“FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS”:

QUESTION: “It was announced recently that there is a Nursing Home in Mercer County that has a positive case of COVID-19. Is it Saint John XXIII Home?”

ANSWER: No, there are no positive cases at Saint John XXIII Home. Should a case occur here, we would notify all residents and call the residents’ responsible party for each resident.. We will follow HIPAA requirements, so, resident specific information would not be shared. ———————————

QUESTION: “The news, frequently reports there are not enough Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for healthcare workers. Does your facility have supplies?”

ANSWER: We have adequate supplies of gloves, gowns, shields and N-95 masks on hand at this time. There are systems in place to monitor our supplies and communicate our supply and “needs” to the PA Dept of Health, on a daily basis. ———————————–

QUESTION: “My mother reports that a resident who went “out” was quarantined in her room when she returned. Is this true?”

ANSWER: In an attempt to keep residents and staff as safe as possible, we have implemented an isolation standard for residents who must “go out” (ie- medical services). Upon return to SJ23, the resident is placed in isolation and must wear a mask during care. They remain in isolation for a minimum of 72 hours (up to 14 days) to monitor for signs/symptoms of the virus. Fortunately, we have zero cases at this time but all “potential exposure”, increases risk for everyone. The standard is intentionally stringent in an attempt to prevent/discourage potential “exposure” situations and protect everyone. This standard would also be applied for new admissions. ———————————–

QUESTION: “I have been thinking about bringing my mother home for an afternoon, is this permitted?”

ANSWER: We strongly discourage “going out” unless it is a true medical necessity. Please keep in mind that the above isolation precautions would be required upon return, for everyone’s safety. Please help us and don’t do this!!

QUESTION: “I would like to donate cloth masks. Do you need them and how should I go about donating them?”

ANSWER: We have had numerous friends and family members donate cloth masks. We are eternally grateful for the donations. Yes, additional cloth masks would be put to good use. To donate, please call the facility to let us know you are dropping off masks. We ask that you do not enter the facility to drop them off. The masks can be placed outside the Main Entrance and we will retrieve them when appropriate. (please let us know who made the donation) ———————————

QUESTION: “Our family is grateful for everything your staff is doing to protect our mother and all of the residents. What can we do to help?”

ANSWER: Do your part to help “flatten the curve”. Follow the Governor’s order to social distance, wear a mask, wash your hands frequently and stay at home as much as possible. Refrain from coming to SJ23. Frequency of possible exposure episodes, increases the probability of the virus entering our building. Please help flatten the curve so we can get back to a “new normal” AND continue to PRAY for our residents and staff. ———————————-

QUESTION: “Your Activity Department has always been wonderful at offering group activities, performances and socialization. Is socialization still happening?” ANSWER: The harsh reality is that group activities such as Mass, performers, parties, etc. have been postponed until further notice. Our Activity Department continues to provide socialization opportunities, typically, on a one to one basis. Many residents/family members are utilizing our Activity staff for phone calls, Skype, Face Time and reading letters/cards. This has been a fun and new experience for many of our residents. Residents continue to communicate with one another and our entire TEAM at Saint John XXIII Home is providing socialization opportunities. To be perfectly honest, everyone is tired of the situation but we continue to try to make the best out of a bad situation. —————————

QUESTION: (2nd most frequently asked question) When will Beth/Cindy be back in the “Beauty Shop”? “My mother NEEDS her hair cut/colored”.

ANSWER: Rest assured, that as soon as we are permitted to resume “beauty shop” services, we will do so. This is BY FAR the biggest concern expressed by our residents.

QUESTION: (Most frequently asked question) Is there any insight, as to when families might be allowed to visit? Can you implement a visitor: Mask, wash hands, take temperature visitation policy?

ANSWER: We continue to follow the directives from Governor Wolf and the PA Department of Health related to healthcare visitation, until further notice. These are NOT decisions made by Kirk or Saint John XXIII Home but rather firm directives to help mitigate the situation. Gov. Wolf has announced a plan to “re-open Pennsylvania” in a step by step process. This is a several week(s) process, which places nursing homes/personal care homes on the “final phase in” of resuming a new normal. I do not anticipate visitation changes over the next month. Implementation of a “mask, hand washing and temperature taken” process for visitors is LIKELY a phase that will be required at some point, but not at this time. Please know, the rules are in place to protect you, your loved one, all residents and all staff. I encourage you to read Governor Wolf’s “plan to re-open Pennsylvania”, if you have not yet done so. The light at the end of the tunnel is getting closer, providing we ALL CONTINUE to “flatten the curve”.

Take Care, Be Safe and God Bless,

Kirk Hawthorne

Administrator/CEO Saint John XXIII Home

DATE: 4/13/2020

Dear Friends and Family of Saint John XXIII Home:

As our nation, Pennsylvania and local communities deal with the coronavirus pandemic, we want to provide you with an update on how it has impacted our community and the steps we’re taking to address it.

We currently have ZERO COVID-19 cases, though we continue to monitor all residents closely. Should a resident test positive for COVID-19, we will take great care to ensure they’re made comfortable in an isolated setting and are under constant supervision. While caring for residents in isolation, staff will wear full protective equipment, including medical gowns, gloves, eye protection and masks, and are restricted to working solely in their units.

In addition, we are happy to report that we have ZERO COVID-19 cases amongst staff/team. We are following the “Criteria for Return to Work for Health Care Personnel with Confirmed or Suspected COVID-19” guidance issued by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Should a positive case arrive, we will contact all people who have come into contact with these employees, to determine additional testing needs. As the number of overall cases in our country, Pennsylvania and Mercer County increase exponentially, we anticipate the potential for cases at our facility because this disease especially impacts people who live in communal settings.

Please know that we have followed, and will continue to do so, all guidance set forth for privacy, patient care, employee safety, and efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19 as provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) and the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

These guidelines can be found here:

https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/coronavirus/Pages/Nursing-Homes.aspx, and we remain in constant contact with DOH and CMS.

While we strive for transparency in everything we do, please know that we are bound by federal guidelines under the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA), which protect the privacy of our residents, who may not want their condition known. Our Team follows all established federal laws in notifying families of any change in the medical condition of their loved ones.

Our residents are our first priority. Prior to each shift, staff are required to wash their hands, take their temperature and answer a series of questions to ensure they are not exhibiting any known COVID-19 symptoms. Any employees who develop symptoms during a shift are immediately sent home. At that point, they are directed to isolate at home. This process is also followed for outside agency workers and vendors, though these visits have been curtailed.

We also conduct a rigorous sanitation regimen that follows, and in some cases exceeds, all state and federal guidelines. We have increased the daily volume of cleaning done in common, medical and residential areas. All protective and medical equipment are thoroughly cleaned and disinfected.

Although this can be a challenge at times when providing medical care, our facility continues to practice safe distancing guidelines by limiting the number of people in one area and maintaining 6 feet of separation.

Saint John XXIII Home appreciates your understanding as we continue to vigorously enforce the commonwealth’s decision to restrict all visits into the facility at this time. This is certainly frustrating when wanting to see loved ones, but we want to do everything in our power to keep our residents healthy.

We continue to encourage family members to communicate regularly through FaceTime or Skype calls, phone calls, and emails.

For more information on scheduling virtual visitation, please contact a member of our activities departments at 724-981-3200.

We will continue to provide you with periodic updates with as much information as we can on our efforts to combat COVID-19.

On behalf of the entire Saint John XXIII Home Family, I want to thank each of you for your continued patience and prayers. It means a great deal to us.

Sincerely,

Kirk Hawthorne

Administrator/CEO Saint John XXIII Home

MASKS EFFECTIVE:

4/3/20 (4PM)

ALL INDIVIDUALS (NON-RESIDENTS) ENTERING J23 WILL BE REQUIRED TO USE A CLOTH MASK, WHILE INSIDE THE FACILITY. THE MASKS WILL BE PROVIDED/ STORED AT THE EMPLOYEE TIME CLOCK (DIETARY HALLWAY).

OUR LAUNDRY STAFF WILL ENSURE THEY ARE PROPERLY WASHED!!

PLEASE USE THESE MASKS FOR YOUR SAFETY AND RESIDENT SAFETY.

WE HAVE N-95 RESPIRATOR MASKS AND DISPOSABLE MASKS IN STOCK, TO BE USED ONLY SHOULD THE SITUATION DICTATE USE OF SUCH (NOT ROUTINE CARE SITUATIONS).

Thank you to those who have donated these cloth masks!!!