know that we are taking all necessary precautions to protect our residents.

We continue to be very vigilant in monitoring every resident, patient, and healthcare worker on site for fever and other symptoms of coronavirus, and have a very thorough cleaning process in place.

Visiting Residents:
The Centers for Disease Control, Illinois Department of Public Health, and local health department have issued guidelines that allow skilled nursing facilities to resume limited outdoor visitation with residents, under certain conditions, while we all continue to combat COVID-19.

These guidelines also give facilities the final judgement on allowing visits, based on COVID-19 conditions in the community, at our care facility, and updated input from local and state health authorities.

As visitation status can change, please call our front desk at (618) 537-6165 to get the latest status, as well as requirements you'll need to follow at times when visitation is allowed.

We very much look forward to welcoming you back to visit your loved ones and friends!

We have included some Q&A below with the most common questions we receive.

Thank you for your support, and you're welcome to call us if you have any questions. You can also call our dedicated COVID-19 information phone line, (618) 537-1541, that we record any day there is an important update.

We'll provide future updates as circumstances warrant.

Sincerely,

Your Entire Care Team

Q&A:

What are you doing to prevent its spread?

The safety and health of our residents and staff is our shared concern. We are working directly with local and state health departments and taking guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) protocols to help contain the spread of the COVID-19 virus.

This includes continual monitoring of all residents for COVID-19 symptoms along with daily caregiver screenings at the start of their shifts. We have a policy – that we will keep for the foreseeable future – for our staff members to stay home if they have any symptoms of respiratory illness, without regard to cause.

What are you doing, specifically, to protect patients and employees?

The Centers for Disease Control has issued specific guidance to all care facilities nationwide that we are following. You can see a description of safeguards at this CDC webpage.

I'm concerned about my loved one – how can I check on his or her health?

You are always welcome to call our front desk at (618) 537-6165 to check on your loved ones. The front desk can also tell you if visits are allowed, and what requirements to follow. Additionally, ask our staff to arrange for video calls using iPads we have for resident use, and well as phone calls.

What requirements have been established for allowing or pausing visitation?

The Centers for Disease Control has listed the following guidance for care centers: https://www.cms.gov/files/document/qso-20-39-nh.pdf. Additionally, our state and local health authorities provide us with specialized guidance, and care facilities are given final decisionmaking authorization if the authorities above approve visits.

Please note that when visitation is permitted, anyone wishing to visit must call our facility in advance as there are important restrictions you will need to know, and reservations are required.

CDC recommendations on visitation are continuously being updated, as are state strategies, and as they shift, we will be updating our efforts.

How will I get future updates?

We have set up a recorded phone line for everyone to get daily updates. We will record a new message every day around lunchtime with a general status. However, know that if your loved one shows any COVID-19 symptoms, we will be in touch personally.

Our hotline number is (618) 537-1541.