Special Alerts

6/18/2020

To Our Residents and Family Members:

We want to inform you that at 11^th Street Chautauqua Guest Homes, we have had 1 confirmed cases of COVID-19.

The safety and wellbeing of our residents is our top priority. We are doing what we can to limit the spread of COVID-19 within Chautauqua Guest Homes, including staying in very close communication with local and state health officials to ensure we are taking all the appropriate steps under current circumstances.

We are taking steps based on guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) to reduce the spread and impact of COVID-19, such as:

• Enhanced infection control precautions
• Screening residents, staff, and essential visitors for expanded list of symptoms
• Restricting visitation and entry of people to the building
• Testing staff and residents for COVID-19 based on current protocols and availability of tests
• Postponing communal activities

Due to government privacy requirements, we cannot divulge specific information about the individuals who have confirmed or suspected COVID-19, unless they are your family member and you have the necessary permissions to receive such information.

We know you are concerned about your loved one, but it is crucial that we restrict visitation to reduce the spread of this virus to others. We will contact you directly if your loved one is suspected or diagnosed with COVID-19.

We also understand that connecting with family members is incredibly important to our residents. Family members are encouraged to connect with their loved ones through video chat, calling, texting, or on social media. Please call the facility to schedule and arrange these virtual visits.

We need your help in battling COVID-19. Please visit the CDC website (www.cdc.gov/coronavirus) to learn how you can help prevent the spread in our community, since continued spread in the larger community increases the chance the virus will work its way into our building.

This is a difficult time for everyone. We will continue to provide you with updates. Please know that we are adhering to guidelines from the local and state health departments, which continue to evolve as we learn more about this virus. 

We know that you may have questions and we encourage you to contact our center. Please call us at 641-228-2353, email us at 11thSt.Chaut2@gmail.com, or visit our website chautauquaguesthomes.com for updates on the status of your loved one.

Sincerely, 

Chautauqua Guest Homes, Inc.

           May 26, 2020

        To All Chautauqua Residents/Tenants, Families, and Staff;

We want to start by thanking all of you for your efforts in helping us follow recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control, the Iowa Department of Public Health, and other professional organizations regarding the COVID-19 pandemic emergency. Together, we can make a difference.  In our continued efforts to respond in a proactive and positive manner, Chautauqua Guest Homes, with the assistance of the Floyd County Public Health Department, have decided to offer COVID-19 testing to all of our residents and staff.  Testing provides an accurate picture of viral activity at our facilities on the day of testing and establishes a baseline that we can use to compare with future results.

While not required, the Chautauqua Guest Homes Management Team and Infection Preventionists, STRONGLY RECOMMEND THE TESTING OF Chautauqua Residents/Tenants, and Employees.  Any resident/tenant or responsible party who wishes to refuse testing is asked to contact the Director of Nursing or Administrator by 4 PM on 5/27/20. 

Long term care residents are at high risk for infection, serious illness, and death from COVID-19. Testing for the virus that causes COVID-19, in respiratory specimens can detect current infection among residents and healthcare personnel in nursing homes. Long term care employees are also at risk for infection related to occupational exposure.  Testing in nursing facilities can be an important addition to other infection prevention and control recommendations aimed at:

Keeping COVID-19 out

Detecting cases quickly

Stopping transmission

There are 2 types of testing available.  The swab testing is for those individuals who meet CDC criteria for testing or who currently have symptoms.  All residents/tenants will be eligible for a swab test.  Antibody testing is designed for individuals who think they might have had COVID-19 and are not currently experiencing symptoms.  All Chautauqua employees may have a swab test, an antibody test, or both.  Resident testing will be conducted on May 28 and 29.  Residents/Tenants will be tested at their facilities.  Employees will be tested on May 29. 

While reopening in the State of Iowa has started, please be patient throughout the Chautauqua process.  We don’t expect that our facilities will be reopening until the last of three phases described in nation-wide process and only if certain data metrics are met.  As our residents/tenants are the most vulnerable population, this makes sense.  Please realize that as soon as we receive notice from our regulatory agencies that we may again open our doors, you will all be immediately notified.  Our overall goal to keep our residents/tenants as safe as possible has not changed. 

We appreciate your understanding, patience, and support during this difficult time for everyone!

Chautauqua Guest Home Management

Mary Shupe, Administrator              Misty Hobert, RN, BSN, Administrator

Sandy Staudt, RN, Infection Preventionist                                              Susan Ayers, RN, BSN, Infection Preventionist

ATTENTION: VISITOR RESTRICTION DUE TO PANDEMIC EMERGENCY DECLARATION

March 14, 2020
9:00 AM

To All Chautauqua Residents, Families, and Visitors including Vendors;
As expected, last night the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid issued guidance to nursing
facilities nation-wide. Even though we have no active cases in Floyd County, effective
immediately, we have been directed to “RESTRICT visitation of ALL visitors…” “Facilities are
expected to notify potential visitors to defer visitation until further notice.”
All entry doors at all facilities have been locked at this time to restrict unauthorized entrance to
the buildings. Staff members will be screened at the beginning of every shift and necessary
medical personnel will be screened each time they report to the facilities prior to entry.
Vendors need to call the facility upon arrival for direction as to where supplies should be
delivered and how. If you have individual concerns, please call the facility directly to discuss
these.
Continue to check at the Chautauqua web site at chautauquaguesthomes.com and click
on the orange button OR check the Facebook pages for any of the homes for further updates. If
we do not have your email address, please go to the website, click on your facility, and then
click the “Contact Us” link on the right tool bar. Add your email address through that option
and click “Submit.”
As required, we must cancel communal dining and all group activities within the facility at this
time. If you have any small group games or individual activities such as word finds or movies,
please consider bringing these to the facility. You can drop off and then call to let us know and
we will bring them safely into the facility.
If we have your email address, remember to check your email daily for any updates. We
continue to look for ways to communicate with you throughout this emergency.
These restrictions are difficult for all of us but we also recognize that at this time they are
necessary for the health and safety of the residents. Working together, we can face these
challenges successfully. We appreciate your patience, help and cooperation throughout this
pandemic emergency.

The Chautauqua Guest Homes Management Team

To All Chautauqua Guest Home and Riverside Senior Living Residents,
Families and other Visitors;
On Friday afternoon, March 13, 2020, the head of the Centers for
Medicare and Medicaid Services announced that the agency will be
releasing new guidance aimed at protecting seniors in facilities from
the novel coronavirus. The release states that “the vast majority of
visitors will be banned.” It goes on to describe a temporary restriction
“to all visitors and non-essential personnel, with few exceptions, such
as end-of-life situations.”
Our management team anticipates that we will be directed to lock
facility doors and not allow the majority of visitors into the facilities.
As soon as the guidance is released, Chautauqua Guest Homes will
immediately implement all aspects of the guidance to protect our
residents and our staff. We expect that this will occur quickly.
Please continue to monitor our web page,
chautauquaguesthomes.com, our Facebook pages, and your
email for further changes. We suggest that you call prior to visiting.
While this could be upsetting, please understand that the health and
safety of our residents and staff is really what is most important.
Sincerely;
The Chautauqua Guest Home Management Team