As of March 27, Hannah Duston Healthcare Center has 0 confirmed cases of COVID-19. In addition, Hannah Duston Healthcare Center has had 0 clusters of three or more residents/staff with new onset of respiratory symptoms within 72 hours of each other.
CURRENT STATUS:
All units are open to visitation as of today.
While residents have the right to receive visitors at all times and make choices about aspects of their life in the facility that are significant to them, there may be times when the scope and severity of an outbreak warrants the health department to intervene with the facility’s operations. We expect these situations to be extremely rare and only occur after the facility has been working with the health department to manage and prevent escalation of the outbreak. We also expect that if the outbreak is severe enough to warrant pausing visitation, it would also warrant a pause on accepting new admissions (as long as there is adequate alternative access to care for hospital discharges). For example, in a nursing homes where, despite collaborating with the health department over several days, there continues to be uncontrolled transmission impacting a large number of residents (e.g., more than 30% of residents became infected*), the health department advised the facility to pause visitation and new admissions temporarily. In this situation, the nursing home would not be out of compliance with CMS’ requirements.
GUIDANCE FOR VISITATION ON OPEN UNITS:
While it is safer for visitors to refrain from entering during an outbreak investigation, visitors are still allowed in the facility. Any visitor who chooses to enter when there have been cases in the facility within the last 14 days is doing so with the understanding that there is a risk of contracting and/or spreading COVID-19. Visitors who choose to enter during such outbreak must adhere to strict hand washing, wearing a face mask at all times (regardless of vaccination status) as well as any other PPE as appropriate, and visiting only in the resident’s room. Please contact any of the leadership at Hannah Duston if you may need further clarification on this matter.
All COVID negative, COVID recovered, and newly admitted residents with no known or suspected COVID exposure may have in-person visitation which will occur in designated indoor or outdoor visitation spaces or in the resident’s room. The designated location of these visits will be determined by the facility, subject to the conditions within the facility, the safety and health of the residents and the visitors, and current DPH Guidelines.
All visitors must enter through the main entrance to be screened. Upon successful completion of the screening, visitors will be directed to the appropriate visitation site. All visitors and residents (as they are able to do so) must wear face masks for the duration of the visit.
The facility is currently allowing residents who are fully vaccinated to be visited by loved ones who are also fully vaccinated (meaning 14 days after receiving the final required does of a vaccine) in their rooms if either: (1) the resident resides in a private room; or (2) the resident’s roommate is also fully vaccinated. Children who are not of age to be vaccinated, like all others who are not vaccinated, may not visit a resident in the resident’s room. They must have their visits in a designated space.
If the resident or visitor has not been vaccinated, indoor visitation will be held in the Activities Room.
In addition to indoor visitation, the facility offers outdoor visits dependent upon weather, availability of outdoor space and the health and well-being of the resident.
The facility will continue to accommodate compassionate care visits for residents, regardless of vaccination and outbreak status, when appropriate. Compassionate care visits include end of life care as well as certain other situations.
