Introducing Outdoor Visitation

By Chelsey | July 1, 2020

7/1/2020

Dear Family and Friends of Bay View Residents:

Thank you for your continued patience regarding visitation restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  Bay View has continued to be very successful in keeping our residents and staff safe from COVID-19.  We appreciate that you have understood and respected the policies that we have been following based on guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health.

We do understand that residents have been isolated from families for a lengthy time-period and we know that in-person contact will benefit the overall well-being of the residents and their family members.

 

Based on recent guidance of the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), Bay View is establishing a policy and procedure for outdoor visitation.  You may see the full guidance from MDH at https://www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus/hcp/ltcoutdoor.pdf.

 

The outdoor visitation procedure for Bay View will take effect beginning Tuesday, July 7th.  For the week of the 7th, Bay View will have visitation available by scheduled appointment Tuesday, July 7th and Thursday, July 9th from 9-3.  The availability of appointments will be posted on our website at www.bayviewnursingmn.com under see COVID-19 Updates for the following week.  They will also be posted to our Facebook page.  We hope to be able to expand available appointments as weeks progress.

 

The following procedure will be in place:

  1.  Visits must be scheduled with Marena Satterfield, Life Enrichment Director (LED) at 651-385-4800 ext. 103 at least 24 hours in advance. 
  2. Visits will not occur if weather is inclement (weather warnings).  The LED or their designee will notify scheduled visitors as needed.
  3. Visits may not exceed 30 minutes in duration.  This is to be able to accommodate as many visits as possible.
  4. The assigned outdoor visitation area will be the outdoor visitation booth at the 1E level by the back gate.  Visitors may not walk through the building. The visitor shall park in the parking space in front of the gate (on Jackson Street) and wait at the gate to be screened and let in.
  5. Staff will open the gate, screen the visitor/s (up to 2 per scheduled time) and take visitor’s temperature, have them sign the logbook attesting to being symptom free, ensure that they use hand sanitizer, and ensure the visitors wear a mask throughout the visit, and ensure that the resident and visitor maintain 6 feet apart during the visit. Physical contact between the visitor and the resident (i.e. hugging, kissing, holding hands etc.) is not allowed at any time during the visit.  Visitors under 12 must be accompanied by and supervised by an adult.  Pets must be under control of the visitor who brings them at all times.  Please provide current shot records for any pet visitors if you have not previously done so.  Please do not bring food or drink for you or the resident to have during the visit.  You may bring things for the resident to have after the visit.  If you who will be visiting feel ill or have respiratory symptoms, we ask you to re-schedule your appointment with Marena for a later date.
  6. Residents will also be using hand sanitizer and wearing a mask unless medically contraindicated.
  7. Staff will have visual contact through the visit and will maintain distance to ensure privacy for the visit.
  8. At the end of the visit, staff will let the visitor out of the gate, assist the resident back to their unit as needed, and sanitize, using sanitizing spray or wipes, the visitor chair, pen, and any other surfaces touched during the visit.
  9. COVID-19 positive residents, residents with COVID-19 signs or symptoms, and residents in a 14-day quarantine or observation period are not eligible for outside visits.
  10. Residents who have had COVID-19 must no longer require transmission-based precautions before being eligible for outdoor visitation, as outlined by the CDC and MDH guidelines.
  11. Residents and their loved ones may access the Office of Ombudsman for Long-Term Care at 651-431-2555 or 1-800-657-3591 to request advocacy services.
  12. Note if you are not able to visit in person, you may also schedule virtual visits via Skype or FaceTime with Marena also.

The Policy and Procedure are subject to change as MDH Guidance changes.

Thank you again for your patience and cooperation!  We are looking forward to having you be able to visit with your loved one.   Please share this information with your family members and friends who would like to visit.  We are sending one letter per resident.  Thank you!

Sincerely,

 

Frank Robinson, Administrator

Colleen Hansen, LSW Director of Social Services

Posted in COVID-19 Updates