COVID-19: Ohana Ventures Commitment to Health and Safety

Countryside Living Canby Community Center

The safety and well-being of our residents and employees is a top priority for Ohana Ventures.  We know that this is a difficult situation, but we want to reassure you that we are putting our residents, employees and visitor’s health, safety, and well-being first.
Our number one priority is the health and safety of our residents, employees, and visitors.  Our business is 100 percent operational and we have prepared a plan to ensure we can maintain our quality memory care and service, while ensuring the health and safety of all that interact with our communities.  Management of our communities always takes place at the facility level.  We believe that if our employees are given the proper tools and support, they can achieve their goals.  It is the role of Ohana Ventures to provide them with the needed support to be successful.

Our management team is closely monitoring any developments regarding COVID-19 safety guidance and we will implement updates to our pandemic policies and protocols as needed.  Ohana Ventures makes major management decisions based on the foundation of four simple operation keys, during this pandemic our primary focus will be the top two keys which are as follows :

1. The resident, our customer, is the primary focus of all operations.
2. The staff of each facility is critical to the successful and efficient operation of the building. The staff of each facility must be taken care of, listened to, and supported for a project to be successful.

Below is an overview of what COVID-19 strategies that we have implemented by focusing on to keep our residents, our staff, and any allowed visitors safe during these unpredictable times:

OUR COMMITTEMENT TO RESIDENT AND EMPLOYEE HEALTH AND SAFETY:

• Daily COVID-19 screening for all residents, including temperature checks.

• Daily COVID-19 screening for all employees and essential third-party healthcare workers.

• Require quarantine for all respiratory infections.

• Plan to immediately notify the health department for any positive COVID-19 test results.

• Provided education to all residents on information about COVID-19, actions we as a community are taking to protect them, visitor restriction information and actions that the residents can take to protect themselves.

• Residents are encouraged only to leave the community for necessary medical appointments or other approved special circumstances.  Any residents who leave for anything not deemed essential will be immediately be screened upon their return and quarantined if deemed necessary.

• Postponing large group activities and outings and focusing on person centered one-on-one stimulation.

• Suspending regular communal dining for the time being and encouraging in-room dining for residents.  For those that require meal monitoring for safety or desire to eat in the dining room for their emotional/mental well-being, limited seating will be available in the dining room within physical distancing protocol of six feet the is being recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).  All residents who choose this option will be encouraged to practice social distancing and perform frequent hand hygiene.

• Out of an abundance of caution, we are placing all new residents on 14-day isolation upon moving in.

• Testing residents and employees who report even the slightest symptoms of respiratory illness or if there is a positive COVID-19 exposure in the community.

• Residents will be tested in the event of a positive COVID-19 test result in the community.   Any residents that decline testing will remain in isolation for 14-days.

• It is recommended that all residents wear a facemask when outside of their apartments and outside in the community.

• Hand sanitizer will be available for use in numerous locations throughout the community.

• Implementation of social distancing protocols and practicing physical distancing at all times except when providing or receiving direct care.

• Encouraging opportunities for residents to connect with families through video and other digital technologies.

OUR COMMITMENT TO CLEANLINESS:

We take standards for hygiene and cleanliness very seriously and are taking additional steps to ensure the safety of our customers and employees.  Daily, the management team is vigorously working to ensure that we meet the latest guidance on hygiene and cleaning.  Our health and safety measures are designed to address a broad spectrum of viruses, including COVID-19, with a focus on hand-washing hygiene and cleaning products specific to the pandemic and infection control.

CLEANING PRODUCTS AND PROTOCOLS:

We utilize cleaning products and protocols which are effective against viruses.  Each of our communities has reinforced our community cleaning procedures with our employees and are focusing on:

• High Touch Items:  Increased the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting all high-touch areas.

• Public Spaces:  Increased the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting our public spaces and common areas.

• Offices:  Increased the frequency of cleaning and disinfecting all office spaces.

EMPLOYEE HEALTH, SAFETY AND KNOWLEDGE:

Here are some of the ways our employees are practicing safety:

• Hand Hygiene:  proper and frequent handwashing is vital to help combat the spread of viruses.

• Mandatory facemask and face shield to be worn always while at work.  Other PPE will be required per community protocol if any resident is on droplet precautions.

• Isolated donning on and donning off stations for employees to utilize prior to and after their shifts.

• Ongoing Training:  In addition to our regular training, we are completing enhanced COVID-19 awareness training regularly. Focusing on best infection control practices in managing daily tasks throughout our community – i.e., handwashing, increasing the frequency of disinfecting all surfaces, tools, and utensils, with particular attention on high-touch surfaces such as handrails and doorknobs.

• Potential Exposure:  Employees who exhibit COVID-19 symptoms, those who live with someone exhibiting symptoms, or anyone who has been exposed to the virus are mandated to not come to work per Oregon Health Authority guidelines.

• Employees are being tested upon hire and on-going per Oregon’s County positivity rate guidelines.

VISITOR SAFETY:

• Created designated outdoor visitation areas and protocol for cleaning and scheduling.

• Indoor visitation protocol in place and will be followed as Indoor Visitation is allowed per community specific county guidelines and DHS protocol allows.

• Essential direct healthcare professionals/workers, family member(s) for a resident on hospice (end of life compassionate care), emergency and life/safety personnel and admission/re-admission of approved residents will be allowed indoor visitation as approved by community management.

• Entrance to the community is restricted to the front door and all community doors will be locked 24/7.  All visitors will have to ring the doorbell to request entry.

• All permitted visitors will go through our signs and symptoms screening, including a temperature check before entry will be allowed.

• All essential associated healthcare visitors will be required to be tested per current county testing guidelines.

Ohana Ventures is committed to providing timely updates as information changes to our residents, their families/friends, and our employees.  For additional information, please reach out to Melissa Stinson, 541-956-2110, The Bridge Assisted Living Administrator.

ADDITIONAL RESOURCES:

What you should know about COVID-19:  To protect yourself and others
Symptoms of COVID-19
Proper Handwashing Techniques
Follow these 5 safety steps
Stop the spread of germs
How to safely wear and take off a mask
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Donning and Doffing
COVID-19:  Quarantine vs. Isolation
COVID-19 Information for Oregon Long-term Care Facilities
COVID-19 County Positivity Rate
CDC COVID-19 Website