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As a professional who manages or provides care for individuals with dementia, we understand your need to make the safest, most educated choices for those whose wellbeing you have been entrusted.
During the time of heightened concerns brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic we are dedicated to our role as a partner in care. Silverado’s Senior Vice President of Communications, Jeff Frum, and Kim Butrum, MS, RN, GNP, Senior Vice President, Clinical Services speak offer answers and observations regarding the most common questions asked by our partners in care during the pandemic.
Speaker 0 00:00:00 welcome to our Silverado memory care podcast. My name is Jeff from senior vice president of communications. Joining me today is our senior vice president of clinical services. Kim Bostrom, who will help us address the top concerns from professionals, whether to refer to a Silverado memory care community during the COVID-19 pandemic as a gerontological nurse practitioner, Kim has over 30 years of experience serving and treating those with neurodegenerative disorders. Having worked at UC San Diego's Alzheimer's disease research center and the memory center at Seton brain and spine neurology in Austin, Texas Kim oversees Silverados, university affiliations, and also leads all clinical research studies in which the company participates, you know, Kim and I both feel our responsibility as the industry leader in long-term residential memory care is to provide answers to the most common questions and concerns. Families and professionals have caring for a loved one, caring for a patient, a client, or a resident with a memory impairing disease.
Speaker 0 00:01:03 Today, we will address the top concerns from professionals, whether to refer or not to a Silverado memory care community during the COVID-19 pandemic Silverado as 21 memory care communities in six States from Newport beach, California, to Alexandria, Virginia, we collected feedback from our top partners in care from leading geriatric care managers, physicians, hospital case managers to referral agencies, care management firms and senior centers. You know, Kim, the first and most common concerns shared with Silverado is around visitation. We're often asked will COVID-19 lockdowns and required safety protocols prevent families from being able to visit their loved ones. And in contrast, will in-person visitation policies make a facility more vulnerable to a COVID outbreak? What are your thoughts? Kim?
Speaker 1 00:01:55 You know, visitation is an absolute priority. We know it's necessary to maintain our residents quality of life and we've taken the steps needed to encourage it. However possible that might be by a video chat or an in-person pre-arranged visit. Physical visits can be safe as long as strict physical distancing protocols as established by local and federal authorities are followed as well as the extra infection control protocols that we've put in place at Silverado, which include the use of medical grade kn 95 masks increased ventilation hand washing scheduled, as well as respiratory etiquette. We know that an in-person visit is the really first choice for most families and residents. And we're working very hard to accommodate in-person visits whenever we can do it.
Speaker 0 00:02:50 Yeah. The second most frequent concern heard from professionals is around social distancing. Doesn't congregate living we're, especially a large memory care community, make social distancing difficult, and create a higher risk for an outbreak.
Speaker 1 00:03:06 You know, COVID-19 impact was felt strongly in nursing homes and in various care facilities, but not all facilities have felt that equally Silverado already followed our own nationally recognized infection control practices and our commitment to maintaining high clinical standards has allowed us to adapt to the latest findings immediately. We have now added, uh, infection control protocols, including universal K in 95 masking and kn 95 masks are more costly, but they're more effective. And that's why we've committed to them. Uh, testing associates extensively, um, as well as developing designated separate neighborhoods for those returning from outside the community, by taking that high level of science-based precautions, Silverado has been able to maintain a high level of personal care without creating undue risks for outbreaks.
Speaker 0 00:04:05 So the first two concerns shared by professionals were around number one, visitation and number two, the concerns around social distancing in a memory care community. The third most common concern from professionals that we hear is whether smaller living options are safer. You know, Kim is a smaller facility like a board and care or a group home with a smaller staff, a safer option during the pandemic for my loved one with dementia,
Speaker 1 00:04:34 The size of the facility is really not as important as the precautions that are being taken to protect the residents as well as the expertise of the staff. Initially, it may seem that a facility with fewer residents and staff is safer, but the protocols they follow and how closely they adhere to those protocols can drastically affect the likelihood of an outbreak. Additionally, you have to remember that a larger facility is more likely to have a larger set of benefits for its residents. Silverado's clinical team is led by an RN. We have licensed nurses on site 24 hours a day, seven days a week. They're supported by a dedicated medical director and our robust engagement program nexus at Silverado, which is an internationally recognized evidence-based brain health program help give life to someone living with dementia, even during a pandemic Silverado also provides a masters, a trained social worker, which is a huge benefit at this time, particularly because they conduct support groups for our more cognitively capable residents who really have a lot to work through in terms of the complications COVID-19 have brought as well as living with dementia, a smaller facility simply provide those resources.
Speaker 1 00:05:59 Um, additionally, one of the infection control protocols that we took early on was to segment our Silverado communities into smaller neighborhoods that really allows us to function as a smaller facility, but with all those added resources, a pandemic requires people to follow infectious disease protocols. And that's very difficult for someone with a memory impairment disease to understand you get questions, like why are you wearing a mask? I don't want to wash my hands or do whatever is required from that protocol. Um, a community like Silverado, especially because we have our dementia certified staff, our behavior management protocols, and that robust engagement is what is needed. We hear so many stories from families that have had their loved ones in other communities who have made the decision to move into a Silverado community during the pandemic. And they report that staff in those other locations had to resort to things like restraining residents with medications or isolating in their room to be able to manage the behaviors that resulted from that person living with dementia, not understanding the current situation.
Speaker 0 00:07:17 Well, thanks, Kim. That's certainly some weighty topics for sure. The next concern shared by professionals was around proper protocols and the use of PPE, obviously a big safety concerns. Can you be certain that a memory care facility has the clinical expertise and training and robust enough safety protocols to keep residents safe?
Speaker 1 00:07:39 I would say that that is a really important question for anyone to ask any memory care facility they're concerned about or wondering about, I can say absolutely that despite publicized shortages around the country, Silverado continues to invest in a steady supply of personal protective equipment. Um, all associates since may have been wearing K in 95 masks throughout the community, as well as face shields where appropriate, which actually exceeds the CDC recommendations back in March Silverado contracted with a private lab to secure a dependable, accurate source for testing. Silverado has long been the clinical leader in caring for those with dementia. And even during this pandemic has achieved industry low transfer rates to the hospital and continues to exceed CDC protocols, to maintain a safe and engaging environment for our,
Speaker 0 00:08:36 You know, some professionals have questioned what an appropriate referral to Silverado is during this pandemic of some professionals have shared this Silverado declined a particular referral of a resident with behaviors whom we've previously accepted. Is it simply too difficult to care for residents with behaviors during a pandemic?
Speaker 1 00:08:53 I think it's important to that. It may be too difficult for someone without the protocols and, and what Silverado has in place to care for it. However, I also have to mention that early on in March at the very beginning of the pandemic, hospitals were very concerned and they were cleaning out the beds in the hospital and behavioral health was not accepting any referrals. And so at that time it did make it a little difficult to really provide the full continuum of services that Silverado would provide typically for someone with significant behaviors in a dementia that has now resolved. So that is no longer an issue. You know, our focus on the wellbeing of all residents and their situation is really unique. And having the strong clinical team that we have allows Silverado to determine what level of care is the most appropriate for them. The added restrictions that the pandemic has necessitated have made health care facilities with a more specialized level of care, more appropriate for some residents, although we still make every effort to bring our life enriching care to individuals with challenging behavior.
Speaker 0 00:10:04 Well, let's review the top concerns shared by professionals and we've discussed thus far. So they've been around visitation concerns around social distancing in a memory care environment. And whether it's smaller, living options are safer. You know, we've discussed clinical protocols, including the proper utilization and access to PPE and questions around what an appropriate referral looks like. The Silverado during this pandemic, the last major concern shared by professionals was around the limitations of tele-health with the move to tele-health for many clinical and psychiatric needs of the residents. There is a concern cam that certain red flags will be missed that likely would be noticed during in-person visits. What are your thoughts?
Speaker 1 00:10:45 Well, I feel strongly that Silverado's really strong clinical team, which is led by an RN with licensed nurses on site 24, seven supported by both a dedicated medical director and a master's prepared social worker, coupled with every associate in the community, regardless of function, having earned their Silverado dementia certification, all collectively act as one's eyes and ears, to notice those subtle changes in condition, which couldn't be missed by tele-health and other settings, you know, Silverado has tracked detailed clinical outcomes for over 23 years and continues to set the bar in the industry with the lowest transfer rates to hospitals because of that robust clinical model of care. So Ronald communities only serve the memory impaired since the founding of the company 23 years ago. And it's that singular focus on dementia, that results in a very highly level of training and really an expert staff that can partner with the physician nurse practitioner or other medical professional, who is on the other end of the telomeres visit. Well, I want thank you, Kim, for sharing
Speaker 0 00:11:54 With us, the many reasons that professionals across the country have confidence in Silverado's reputation as the memory care expert, to meet the unique challenges of caring for residents with dementia during the COVID-19 pandemic. The fact that we've figured out how to facilitate safe in-person family visits, even in our welcome neighborhood, plus our clinical leadership in memory care that again showed our innovative culture, even during a pandemic by standardizing early on to can 95 mass and also securing a private lab for testing and segregating our communities into smaller neighborhoods, which allowed us to cohort staff where possible to reduce the risks from COVID-19. This should give you confidence and Silverado to provide real solutions. During this pandemic, I encourage you to visit our website@silverado.com to learn more about our COVID-19 protocols and safety measures, families, either struggling at home to care for their loved one during this pandemic or their loved one is isolated in a long-term care setting that simply is not able to care for their dementia, and they need our help. Please call our family ambassador at your local community today and refer us that patient client or resident who desperately needs hope, and also needs our engaging environment during these challenging times, may God bless you all.
Speaker 2 00:13:16 .
