Common COVID-19 Care Placement Concerns from Professionals
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. An important part of this commitment is helping you weigh all concerns and considerations, so we have gathered answers to the most common questions asked by our partners in care during the pandemic.
Visitation
Q: Will COVID-19 lockdowns and required safety protocols prevent families from being able to visit their loved ones? In contrast, will in-person visitation policies make a facility more vulnerable to a COVID outbreak?
A: In memory care, especially at Silverado, a loved ones’ involvement, engagement and interaction are vital to providing residents with the best possible quality of life in the community. Visitation is a priority and steps are being taken to provide it however possible, be it by a video chat or in an in-person pre-arranged visit. Physical visits can be safe when there are strict infection control protocols, including the use of medical grade masks, social distancing, increased ventilation, handwashing and respiratory etiquette. We know an in person visit is the first choice for many families and residents. We are working hard to accommodate in person visits whenever possible.
Social Distancing
Q: Doesn’t congregate living, especially in a large memory care community make social distancing difficult and create a higher risk for an outbreak?
A: While COVID-19’s impact was felt strongly in nursing homes and care facilities, not all facilities have felt it equally. Silverado already followed our own nationally recognized infection control practices, and our commitment to maintaining high clinical standards allowed us to adapt to the latest findings immediately like requiring KN-95 masks (which are both more costly and more effective), testing associates extensively, and developing designated separate neighborhoods for those returning from outside the community. By implementing these science-based precautions, Silverado has been able to maintain a high level of personal care without creating undue risks for outbreaks.
Safety of Small vs. Large Facilities
Q: Is a smaller facility like a board & care or a group home a safer option during the pandemic?
A: The size of a facility is not as important as the precautions taken to protect the residents including the range of expertise of the staff. While initially it may seem that a facility with fewer residents and staff is safer, the protocols they follow and how closely they are adhered to can drastically affect the likelihood of an outbreak. Additionally, a larger facility is more likely to have more extensive clinical resources – Such as Silverado’s clinical team being led by an RN, with licensed nurses on-site 24 hours a day / 7 days a week supported by a dedicated medical director and our robust engagement program, Nexus at Silverado, an internationally recognized evidence-based brain health program. Silverado provides a masters trained social worker that conducts support groups for the more cognitively capable residents who benefit from working through their feelings about having dementia and now the complications of COVID-19. A smaller facility simply cannot provide these resources. Additionally, Silverado communities are physically separated into smaller operating neighborhoods during COVID 19.
During a pandemic, requiring infectious disease protocols can be difficult for someone with a memory impairing disease to understand (They likely wonder, Why are you wearing a mask?), a community such as a Silverado with their dementia certified staff, behavior management protocols and robust engagement is what is needed. We hear stories from families that had their loved ones in other communities who report that staff had to resort to restraining dementia residents with medications or isolating the resident in their room to manage the behaviors resulting from their loved one not understanding the current situation.
Clinical Protocols and PPE
Q: Can you be certain that the memory care facility has the clinical expertise and training, access to proper PPE, and robust enough safety protocols to keep residents safe?
A: Despite publicized shortages around the country, Silverado continues to invest in a steady supply of personal protective equipment (PPE). All associates, since May, have been wearing KN95 masks throughout the community, along with face shields, where appropriate, which exceeds the CDC’s 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 residents.
The Efficacy of Telehealth
Q: With the move to telehealth for many clinical and psychiatric needs of the residents, there’s a concern certain red flags will be missed that likely would be noticed during in-person visits.
A: Silverado’s clinical team is led by an RN with licensed nurses on-site 24/7 supported by a dedicated medical director and a masters prepared social worker coupled with every associate, regardless of function, having earned their Silverado dementia certification all collectively act as your “eyes and ears” to notice subtle changes in condition. 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 our robust clinical model of care. Silverado communities only serve the memory impaired since the founding of the company 23 years ago and that focus on the dementia results in a higher level of trained and expert staff to partner with the physician, nurse practitioner, or other medical professional on the other end of the telemedicine visit.
Silverado was founded on the idea of combining world class clinical oversight with the highest levels of compassionate care, which has allowed us to meet many of the pandemic’s challenges head-on and continue to fulfill our purpose of providing comfort and dignity to those with memory impairments.
We invite you to fill out the form below or call a dementia care specialist at your local Silverado Community today and refer us that patient, client or resident who desperately needs hope and our engaging environment during these challenging times. We look forward to hearing from you.
