Dear Family and Friends,

We continue to test care center staff once a week. Results from testing this week are shown below. Bridgeway Estates will begin testing today 1/15 of all tenants and staff, and continue at least once a week until we have no cases for 14 days. We are following recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

• Little Falls Care Center – All negative staff, all negative residents
• Bridgeway Estates – Testing today 1/15

Please be patient about changes in safety protocols as vaccinations roll out across Minnesota. Even though the vaccine is here, the virus is still being transmitted throughout our state and we need to continue to be cautious to protect the health and well-being of residents and staff.

Until we receive updated guidance from the State, we ask that everyone, even those not connected directly with our care center, continue infection prevention and control practices. Please wear a mask, wash your hands, don’t touch your face when you’re out and stay home if you’re feeling sick.  These measures will help keep the positivity rate low and allow our care center to host safe and socially distanced visitation for residents.

Looking for ways to help? We have a variety of positions available with flexible scheduling and on the job training. For more information or to apply, visit www.jobswithus.org.

Thank you again for being partners with us in fighting the COVID-19 virus. Please follow our Facebook page (@Little Falls Health Services) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to Madelyn Blaha, Administrator, at 320-632-2061 or by email at mblaha@lfhs.sfhs.org.

January 13th, 2021

Dear Staff, Tenants, and Families,

On 1/12/21, we learned that one of our tenants tested positive for COVID-19 at Bridgeway Estates.  Our top priority is to keep everyone safe and healthy.  We are collaborating with the Minnesota Department of Health and are following all recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to ensure we are taking all appropriate steps at this time.

We are testing all tenants and staff for COVID-19 on 1/15/21. To ensure the health and safety of our tenants and staff, we will discontinue meals in the dining room and indoor visits. Any exposed or symptomatic tenants will be quarantined in their apartment.

Our vaccination clinic on 1/19 will proceed as scheduled. Any tenants contagious for COVID-19 will be vaccinated at our second clinic in February.

Any staff who test positive will be self-quarantined at home and will not be allowed to return to work until they recover from the virus; 10 days following positive test and 72 hours from last fever without using medication. Our staff are equipped with specific training and PPE to continue to provide safe, quality care, services and support to the residents of our community.

We will continue to update you on any news, emerging issues, or additional changes in our operations via Bright Arrow, email, website, and our Facebook page.

Please follow our Facebook page (@Little Falls Health Services) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our community. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to Madelyn Blaha, Administrator, at 320-632-2061 or by email at mblaha@lfhs.sfhs.org.

Dear Family and Friends,

LFCC continues to test staff weekly. Results from testing this week is shown below. We are following recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

• Little Falls Care Center – 1 new positive employee on 1/5, all residents and other staff are negative
• Bridgeway Estates – no new updates

We are bringing in the New Year with new hope and excitement. We have administered our first doses of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in our care center. Our next vaccine clinic will be on 2/2/21. Team member Sharon Freudenrich, who has been eagerly awaiting the COVID-19 vaccine says, “I am so happy I got the vaccine because I am finally helping to stop this pandemic!”

Regarding Assisted Living buildings, the MDH, Preferred Pharmacies and the Public Health Departments are currently working on a plan to start vaccinating tenants and staff.  We are anticipating vaccines to be administered at Bridgeway Estates in the coming weeks.              

We have prepared a Frequently Asked Questions to help you understand why the vaccine is so important in defeating COVID-19. You can find this along with the Moderna Fact Sheet, on our website at sfhs.org/resources/covid-19/. If you have any other concerns or questions, please contact Laura Stumpf (320) 632-2084, DON.

We will continue following our infection prevention and control practices along with the latest guidance from MDH and CDC regarding safe visiting for our residents. As of today, our care center plans to open for indoor visits on 1/20/21, pending no new COVID-19 cases. We will continue regular communication with our residents, friends and family on our COVID response, visitation guidelines and testing results.

Looking for ways to help? We have a variety of positions available with flexible scheduling and on the job training. For more information or to apply, visit www.jobswithus.org.

Thank you again for being partners with us in fighting the COVID-19 virus. Please follow our Facebook page (@Little Falls Health Services) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to Madelyn Blaha, Administrator, at 320-632-2061 or by email at mblaha@lfhs.sfhs.org.

Dear Family and Friends,

We have had one additional staff member test positive for COVID-19 in the care center. We continue to follow recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

We are still awaiting final results from our testing on 12/30, and I will update you as soon as I receive them.

Thank you again for being partners with us in fighting the COVID-19 virus. Please follow our Facebook page (@Little Falls Health Services) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to Madelyn Blaha, Administrator, at 320-632-2061 or by email at mblaha@lfhs.sfhs.org.

Dear Family and Friends,

We will be transitioning to test staff once weekly. Morrison County has seen a large decrease in cases, and the positivity rate remains below 10%. Results from testing this week is shown below. We are following recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

• Little Falls Care Center – One new positive staff
• Bridgeway Estates – All negative tests

We are excited to announce that our care center is scheduled to receive the Moderna COVID-19 Vaccine and will host 3 clinics for vaccinating our residents and staff! Our first clinic is 1/5/21.  The second dose of the vaccine will be administered 4 weeks after the first round and the third will be administered 4 weeks after the second. Protection from vaccine is not immediate; vaccine is a 2-dose series and will take 1 to 2 weeks following the second dose to be considered fully vaccinated. Vaccine efficacy is 94-95%. This data was assessed with two doses being administered. It is very important to get both doses to ensure good protection. Assisted living vaccination dates will be sent out as soon as we receive them.

When someone receives the vaccine they may experience side effects up to three days after vaccination. These side effects include injection site pain, tenderness and swelling of the lymph nodes in the same arm as the injection, swelling (hardness), and redness. General side effects include fatigue, headache, muscle pain, joint pain, chills, nausea, and low grade fever.

Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is one of the best ways to protect yourself and everyone around you, particularly those who are at increased risk for severe illness. Wearing masks and social distancing help reduce your chance of being exposed to the virus or spreading it to others, but these measures are not enough.  Getting the vaccination will not only protect you from being infected; it will help us reduce visitation restrictions in the future.    

While the vaccine is a significant factor in our fight against the virus, it is just the beginning to reopening our care centers. We continue to use the county positivity rate to measure the spread of the virus in our local communities and follow the recommendations from MDH and CDC on reopening. Our county positivity rate has decreased significantly, but the care center cannot begin indoor visitation until we have gone 14 days with all negative test results. Bridgeway Estates will begin indoor visits on Tuesday 1/5. Visits can be scheduled by calling either Krista or Sam at 320-632-2062 or 320-632-2089. Visitors must be able to produce a NEGATIVE Covid-19 test from 2-3 days prior to the initial visit or a positive test within the last 90 days as long as the individual is out of their infectious period. 

Looking for ways to help? We have a variety of positions available with flexible scheduling and on the job training. For more information or to apply, visit www.jobswithus.org.

Thank you again for being partners with us in fighting the COVID-19 virus. Please follow our Facebook page (@Little Falls Health Services) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to Madelyn Blaha, Administrator, at 320-632-2061 or by email at mblaha@lfhs.sfhs.org.

Dear Family and Friends,

We continue to test staff twice weekly. Results from testing on 12/8 is shown below. We are following recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

• Little Falls Care Center – 2 positive staff. All other staff and residents negative
• Bridgeway Estates – 1 positive tenant. All other staff and tenants negative

We are eagerly awaiting the arrival of COVID-19 vaccines pending approval by the FDA. We anticipate this will occur before the end of December.  We appreciate and support the decision made by the federal government to prioritize long-term care residents and staff in the distributions of the COVID-19 vaccine. Our vaccination process for staff and residents will be based on guidance from MDH as well as official CDC recommendations that have yet to be released and we will share this with you very soon! 

The beginning of December brought a surge of cases throughout Minnesota.  Please help us protect our staff and residents by wearing a mask and social distancing.  We again ask that you refrain from taking your loved one home over the Christmas holiday and schedule video visits with Molly Vanuurden, 320-632-2061 at the care center.

Looking for ways to help? We have a variety of positions available with flexible scheduling and on the job training. For more information or to apply, visit www.jobswithus.org.

Thank you again for being partners with us in fighting the COVID-19 virus. Please follow our Facebook page (@Little Falls Health Services) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to Madelyn Blaha, Administrator, at 320-632-2061 or by email at mblaha@lfhs.sfhs.org.

This week we had 1 new contracted staff member test positive for COVID-19 at Little Falls Care Center. All care center residents tested negative. We had 1 new tenant test positive at Bridgeway Estates. We continue to test staff twice weekly. We are following recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

The CDC’s Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices (ACIP) held an emergency meeting this week to review allocation recommendations for vaccines in phase 1 distribution. The advisory committee voted to include residents of long-term care communities in Phase 1A of vaccination. Our pharmacy is laying the ground work to administer COVID-19 vaccines. Staff may be reaching out to you for consent for the vaccination. We anticipate a vaccine being available in the coming weeks and will keep you informed.

Looking for ways to help? We have a variety of positions available with flexible scheduling and on the job training. For more information or to apply, visit www.jobswithus.org.

Thank you again for being partners with us in fighting the COVID-19 virus. Please follow our Facebook page (@Little Falls Health Services) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to Madelyn Blaha, Administrator, at 320-632-2061 or by email at mblaha@lfhs.sfhs.org.

Dear Family and Friends,

Our COVID-19 testing on Wednesday 11/25 identified 1 new staff positive COVID-19 case at Little Falls Care Center and one positive person from an external agency. We continue to test staff twice weekly. We are following recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

We will be testing all staff, residents, and tenants of Little Falls Health Services on Tuesday, December 1st.

Looking for ways to help? We have a variety of positions available with flexible scheduling and on the job training. For more information or to apply, visit www.jobswithus.org.

Thank you again for being partners with us in fighting the COVID-19 virus. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to Madelyn Blaha, Administrator, at 320-632-2061 or by email at mblaha@lfhs.sfhs.org.

Dear Family and Friends,

Our Monday testing results came back with no new residents or staff testing positive for COVID-19 at Little Falls Care Center or Bridgeway Estates. We continue to test staff twice weekly. We are following recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Please consider how your Thanksgiving plans impact others. We encourage you to stay home and gather with people within your household. Most importantly, visit with your friends and loved ones in our care center virtually as much as possible. Share family recipes over the phone or Zoom. Send letters and photos instead of an in-person visit during our current visiting limitations. For more ways you can connect with your loved one or to schedule a virtual visit, please contact Molly Vannurden, 320-632-2069.

This Thanksgiving season we want to thank our residents, family and friends for their support and prayers throughout the COVID Pandemic. We thank you for your continued patience and the sacrifices you have made. With you we will work through this pandemic. Remember to wear a mask, social distance when possible and practice proper hand hygiene. On behalf of our entire team, please stay safe and healthy.

Looking for ways to help? We have a variety of positions available with flexible scheduling and on the job training. For more information or to apply, visit www.jobswithus.org.

Thank you again for being partners with us in fighting the COVID-19 virus. Please follow our Facebook page (@Little Falls Health Services) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. If you have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out to Madelyn Blaha, Administrator, at 320-632-2061 or by email at mblaha@lfhs.sfhs.org.

Dear Family and Friends,

We recently learned that the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the federal Medicare agency (CMS) are advising against residents leaving their care center for holiday visits. As we continue to fight against COVID-19, we ask that you not take your loved ones out this Thanksgiving.

By not taking your loved one out for a holiday visit, you will help us in protecting the health of everyone who lives and works here. One of the best things that you can do for your family this holiday season is to not gather in groups and keep everyone safe by wearing a facemask when you do.

We know just how special the holiday season can be and spending time with family is what adds meaning to our celebrations. However, we need your help to protect our residents, our staff, and yourself during this pandemic’s risky time by limiting our contact with the broader community. As Governor Walz told us the other night, the COVID-19 surge is at a dangerous level in Minnesota. This past year has been a challenge like no other and we deeply appreciate the sacrifices that you and your family have already made during these past months. The hope of a COVID-19 vaccine is promising, but until that time we all need to use extra caution to slow the spread of this highly contagious disease.

If a resident does choose to go to a holiday gathering outside of our care center, the resident will need to quarantine in his or her room for 14-days after returning as a necessary precaution. Even when being very careful and following all of the guidelines, the risk of being infected when being out in the general public is high.

Our staff is committed to keeping you connected during the holiday seasons. We have a variety of activities planned that will engage our residents and are doing all we can to facilitate alternative means of communication between you and your loved one. If you have any gifts or cards you would like to give to your loved one or wish to schedule a care center virtual visit, please contact Molly Vannurden 320-632-2069.

Last night, we had a care center employee test positive for COVID-19. We will be testing all staff today, Friday, Nov 20th and again on Monday, Nov 23rd.

We know that this news may cause concern or that you may have questions about what we are doing to keep everyone safe and healthy. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me at 320-632-2061 or mblaha@lfhs.sfhs.org.

Sincerely,

Madelyn Blaha, Administrator