Dear Family and Friends,

This week we had 0 additional care center residents and 0 care center staff test positive for COVID-19. As of today, Bridgeway Estates has 1 staff confirmed case of COVID-19, and 0 tenants. Bridgeway Estates and Little Falls Care Center will be testing all residents, tenants, and staff on Monday, 11/23/20. We continue to work with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and are following COVID-19 recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Our county positivity rate continues to be above 10% putting our care center in the “red zone.” According to CMS calculations, all Minnesota counties, but four, are now in the “red zone.” Being in the “red zone” requires our care center to routinely test our staff twice weekly. We are testing tomorrow, Friday 11/20 and Monday 11/23. We are also unable to host indoor visits at this time. We encourage you to use alternate ways to connect with your loved ones such as Zoom, Facebook Portal, Phone, and Facetiming. To schedule your visit at the care center or for more information on our visitation policy, please contact Molly Vannurden, Activities Director at mvannurden@lfhs.sfhs.org or 320-632-2069.

With hospital beds nearing capacity and healthcare staffing shortages, Governor Walz issued even more COVID restrictions this week. Restaurants, breweries, bowling alleys, movie theaters, and bars will be take-out only. Gyms will close and organized indoor sports will be suspended. We need your help to control the spread of the virus in our community. We encourage you to use masks, social distance and abide by the Governor’s Orders.

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.

This week we had 2 additional care center residents and 0 staff test positive for COVID-19. Our county positivity rate continues to be over 10%. Following the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) guidelines, we are required to test our care center staff twice weekly. We are completing testing for all staff members today on Friday 11/13/20, and I will update you with those results as soon as we receive them. Our next testing date of all residents and staff is Tuesday, 11/17/20. The high county positivity rate also restricts us from allowing indoor visitation until further notice.

As of today, Bridgeway Estates has no confirmed cases of COVID-19. Due to the county positivity rate, we are still not allowed to host indoor visitation at this time.

This week Governor Walz announced new COVID-19 restrictions. These include earlier bar and restaurant closing times and 10 person limits on all indoor and outdoor gatherings. We encourage everyone in their efforts to control the spread of the virus including wearing masks, social distancing and the recent turning back of the dial by the State. Thank you again for being partners with us in fighting the COVID-19 virus.

11/05/20

Dear Family and Friends,

On 11/3/20, we had two additional residents and two staff test positive for COVID-19. Our county positivity rate continues to be over 10%. Following the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) guidelines, we are required to test our care center staff twice weekly. We will complete testing for all staff members on Friday 11/06/20, and I will update you with those results as soon as we receive them. Our next testing date of all residents and staff is Tuesday, 11/10/20.  The high county positivity rate also restricts us from allowing indoor visitation until further notice.

As of today, Bridgeway Estates has no confirmed cases of COVID-19. Due to the county positivity rate, we are still not allowed to host indoor visitation at this time. We are committed to ensuring that physical distancing does not mean isolation. We are working to have a variety of small group activities that engage our residents such as exercise groups, book reading, trivia, and the rosary.

Our top priority is to support and protect our residents and dedicated caregivers. We have equipped our staff with the training and supplies needed to provide safe, quality care, services and support to our residents. We continue to urge everyone to practice proper hand hygiene and safe physical distancing.

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.

Hi everyone,

We have received one new positive test result for a contracted staff member at LFCC from our testing on October 27th. We completed testing off all staff today, and will be testing all residents and staff next Tuesday, Nov 3rd.

Our county positivity rate remains over 10%. Following the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) guidelines, we are now required to test our care center staff twice weekly. We will be testing again this Tuesday, November 3rd, and Friday, November 6h. The high county positivity rate also restricts us from allowing indoor visitation until further notice.

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,

On 10/20/20, we completed entire-site testing Little Falls Care Center for residents and Staff.  The results are shown in the chart below. We have had 2 additional staff member and 1 resident test positive for COVID-19. We are testing all Bridgeway Estates tenants and staff for COVID-19 on 10/22/20.

	Tests Positive	Tests Negative	Tests Pending	Total Tested
Care Center Residents	1	46	0	47
Staff	2	66	21	89

We have activated our COVID unit. The resident testing positive for COVID-19 has been transferred to our COVID unit. As a reminder, staff that work in our segregated unit will not care for residents outside of the unit or interact with any employees that are providing direct care to residents outside of the unit. All staff in the segregated unit will be equipped with N95 masks, face shields and gowns. Staff will enter and exit the segregated unit from a separate door to prevent exposure to the rest of our care center, residents and employees. 

To ensure the health and safety of our residents and staff, we will discontinue meals in the dining room and any small group activities that were scheduled. Unfortunately, we are unable to resume patio visits or open window visits at this time.

Our county positive rate has increased to over 10%. Following the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) guidelines, we are now required to test our care center staff twice weekly. We will be testing again this Friday, October 23^rd. The high county positive rate also restricts us from allowing indoor visitation until further notice.

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 Resident/Tenant,

On 10/16/20, we were notified that one of our employees tested positive for COVID-19.  Our top priority is to keep everyone safe and healthy.  We are collaborating with our Medical Director and 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 tentatively planning to test all tenants and staff for COVID-19 on 10/22/20. To ensure the health and safety of our tenants and staff, we will discontinue meals in the dining room, postpone the start of indoor visits, and quarantine all residents until 10/28/20 pending negative test results.

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.

As we’ve shared several times, in early March, we initiated proactive infection control practices, screening procedures and visitor restrictions that will help us manage this situation as effectively as possible and protect the safety and health of all who live and work here.  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 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,

On 10/13/20, we completed entire-site testing of Little Falls Care Center residents and staff.  The results are shown in the chart below. We have had 0 additional staff members and 0 residents test positive for COVID-19. We are planning to test all tenants and staff for COVID-19 on 10/20/20.

	Tests Positive		Tests Negative	Tests Pending	Total Tested
Care Center Residents	0		51	0	51
Staff	0		96	1	97

We are very excited to share the news that we will soon be able to resume indoor visits, and warmly welcome you back into our care center. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has issued guidance on how we can safely re-open to visitors while continuing to protect the health of our residents and staff. This guidance takes effect on October 17^th.  In the meantime, we remind you to take advantage of window visits and virtual visits.

Even though we are excited to open up our care center for indoor visits, it is tempered by the fact that rural communities are seeing more outbreak in recent weeks which has the potential to impact our care center’s ability to offer visitation. There can be no new onset of COVID-19 cases in the last 14 days and facility cannot currently be conducting outbreak testing.  COVID-19 county positivity rates will determine how our care center will facilitate indoor visits.

For your planning purposes, please know we expect to accommodate indoor visitation very soon, following these strict guidelines:

• All indoor visits MUST be scheduled in advance.
• Visitors must be screened prior to entering the care center for signs and symptoms of COVID-19.
• All visits must be conducted using social distancing.
• Visitors must wear a mask covering both nose and mouth while in the care center. Residents must wear a surgical mask during the visit.
• Proper hand hygiene must occur (use of alcohol-based hand rub) throughout visit.
• Visits may be restricted to a designated area within the building.
• Physical contact (hugs, kisses, handshakes, etc.) continues to be restricted to protect everyone from potential virus transmission.
• Visitors will be limited to two visitors per resident; the total number of visitors in the building will be limited; and the duration of visits will be limited.
• Visitors must adhere to all infection control policies (ICP) and staff should provide monitoring for those who may have difficulty adhering to ICP
• Cleaning/disinfecting high frequency touched surfaces and designated visitation areas must occur after each visit.

• All items brought to the visit must be left with staff for disinfection and not passed to the resident during the visit.

Our ability to resume visitation would not have been possible without the incredible commitment and dedication of our staff, who have worked tirelessly to manage the risks of COVID-19 and providing compassionate care and support to our residents at a time when they are physically separated by their loved ones. We know that you too, have made sacrifices during this incredibly difficult time and we thank you for your patience and understanding.

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.

October 8^th, 2020

Dear Family and Friends,

On 10/06/20, we completed entire-site testing Little Falls Care Center and Staff.  The results are shown in the chart below. We have had x additional staff members test positive for COVID-19. At this time, NO residents have tested positive. We will test all residents and staff at Little Falls Care Center on 10/13/2020.

	Tests Positive	Tests Negative	Tests Pending	Total Tested
Care Center Residents	0	41	6	47
Staff	2	88	1	91
Contracted Staff	1	21	1	22

Following recommendations from MDH, CMS, AND CDC, we will continue to suspend patio visits. Little Falls Care Center will be under full quarantine pending farther testing. Staff will be equipped with full PPE including gowns, gloves, surgical masks, and protective eyewear.

We deeply appreciate the sacrifices you continue to make to limit the impact of COVID-19 on our community and your patience as we navigate through the COVID Pandemic. Our entire team looks forward to seeing you again. Families, friends and volunteers are a core fabric of what makes our community so special. In the meantime, we remind you to take advantage of window visits and the ability to connect residents and their loved ones through alternative communication, such as FaceTime, Zoom and Skype.

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.

October 2^nd, 2020

Dear Family and Friends,

On 09/29/20, we completed entire-site testing Little Falls Care Center and Staff.  Our top priority is to keep everyone safe and healthy.  We are collaborating with our Medical Director and 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.

	Tests Positive	Tests Negative	Tests Pending	Total Tested
Care Center Residents	0	48	1	49
Staff	1	103	5	109

Bridgeway tenants did not need to be tested. Our staff and residents are being routinely tested weekly according to CMS guidelines.  Our next round of testing will take place on 10/6/20.

Following recommendations from MDH, CMS, AND CDC, we will be suspending patio visits at this time. We continue to offer window visits and virtual visits throughout our current COVID situation. We truly appreciate your patience as we prepare to expand visits and other activities. We all look forward to the days ahead when we’re able to enjoy the simple pleasures of hugs, handshakes, and warm in-person greetings again.

The coming cooler months will continue to challenge us in limiting the impact of COVID-19 on our community. It is important for each of us to think about how our actions affect others we come in contact with. We must protect one another.  You are a key partner in the safe reopening of our care center, please remember to social distance, wear a mask, and practice proper hand hygiene. Remember to stay home if you have symptoms of COVID-19 or have had close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

If you or someone you know may be interested in working side by side with us as we truly make a difference in the lives of our residents, please contact our care center or visit www.jobswithus.org for more information.

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.

September 25, 2020

Dear Family and Friends,

On 09/22/20, we completed full house testing of all Care Center Residents, Bridgeway Estates Tenants and all Staff.  Our top priority is to keep everyone safe and healthy.  We are collaborating with our Medical Director and 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.

This testing identified one new staff positive and the results allow us to accurately isolate the virus and prevent the spread in our community. We believe this is the best way to protect residents, staff and our community and track the path of the virus.  Testing results are shown below.  There were no Care Center Residents or Bridgeway Estates Tenants who tested positive.  We are still waiting finals results on some staff.  We will test all residents and staff on 9/29/20. Bridgeway tenants will not need to be tested.

	Tests Positive	Tests Negative	Tests Pending	Total Tested
Care Center Residents	0	47	0	47
BWE Tenants	0	42	0	42
Staff	1	0	107	108

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.

As we’ve shared several times, in early March, we initiated proactive infection control practices, screening procedures and visitor restrictions that will help us manage this situation as effectively as possible and protect the safety and health of all who live and work here.  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 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.