Foothill Acres

COVID -19
The health and safety of our residents
and families is our highest priority.

Foothill Acres is dedicated to keeping our family members, residents and friends safe during the covid-19 pandemic. We are following all of the recommendations set forth by the CDC, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and the New Jersey Department of Health. We are also committed to sharing with you our comprehensive outbreak plan and all of the latest information, data and regulatory changes that we will be posting on a regular basis below. Please continue to use foothillacrescommunication@gmail.com to schedule your video calls.

Should you need to reach out to us for any reason please email: safety@foothillacres.com
Please Call 908.369.8711

Background & Lessons Learned:

Foothill Acres Rehabilitation & Nursing Center, as many other nursing centers, has experienced the heartbreaking impact of the COVID-19 pandemic. Living in a healthcare setting brings inherent risks due to the vulnerability of the residents we care for and the communal lifestyle. Our efforts to provide a homelike environment that promotes independence and person directed care, can contribute to the spread of a respiratory infection such as COVID-19 when aggressive restrictions are not implemented early in the
outbreak. Finding a balance between the need to be aggressive and honoring the basic rights of our residents and families will require a comprehensive plan that includes methods to communicate with residents, visitors and the staff so we can all work together to limit the exposure and to prevent the spread of respiratory infections including COVID-19.

POLICY:

Foothill Acres Rehabilitation & Nursing Center has developed a comprehensive response plan to address the global pandemic due to COVID-19. The plan will be in place to protect the residents, staff and visitors from respiratory infections including COVID-19.

PROCEDURE:

  •  The facility will create a COVID-19 Committee team consisting of the following:
    Medical Director: Dr. Richard Corson
    Administrator: Pinny Goldblatt
    Director of Nursing: Diana Truelove
    Asst. Director of Nursing: Ariel Rante
    MDS Coordinator: Linji Li
    Rehab Director: Umang Shah
    Social Service Director: Ellen Schwartz
    Admissions Director: Steve Aksim
    Maintenance Director: Jason Toifel
    Activities Director: Mary Walaszek /
    Nancy Guerrera
    Housekeeping Amaury Sanchez
    Dietary Director: Gary Koch
    Dietician: Jessica Hanna
    Pharmacy Representative: Ann Santos
    Laboratory Representative: Thomas Bejgrowicz
  • The facility’s COVID 19 Response Coordinator will be: Pinny Goldblatt, Administrator.
  • The facility will coordinate with the transport company if a presumptive or confirmed COVID-19 is going to be transported. Face mask will be provided to the resident for transport to protect the transport staff and receiving facility staff.
  • The facility physician will coordinate with the receiving facility’s physician to ensure report is accurately communicated and precaution is in place.
  • Dedicate equipment in isolation rooms. If not possible, clean and disinfect equipment using the EPA- registered disinfectant before use with another resident within the cohort.
  • Conduct routine cleaning and disinfection of high touch surfaces and shared medical equipment using EPA-registered disinfectant.
  • Increase frequency of routine cleaning and disinfection.
  • Prioritize rounding in a “well to ill’ flow to minimize cross-contamination.

Communication with Residents and Families:

POLICY:

It is the policy of this facility to inform residents, their representatives, and families of the residents by 5pm the next calendar day following the subsequent occurrence of either: each time a single confirmed infection of COVID-19 is identified or whenever three or more residents or staff with new-onset of respiratory symptoms occurs within 72 hours of each other.

PROCEDURE:

  1. Nursing Administration will notify the Administrative Staff if the facility meets either of the criteria listed above. The Administrative Staff will gather all required information as directed in CMS rule: 42 CFR 483.80(g) and with CMS guidance at https://www.cms.gov/files/documents/gso-20-29-nh.pdf.
  2.  Administrative Staff will send required information out via email and text to all residents, their representatives, and families of the residents by 5pm the next calendar day following the subsequent occurrence of either: each time a single confirmed infection of COVID-19 is identified or whenever three or more residents or staff with new-onset of respiratory symptoms occurs within 72 hours of each other.
  3.  Residents will be notified of a new outbreak via our closed circuit television system which will be posted by 5pm the next calendar day following the subsequent occurrence of either: each time a single confirmed infection of COVID-19 is identified or whenever three or more residents or staff with new-onset of respiratory symptoms occurs within 72 hours of each other.
  4. The required information along with an emergency number for urgent calls and complaints will be posted on our website by 5pm the next calendar day following the subsequent occurrence of either: each time a single confirmed infection of COVID-19 is identified or whenever three or more residents or staff with new-onset of respiratory symptoms occurs within 72 hours of each other.
  5. Administrative staff will continue to send out information to all residents, their representatives, families and employees at least once weekly for any facility updates.
  6. Foothill Acres will also be providing weekly conferences on a scheduled basis for all who like to attend. Scheduled calls will be posted on facility’s website and/or social media along with e-mail address will be made available to all residents, their representatives, families and employees for any urgent issues or concerns that may need immediate attention.

Communication with Employees:

POLICY:

It is the policy of this facility to inform all employees by 5pm the next calendar day following the subsequent occurrence of either: each time a single confirmed infection of COVID-19 is identified or whenever three or more residents or staff with new-onset of respiratory symptoms occurs within 72 hours of each other.

PROCEDURE:

  1. Nursing Administration will notify the Administrative Staff if the facility meets either of the criteria listed above. The Administrative Staff will gather all required information as directed in CMS rule: 42 CFR 483.80(g) and with CMS guidance at https://www.cms.gov/files/documents/gso-20-29-nh.pdf.
  2.  Administrative Staff will send required information out via email and/or text to all employees by 5pm the next calendar day following the subsequent occurrence of either: each time a single confirmed infection of COVID-19 is identified or whenever three or more residents or staff with new-onset of respiratory symptoms occurs within 72 hours of each other.
  3. Should an employee refuse to provide the facility with a means to contact them via email and/or text then it is the responsibility of the employee to reference the website where the information will be posted by 5 PM the next calendar day.
  4. The required information along with an emergency number for urgent calls and complaints will be posted on our website by 5pm the next calendar day following the subsequent occurrence of either: each time a single confirmed infection of COVID-19 is identified or  whenever three or more residents or staff with new-onset of respiratory symptoms occurs within 72 hours of each other.
  5. Administrative staff will continue to send out information to all residents, their representatives, families and employees at least once weekly for any facility updates.
  6. Foothill Acres will also be providing weekly conferences on a scheduled basis for all who like to attend. Scheduled calls will be posted on facility’s website and/or social media along with e-mail address will be made available to all residents, their representatives, families and employees for any urgent issues or concerns that may need immediate attention.

General Facility Control Measures

  • Establish testing capacity to identify SARS-CoV2 through RWJUH Somerset Laboratory and ACULABS Laboratory to conduct test, and provide appropriate specimen collection materials.
  • Ensure sufficient supply of Hand Hygiene resources in the facility.
  • Evaluate personal protective equipment (PPE) and report level to corresponding
    agency/OEM/LDOH/NJDOH.
  • Educate staff on infection prevention practices, control measures for COVID-19.
  • Facility will implement Universal Source control by providing facemask to person in the facility. As an alternative, cloth mask will be provided in the event of supply shortage for staff that does not provide direct care to the residents.

Daily Reporting

  • Complete line listing for residents / staff.
  • Submit line listing to Hillsborough Township Health Department per instruction. Hillsborough Township Health Department representative Siohban Spano.

Admission, Transfer and Readmission

  • Close the unit affected to new admissions except as needed to cohort individuals and staff.
  • Consider closing to new admissions if the facility is unable to appropriately cohort. This does not include readmission back to the facility.
  • When transferring a resident to another facility / hospital, transporting company will be informed of the Transmission Based Precaution in place as well the as receiving facility.
  • New admissions and readmissions will be monitored for signs of COVID-19 for 14 days and will be cared for by staff using COVID-19 PPE (N95 or Respirator, eye protection, gloves and gown). They will be placed in private rooms (if available). If feasible, a cohort will be created for this population.

Emergency Staffing Strategies:

POLICY:

In the event of an emergency, the Administrator or DON will make the decision to utilize emergency staffing strategies as necessary to provide for care and treatment of residents.

PROCEDURE:

  1. All employees in the facility will be notified of the decision to utilize emergency staffing strategies.
  2. In the event the facility has difficulty with staffing the facility in an event of an emergency, the following will take place:
    a. Remove tasks from the nursing department that does not need to be completed by a CNA or Nurse including but not limited to passing out water, answering call bells, passing out snacks and meal trays to alternate employees.
    b. Restorative nursing staff will assist on the units as well as Rehab staff within their scope of practice
    c. Nursing Administration (DON, ADON, Unit Manager and Supervisors) may need to work on the units as needed
  3. Dietary department may utilize paper products in order to free staff to assist in other areas.

Virtual Communication:

POLICY:

To continue to provide the vital opportunity for family members to interact with their loved ones while minimizing the chance of the spread of COVID-19.

PROCEDURE:

  • Scheduling for all video chats will be done by the Activity Department.
    o All family members were notified to send an email for all virtual visitation requests to
    foothillacrescommunication@gmail.com at least 24 hours prior to requested video chat time.
    o Email addresses for new admissions are obtained by Admissions and/or Receptionist.
    o Chats are scheduled daily from 10:00 am to 7:00 pm and are limited to 10 minutes.
    o A daily schedule will be printed and distributed to each unit and Activity Supervisor so everyone knows what chats are scheduled for the day.
    o Activity Director and/or Activity Supervisors will coordinate who will be assigned to carry out each video chat scheduled.
      – On units with suspected or confirmed COVID-19 or 14-day quarantine, the Activity
    Supervisor or Director will coordinate with Unit Managers to identify any residents that
    could done by Nursing staff while in the rooms.
    o When video session is complete, staff are to log the results and notify Activity Director or Supervisor of any issues during the call.
  • For units/rooms with no confirmed or suspected cases of COVID-19 or residents on 14-day quarantine:
    o Activity staff or other facility staff will complete video chats with residents.
    o All tablets and iPads will be wiped down with disinfecting wipes before and after each use.
    o If resident has difficulty hearing, there are headphones with a mic available for that resident to use and keep at their bedside. Headphones will be labeled with the resident’s name on them.
  • For units/rooms with at least 1 confirmed or suspected case of COVID-19 or residents on 14-day quarantine:
    o All tablets and iPads will be wiped down with disinfecting wipes before and after each use.
    o All tablets and iPads will be placed in a gallon zip lock bag prior to entering the resident room.
    o Staff will don all appropriate PPE prior to entering room.
    o Stands for devices are available for use to promote social distancing once virtual call has been established. Stands must be wiped down before use.
    o If resident has difficulty hearing, there are headphones with a mic available for that resident to use and keep at their bedside which will be labeled with the resident’s name on it.
    o Dispose of zip lock bag when video chat is complete and wipe down tablet and stand with disinfecting wipe.
    o Activity staff will complete video chats for residents who are not confirmed with COVID-19 or showing any symptoms. To minimize the traffic in an isolation room, the CNA or other nursing staff may complete video chats for those who are suspected or confirmed with COVID-19 or currently on 14-day quarantine.

Infection Prevention and Control

  • Restrict visitors and non-essential healthcare personnel, except in certain compassionate-care situation.
  • Evaluate all persons who enter the facility for signs/symptoms of COVID-19. Temperature checks at entry point. Temperature checks at the start of each shift for all employees.
  • The facility will monitor any visitors/vendors/physician for temperature and any signs of respiratory symptoms. The following will also be assessed: history of international travel with 14 days or travel to any of the high-risk states within 14 days, history of exposure to a presumptive or positive COVID-19.
  • Visitors with respiratory symptoms will not be permitted to enter the facility at any time.
  • Facility will require visitors who are cleared to enter the facility to perform hand hygiene and use of facemask and restrict visitation to resident’s room.
  • Signage for visitation, cough etiquette and hand hygiene will be posted in several locations within the facility.
  • Visitation restriction will be communicated through mass letter, telephone calls and posting of signage.
  • Active screening for residents for fever (Temperature of 100.4) and other COVID-19 symptoms every shift.
  • Any supply delivery will be dropped off by the loading dock and/or right by the reception area.
  • Alcohol-based hand sanitizers for hand hygiene will be provided in the hallways and on medication carts based on supply availability.
  • PPE needed will be made available outside the doors for easy access to the staff.
  • Facility will provide EPA disinfectants to allow for frequent cleaning of high touched surfaces and shared resident equipment.
  • Suspend communal dining and all group activities.
  • Residents are encouraged to remain in their rooms. If the resident leaves their room, they should wear a face covering or face mask; perform hand hygiene, limit movement in the facility and perform social distancing.
  • Waste receptable will be provided for PPE
  • Implement Standard and Transmission-Based Precaution including use of N95 mask or other respirators.
  • Signs posted for direction of PPE to use in residents on Transmission Based Precaution

Resident Management / Cohorting

  • Implement cohorting plan that allows for separation of residents, dedicating staff and medical equipment to each of these cohort and allowing necessary space to do so at the onset of an outbreak.
  • In the event staffing cannot be designated specifically in the COVID-19 unit, Staff will work from clean unit to COVID Unit., Staff will cluster work load from clean resident to COVID residents.
  • Staff will don COVID-19 recommended PPE: N-95 or respirator, eye shield, gloves and gown when entering resident rooms.
  • Laboratory confirmed COVID-19 positive residents will be relocated to designated cohort. Private rooms will be provided if feasible. Cohort with another COVID-19 resident maybe done when private room is not possible.
  • Person Under investigation will not be moved to COVID-19 cohort until results are confirmed.
  • Roommates of COVID-19 residents are considered exposed and should not share a room with other residents unless they have tested negative and has been asymptomatic for 14 days from last exposure.
  • Facility will adhere to the CDC guidelines for the discontinuation of Transmission-Based Precaution.
    Symptom-based strategy
  •   At least 3 days (72 hours) have passed since recovery defined as resolution of fever without the use of fever-reducing medications and improvement in respiratory symptoms (e.g., cough, shortness of breath); and,
  •   At least 10 days have passed since symptoms first appeared

Staff Management

  • All residents will be provided mask and instructed to cover their nose and mouth when around others, as tolerated.
  • Enforce use of universal facemask (source control) for staff while in the facility in addition to active screening of symptomatic staff.
  • Staff will be screened by getting their temperature taken and completing a screening tool at the start of their shift
  • Any staffs that shows symptoms consistent with COVID-19 will be asked to put on a mask and leave the facility. Such staff would require clearance from IP before returning to work.
  • Identify staff who maybe at higher risk for severe COVID-19 and attempt to assign to unaffected units.
  • Educate and reinforce sick leave policy including not to report to work when sick.
  • Assess staff competency on infection prevention and control measure including putting on and taking off PPE.
  • Conserve use of PPE using CDC guidance for PPE contingency strategies.
  • Consider staffing contingency for shortage (refer to separate policy).
Good evening,
 
I hope everyone is doing well.
During standard testing of all residents admitting to the facility, we had a resident who returned after a brief stay to the facility and had a positive COVID test result. As per protocol, upon readmission the resident was put into 14 day isolation. The resident was retested both with a PCR and rapid, and both came back negative. 
While we have every reason to believe that this is a false positive, we are required by NJDOH to notify residents, families and staff of all positive COVID test results.  Once we are able to determine definitively, I will reach out again.
On another note, we did have an employee who worked on the Sub Acute unit test positive. This diagnosis was confirmed by a rapid test. The employee was screened at the beginning of the shift and asymptomatic and was cleared for work.
While it is concerning to have a positive result, I want to say that this is exactly the reason why we test. It allows the facility to protect the residents and staff by knowing early who is infected and who needs to stay out of the facility. Without testing, this employee could have reported for work many more times thus increasing exponentially the risk to everyone. By having the testing done weekly, we were able to limit it to only one shift.
As always, if anyone has any questions, I am available on my cell at 973-525-4011. Additionally, we have a dedicated email address which is monitored for families to reach out. It is safety@foothillacres.com
This information can also be found on our website. www.foothillacres.com
 
Respectfully,
 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA
Administrator
Hello again,
 
Late yesterday evening Foothill Acres received another positive test result from another staff member. As was the case yesterday, this employee displayed no symptoms (asymptomatic) when they were screened at the beginning of their shift.  This staff member worked on all long-term units. Under the guidance of the local Health Department they advised us that we need to establish a new baseline for all residents and employees. We will be testing all residents starting Saturday and then a 2nd time on Monday. All staff will be tested no later than Monday and again no later than Wednesday. Once we establish the new baseline we will test as needed. Families are within their rights to refuse testing. If anyone does NOT want to have their family member tested, please reach out to the facility right away to let us know.
 
The local Health Department further advised us that due to the current circumstances, we need to temporarily suspend all visitation, with exceptions only for residents that are actively passing. We know how valuable the Essential Caregiver, DDD, and Compassionate Care visits are, but we are left with no choice to do this for the safety of the residents and their families.
 
We will keep you updated with any further developments. As always, the staff at Foothill are available for any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please email safety@foothillacres.com  or call my cell at 973-525-4011.
 
Respectfully,
 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA
Administrator
Good evening,
 
As a follow-up to the previous letters, I’m happy to report that all tests results from residents and staff this past week returned negative for COVID, thus successfully establishing a new baseline for all. This is the result we were hoping for and allows us to restart all visitation effective this Monday October 26. Please use the online scheduler which can be found at www.calendly.com/foothillacres The website is active and ready to take your appointments. Essential Caregiver, DDD, and Compassionate Care visits are also resuming on Monday.
 
We are working diligently to have indoor visitation. There are many guidelines that need to be met, one of which is to be COVID free for 28 days, and then to get a letter from the local Health Dept attesting to the end of the outbreak. Once we meet all criteria for indoor visitation, you guys will be the first to know.
 
As always, virtual visitation is still available. Please email our dedicated staff at foothillacrescommunication@gmail.com to set up an appointment.
 
We are planning on hosting a weekly conference call for families to call in and discuss any questions or concerns you may have. I anticipate having the call-in info early next week and will share with everyone the time/date.
 
We will keep you updated with any further developments. As always, the staff at Foothill are available for any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please email safety@foothillacres.com or call my cell at 973-525-4011. This information can also be found on our new website. www.foothillacres.com
 
Respectfully,
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA
Administrator
Good evening to all,
 
I am happy to report that we have completed our required 14 day COVID free period. This is significant because under the latest CDC guidelines released on October 20th, we now are able to offer limited indoor visitation. We are planning on having the first indoor visitation on Wednesday, November 4th. The guidelines for indoor visitation will be emailed to all early next week. It will outline everything you need to know on how to set up an appointment, location of the visits, and a general overview of the process. As always, we are available to answer any and all questions you may have.
 
Two things I need to point out are:
 
1. When the indoor visitation starts, it will replace the outdoor visitation program.
 
2. Everyone will be required to use the same online appointment scheduler to schedule an appointment to enter the facility. Please don’t show up if you don’t have a confirmed appointment and put us in the uncomfortable position of refusing entry.
 
Additionally, we are going to have a weekly conference call hosted by myself on Tuesdays from 3:00 to 3:30. To join the conference call please dial 865-666-3900, enter conference room number 116, then enter 1234# for the password.
 
We will keep you updated with any further developments. As always, the staff at Foothill are available for any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please email safety@foothillacres.com or call my cell at 973-525-4011.
 
Respectfully,
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA
Administrator
Good evening,
 
I’m happy to announce that Foothill Acres will be starting indoor visitation tomorrow, November 4th. Please see the enclosed brochure that has all the guidance and information needed to understand the process, and to schedule an appointment. As stated in Fridays email, this will REPLACE outdoor visitation.
 
If you have any questions, please contact me at safety@foothillacres.com
You can also call me on my cell at 973-525-4011
 
We look forward to greeting you.
 
Stay Safe
 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA
Administrator
Hello again, 
Late last evening Foothill Acres received a positive test result from a staff member as part of the weekly testing we are conducting of all staff. This employee displayed no symptoms (asymptomatic) when they were screened at the beginning of their shift. This staff member worked on Maple Unit. Under the guidance of our physicians, we have been advised that we need to quarantine and test all residents that were on this staff members assignment, and as well any staff who had extended contact with this employee for 14 days. We will be closely monitoring all residents on the unit.
 
 As in the previous case, due to the current circumstances, we need to temporarily suspend ALL visitation, with exceptions only for residents that are actively passing. We know how frustrating this is to everyone considering we just started indoor visitation yesterday. Unfortunately, we are left with no choice to do this for the safety of the residents and their families.
 
We will keep you updated with any further developments. As always, the staff at Foothill are available for any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please email safety@foothillacres.com or call my cell at 973-525-4011.
 
Respectfully,
 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA

November 13, 2020

 

Good afternoon,

 

Last night Foothill staff received positive COVID test results from four residents in the Sub Acute unit. With this new outbreak Foothill is following protocols to isolate the positive residents in the designated separate hallway in the sub-acute unit behind double doors with each resident under quarantine in their own room. All residents and staff will be tested twice in the next 2-5 days with additional testing as needed. Residents are being tested today, staff tomorrow. Once round one is complete, we will initiate round two. At this time, all staff are negative from the standard weekly testing. All staff that were identified as prolonged contact with these residents have been removed for the schedule as well.

This new development will continue the need to keep all visitation suspended indefinitely. If you had a visit scheduled for Nov 19 or later, please do not come to the facility. You do not need to go to the website to cancel.  We will send out a notification when it is safe to resume visitation. all virtual visitation modules are still available.

I’d like to remind everyone that we have a weekly conference call hosted by myself and other Foothill staff on Tuesdays from 3:00 to 3:30. To join the conference call please dial 865-666-3900, enter conference room number 116, then enter 1234# for the password.

 We will keep you updated with any further developments. As always, the staff at Foothill Acres are available for any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please email safety@foothillacres.com  or call my cell at 973-525-4011.

 

Respectfully,

 

Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA

Administrator

 

November 20, 2020
 
Good afternoon,
 
Outbreak testing at the facility is still not wrapped up due to longer wait times for results from the labs. We expect to get results from the last round of testing in the next day or so. Currently, results have been encouraging and we are hopeful of future outcomes that will allow us to emerge from the outbreak status. As far as resuming indoor visitation, the facility is still following the guidance released by the State. As per Executive Directive 20-0261 indoor visitation is contingent on several factors including facility outbreak status and CALI scores. Since we are still in outbreak testing until we get all test results back, visitation is still not possible. The other thing we must consider is the COVID-19 Activity Level Report of CALI score. CALI scores are released weekly by the NJDOH and are based on positivity rates in the State. You can find them at https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/statistics/covid/index.shtml
 
The latest CALI score was upgraded to HIGH, and quoting from Executive Order 20-0261
“CALI score High or Very High = Visitation should only occur for compassionate care, end-of-life and essential caregiver situations according to the core principles of COVID-19 infection prevention, NJDOH guidance and directives”. This factor restricts the facility from allowing indoor visitation except for compassionate care, end-of-life and essential caregiver situations, even when we graduate from the outbreak status, and even those visits “should not be routine.” Virtual visitation can still be scheduled by emailing foothillacrescommunication@gmail.com.
 
We look forward to a time when we will be able to throw open our doors to everyone but under the current circumstances it just isn’t possible.
As the holiday season is fast approaching, we’ve put together a flyer (attached) which outlines our policy for this year. As with everything else, NJDOH has given us directives which govern our policy. DOH strongly discourages families from taking their loved ones out of facility for the holidays, even for a short time, but recognizes the right of residents and their families to make those decisions. Please be advised, anyone who does leave the facility will be required to quarantine in the facility for 14 days upon their return. Please see the attached flyer for further details.
 
We are continuing to have a weekly conference call hosted by myself or other senior staff on Tuesdays from 3:00 to 3:30. To join the conference call please dial 865-666-3900, enter conference room number 116, then enter 1234# for the password.
 
We will keep you updated with any further developments. As always, the staff at Foothill are available for any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please email safety@foothillacres.com or call my cell at 973-525-4011.
 
 
Respectfully,
 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA
Administrator
Happy Thanksgiving!!!! 
 
 
I’m happy to report that outbreak testing was completed and there were no additional positives. That means we currently have zero residents and zero employees with COVID. This means that visitation for Essential Caregivers, Compassionate Care and Hospice only is now possible. Our wonderful team has already reached out to all families that fall under the permitted categories. 
 
IF YOU ARE ONE OF THOSE THAT ARE ABLE TO ENTER THE FACILITY, PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR TESTING IS UP TO DATE. WE WILL NOT BE ABLE TO ACCOMMODATE ANYONE WHO HAS MISSED EVEN ONE TEST. 
 
As far as regular resident indoor visitation, we unfortunately are still prohibited to allow regular indoor visitation due to the CALI score which has remained at the “HIGH” level for our area. You can find the latest CALI score at https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/statistics/covid/index.shtml 
 
We are continuing to have a weekly conference call hosted by myself or other senior staff on Tuesdays from 3:00 to 3:30. This has proven to be a great way to enhance communication between families and Foothill Administration. I highly encourage you to join the call. To join the conference call please dial 865-666-3900, enter conference room number 116, then enter 1234# for the password.
 
We will keep you updated with any further developments. As always, the staff at Foothill are available for any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please email safety@foothillacres.com or call my cell at 973-525-4011. 
 
Let me wish everyone a wonderful Thanksgiving weekend.
 
Respectfully, 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA 
Administrator

Monday, November 30th, 2020

Good evening,
 
Foothill Administration were notified today that one of our staff members that worked on Sub Acute unit tested positive. This staff member was wearing FULL PPE and was not a risk to any resident or staff member.
 
We are continuing to aggressively test staff to be able to act quickly when the need arises like we were able to in this latest incident. 
 
Stay safe
 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA
Administrator

 

Good evening,
 
Foothill Acres is participating in a pilot testing program in conjunction with NJ Dept of Health in that we are performing rapid testing for every individual that crosses the facility threshold for the next two weeks. Today we had one staff member that works in Rehab Dept test positive. We also continue to get test results back from the standard PCR tests. A few moments ago, we were notified that a resident on the Sub Acute Unit tested positive. This resident was on a 14-day quarantine and staff that provided care were wearing full PPE. 
Current count: 
Staff: 3 positives 
Residents: 1 positive 
 
What this means to families: 
 
Unfortunately, the facility will be in outbreak testing, which stops ALL VISITATION except for end of life situations. I understand the maddening frustration that families are feeling since we just reopened, however we must remain diligent in our mission to do everything we can to keep our residents and staff safe. I appreciate your understanding during this difficult time. 
 
AS always, we will keep you updated with any further developments. The staff at Foothill Acres are available for any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please email safety@foothillacres.com or call my cell at 973-525-4011. I also invite you to go to our website at www.foothillacres.com which is updated with the latest news. 
 
Stay safe 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA
Good evening,
 
Foothill Acres is actively participating in a pilot testing program in conjunction with NJ Dept of Health in that we are performing rapid testing for every individual that crosses the facility threshold for the next two weeks. We also continue to get test results back from the standard PCR tests.
 
Today we were notified that two additional residents on the Sub Acute Unit tested positive. These residents were on a 14-day quarantine and staff that provided care were wearing full PPE. All COVID positive residents have been moved to a designated, secure COVID wing.
 
 
Current count: 
Staff: 3 positives 
Residents: 3 positive 
 
What this means to families: 
 
Unfortunately, the facility will be in outbreak testing, which stops ALL VISITATION except for end of life situations. I understand the maddening frustration that families are feeling since we just reopened, however we must remain diligent in our mission to do everything we can to keep our residents and staff safe. I appreciate your understanding during this difficult time. 
 
AS always, we will keep you updated with any further developments. The staff at Foothill Acres are available for any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please email safety@foothillacres.com or call my cell at 973-525-4011. I also invite you to go to our website at www.foothillacres.com which is updated with the latest news. 
 
Stay safe 
 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA
Good evening,
 
Testing is continuing at Foothill Acres. Last night we were notified that 4 residents in the Sub Acute unit tested positive. There have no new staff positives since last week, so we are considering this a continuation of last weeks outbreak. Our current numbers including last week are:
 
7 residents,
2 exposed
3 staff
 
From the 7 residents, two will be considered  recovered tomorrow and will be removed from the isolation unit.
 
As we hard into the winter months, we remain committed to doing everything we can to prevent COVID from entering the facility, and when we are confronted with the virus, we move to mitigate its spread by following CDC and NJDOH guidelines.
 
As always, my staff and I are available to answer any of your questions or concerns. Please feel free to reach out to me on my cell phone at 973-525-4011.
 
You can also reach us via email at safety@foothillacres.com
 
Stay safe
 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA
Administrator
Good Afternoon,
 
Another employee tested positive to the rapid test yesterday. This employee was not in facility on Wednesday and just came in to be tested on Thursday. This employee is not a direct caregiver, and was wearing appropriate PPE during previous work schedule. That brings our totals active COVID to:
7 Residents
3 Staff
 
On another note, there has been a huge focus on the vaccine in terms of when it will be available to facility residents and employees. I’m grateful that the NJDOH has deemed residents in Long Term Care facilities like Foothill Acres and the healthcare workers that care for them the highest priority for roll-out. Foothill Acres has partnered with CVS Pharmacy who will be handling the entire vaccination program. We expect to be contacted by CVS early next week with more detailed information. Once the information becomes available I will forward it to residents and their families. In the meantime, please know that we continue to follow state guidelines at every turn. Keeping residents and staff safe is not the highest priority, it’s the only priority.
 
Please visit our website for all the latest information including important phone numbers and email addresses My cellphone is 973-525-4011, please do not hesitate to call me should you feel the need.
 
Have a great weekend.
 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA
Administrator
Good morning,
 
Over the weekend, testing revealed 1 Sub Acute resident and 1 staff member with a positive COVID PCR test result. This resident is asymptomatic at this time and has been moved to the covid unit. The staff member was wearing full PPE. The entire Sub Acute unit remains under isolation protocols until the 14 day period of no new covid positive cases. All staff on this unit will be wearing full PPE at all times.
 
Current Covid Cases:
8 residents
4 staff
 
 
As always, my staff and I are available to answer any of your questions or concerns. Please feel free to reach out to me on my cell phone at 973-525-4011.
 
Stay safe,
 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA
Administrator
 
Good evening, 
 
Today the facility continued to test residents and staff in an effort to identify any additional COVID positive individuals. We were puzzled by the results, because two residents in the Maple unit that were positive who were not displaying any symptoms and have a medical history which give us strong reason to believe they were false positives. Infectious Disease consultants ordered another rapid which came back negative. PCR tests were also sent to the lab and we are waiting for results which we anticipate to get back by Thursday the latest. Those residents were immediately moved to the COVID unit for safety. Additionally, the entire Maple unit was rapid tested with all results coming back negative. 
 
Current count: 
Staff: 3 positives 
Residents: 11 positives 
 
What this means to families: 
Unfortunately, this keeps the facility in outbreak testing, which continues to stop ALL VISITATION except for end-of-life situations. This also means the earliest Essential Caregiver visitation can resume is December 28, assuming no new positives are recorded between now and then. 
 
I am also aware there are a lot of questions around the vaccine, as to which one we will be offering, when it will be available etc…. Please keep an eye out for the consent form that will be mailed out in the very near future. I will be communicating with residents and families as the information becomes available to us. 
 
As always, we will keep you updated with any further developments. The staff at Foothill Acres are available for any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please email safety@foothillacres.com or call my cell at 973-525-4011. I also invite you to go to our website at www.foothillacres.com which is updated with the latest news. 
 
Stay safe 
Pinny Goldblatt
Administrator
Good afternoon, 
 
Today the facility received the news that two more residents on Maple Unit tested positive. Both residents were in rooms by themselves and both were moved to the COVID wing. 
 
Current count: 
Staff: 3 positives 
Residents: 11 positives 
 
What this means to families: 
Unfortunately, this keeps the facility in outbreak testing, which continues to stops ALL VISITATION except for end-of-life situations. This also means the earliest Essential Caregiver visitation can resume is January 1, assuming no new positives are recorded between now and then. 
 
As always, we will keep you updated with any further developments. The staff at Foothill Acres are available for any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please email safety@foothillacres.com or call my cell at 973-525-4011. I also invite you to go to our website at www.foothillacres.com which is updated with the latest news. 
 
Stay safe 
 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA
Good evening,
 
As we head into the winter months, we are getting ready to offer the vaccine for all residents who wish to take it. We are strongly recommending that every resident take the vaccine. Ultimately, this is a personal choice, and the facility will honor any decision that a resident and/or healthcare proxy makes. 
 
We have been in contact with CVS who will be overseeing the vaccine program. As of today, we have heard that the vaccine should be available to nursing homes not before Dec 28. If the resident is alert and oriented and generally completes their own paperwork, we will have them (with the help of Foothill staff if requested) complete the forms. If you are the Responsible Party for a resident in the facility, please complete the attached consent form and return it to the facility at safety@foothillacres.com. We would like to be prepared ahead of time so when the green light is given, we are ready to go. 
 
We are continuing to test staff weekly. We have been notified by the lab that 3 more staff members and one resident from Maple have tested positive. That resident was moved to the COVID wing. 
 
Current count:
 
Staff: 6 positives 
Residents: 12 positives
 
What this means to families:
 
Unfortunately, this keeps the facility in outbreak testing, which continues to stop ALL VISITATION except for end-of-life situations. This also means the earliest Essential Caregiver visitation can resume is January 9th, assuming no new positives are recorded between now and then.
 
There have also been complaints that it has been difficult to get the nurses to answer the phones. To help solve this issue, The Nurse Supervisor extension is 5328. Please only use this option when the need is urgent. We are continuing to work on solutions that will allow the nursing staff to answer the phones timely. 
 
As always, we will keep you updated with any further developments. The staff at Foothill Acres are available for any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please email safety@foothillacres.com or call my cell at 973-525-4011. I also invite you to go to our website at www.foothillacres.com which is updated with the latest news.
 
Stay safe
 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA
Good afternoon, 
 
Foothill was informed that a non-direct care staff member tested positive. This employee was wearing appropriate PPE while in the facility and was immediately notified and sent home. 
 
Current count: 
Staff: 4 positives 
Residents: 11 positives 
 
I will start to include in the count the residents/staff who have recovered. 
Let me take this opportunity to wish all the families of Foothill Acres a wonderful holiday season, with hopes that the new year will bring an end to this pandemic. 
 
Stay safe. 
 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA
Good afternoon,
 
I’d like to share some great news with the extended Foothill Acres family. We have been scheduled to offer the COVID vaccine to our Residents, Staff, and Essential Caregivers this Monday, January 4th, 2021 and Tuesday January 5, 2021.  
 
Like previously discussed, CVS Pharmacy will be handling the entire process. I am not yet aware of which vaccine they will be offering but I have heard from other nursing homes it is the one from Pfizer.
 
I’m also happy to see a lot of families have sent in their consent forms. If you have not already done so, PLEASE send it in as soon as possible so we will be ahead of the curve. I anticipate Monday to be a very busy day for all of us, and am asking for your help in being prepared as best as we can be.  
 
If you are an Essential Caregiver and would like to get the vaccine from us, please let us know right away so we can save you a spot. You can email us at safety@foothillacres.com
 
I understand that there are many valid questions surrounding the entire vaccination program/process. I wish I had all the answers but considering how new this is for all of us, I simply don’t have answers to many questions. As this process unfolds, I hope we will get clarity on all issues.
 
Stay safe.
 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA
 
Happy New Year’s Eve, 
 
Two days ago, we tested all the residents to establish a baseline. Unfortunately, one came back positive from Maple. That resident was not having any symptoms but was moved to the COVID wing. These are our current numbers: 
 
Active: 
Residents: 4 positives 
Staff: 4 positives 
 
Recovered: 
Residents: 15 
Expired: 1 
Staff: 9 
 
This means the earliest time Essential Caregivers may schedule a visit is January 13. 
 
With 2020 coming to an end, I’d like to express my gratitude to all the families of the residents of Foothill Acres.
 
This has been a tough/frustrating/unprecedented/challenging year. The world was tested in ways that haven’t been seen since the end of WW2. Thankfully with the vaccine here, there is hope for 2021 to be a better year. I very much appreciate every thought, idea, concern, and words of encouragement from you guys. I look forward to the day (hopefully in the not-so-distant future) that the halls of Foothill be filled with the families once again. Until that time, we will keep fighting the fight to keep our residents and your loved ones safe. 
 
Respectfully, 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA
 
 
Hello All, 
 
I hope everyone enjoyed the Holidays. 
 
I’m happy to report this past Monday and Tuesday we had a very successful vaccination clinic. 
 
Of the residents that were eligible to receive the vaccine, a whopping 93% got the first dose. Additionally, 71% of staff received the vaccine as well. That gives Foothill an average of 82% of the people in the facility chose to be vaccinated. We anticipate this number to climb a bit more at the next clinic, as there may be some residents and staff that would opt to get their first dose then. We also gave 14 Essential Caregivers the vaccine. 
 
I want to thank ALL our families and staff who did an incredible job at getting everything ready for the clinics as this avoiding potential issues. I also want to publicly thank CVS for the excellent personnel they sent to Foothill to administer the vaccine. They were friendly, professional, and efficient. We look forward to the 2nd clinic with CVS. 
 
We are continuing to test residents and staff. We have not gotten all our lab results back yet so the jury is still out on results. That said, IF there are no new positives, visitation for Essential Caregivers will be Wednesday, January 13th 
 
Active: 
Residents: 1 positive 
Staff: 0 positives 
Recovered: 
Residents: 18 
Staff: 13 
 
I’d like to remind everyone that we have a weekly conference call hosted by myself and other Foothill staff on Tuesdays from 3:00 to 3:30. To join the conference call please dial 865-666-3900, enter conference room number 116, then enter 1234# for the password. 
 
AS always, we will keep you updated with any further developments. The staff at Foothill Acres are available for any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please email safety@foothillacres.com or call my cell at 973-525-4011. I also invite you to go to our website at www.foothillacres.com which is updated with the latest news.
 
Respectfully,
 
Pinny Goldblatt
Good afternoon, 
 
I’m happy to report this past Wednesday we reached a milestone of 14 days without a new positive. This allowed us to open limited visitation for our Essential Caregivers. 
 
We are preparing for the 2nd vaccine clinic with CVS which is scheduled for a week from this Monday and Tuesday, Jan 25th and 26th. 
 
We are continuing weekly test of residents and staff. We now have our sights set on reaching 28 days without a new COVID positive. Should we be successful, we would be one step closer to ending the current outbreak in the facility which would enable us to open up visitation for the rest of the residents. I will keep everyone updated on our progress as I understand many families have been unable to visit for quite some time. We would love to see residents and families spend time together and we are working diligently to make that happen. I am unable to predict what day we would possibly open for regular visitation since there are many things outside of our control at play here. I appreciate your understanding. 
 
Here are our current numbers: 
 
Active: 
Residents: 0 positive 
Staff: 0 positives 
 
Recovered: 
Residents: 14 with 4 safely discharged home 
Staff: 13 
 
I’d like to remind everyone that we have a weekly conference call hosted by myself and other Foothill staff on Tuesdays from 3:00 to 3:30. To join the conference call please dial 865-666-3900, enter conference room number 116, then enter 1234# for the password. 
 
AS always, we will keep you updated with any further developments. The staff at Foothill Acres are available for any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please email safety@foothillacres.com or call my cell at 973-525-4011. I also invite you to go to our website at www.foothillacres.com which is updated with the latest news. 
 
Have a wonderful weekend. 
 
Respectfully, 
 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA
Good afternoon, 
 
I’m happy to share that we haven’t had any new positives for residents or staff this week. That puts us at 23 days clean. There is still a long way to go before we would be able to resume visitation for the general population but this is definitely moving us in the right direction. We are still bound to all other factors that govern the allowance of indoor visitation. Right now, assuming we reach 28 clean days, AND we get an official “End of Outbreak” declaration from the Dept of Health, we still need to consider the CALI score. I will reiterate what was shared with the Foothill families about 2 months ago. 
 
As per Executive Directive 20-0261 indoor visitation is contingent on several factors including facility outbreak status and CALI scores. COVID-19 Activity Level Report or CALI scores are released weekly by the NJDOH and are based on positivity rates in the State. You can find them at https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/statistics/covid/index.shtml 
 
The link to the latest report is here https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/documents/topics/NCOV/COVID_19_Report_Week_2021_2.pdf 
 
The latest CALI score shows the whole state as HIGH, and quoting from Executive Order 20-0261 
 
“CALI score High or Very High = Visitation should only occur for compassionate care, end-of-life and essential caregiver situations according to the core principles of COVID-19 infection prevention, NJDOH guidance and directives”. This factor restricts the facility from allowing indoor visitation except for compassionate care, end-of-life and essential caregiver situations, even when we graduate from the outbreak status, and even those visits “should not be routine.” Virtual visitation can still be scheduled by emailing foothillacrescommunication@gmail.com. 
 
 
In other news, the 2nd vaccine clinic with CVS is scheduled for this Monday and Tuesday, Jan 25th and 26th. We plan on giving the residents of the Magnolia Unit the vaccine on Monday and the rest of the facility on Tuesday. 
 
Here are our current numbers: 
 
Active: 
Residents: 0 positive 
Staff: 0 positives 
 
Recovered: 
Residents: 18 
Staff: 13 
 
I’d like to remind everyone that we have a weekly conference call hosted by myself and other Foothill staff on Tuesdays from 3:00 to 3:30. To join the conference call please dial 865-666-3900, enter conference room number 116, then enter 1234# for the password. 
 
AS always, we will keep you updated with any further developments. The staff at Foothill Acres are available for any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please email safety@foothillacres.com or call my cell at 973-525-4011. I also invite you to go to our website at www.foothillacres.com which is updated with the latest news. 
 
Have a wonderful weekend. 
Respectfully, 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA
Hello everyone, 
 
I’m happy to share that we continue to have no new positives for residents or staff this week. That puts us at 30 days clean. We applied for and received the official “End of Outbreak” declaration from the Dept of Health. Visitation is still not available due to the high CALI score. 
 
Here is the link to get the latest CALI score for the State of New Jersey https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/statistics/covid/index.shtml 
 
 
In other news, the 2nd vaccine clinic with CVS was a huge success. A whopping 94% of our eligible residents received the vaccine, plus 78% of staff got the vaccine as well. This puts the overall Foothill population at 86%, well over the 70% needed for herd immunity. I am very grateful to the wonderful Foothill staff that worked together with the CVS team to get this job done. Special shout out to our Director of Nursing Diana, and the dynamic duo Nancy and Mary. 
 
Here are our current numbers: 
 
Active: 
Residents: 0 positive 
Staff: 0 positives 
 
Recovered: 
Residents: 18 
Staff: 13 
 
I’d like to remind everyone that we have a weekly conference call hosted by myself and other Foothill staff on Tuesdays from 3:00 to 3:30. To join the conference call please dial 865-666-3900, enter conference room number 116, then enter 1234# for the password. 
 
AS always, we will keep you updated with any further developments. The staff at Foothill Acres are available for any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please email safety@foothillacres.com or call my cell at 973-525-4011. I also invite you to go to our website at www.foothillacres.com which is updated with the latest news. 
 
Have a wonderful weekend. 
 
 
Respectfully, 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA

Dear Family and Friends,

We are happy to announce that our vaccination clinic with CVS Pharmacywas a HUGE success. 94% of our eligible residents received the vaccine, and 78% of our eligible staff. Our overall population at Foothill is 86% vaccinated. We are grateful to the wonderful Foothill Acres staff that worked diligently with CVS Pharmacy to make this happen. We are looking forward to brighter days ahead, and appreciate your continued support.

Sincerely,

Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA

Hello everyone,
 
Today we were notified that one of our non-direct care employees tested positive. This is the first positive we’ve had in approx. 7 weeks. We hope this will remain an isolated incident. The employee was in the facility yesterday but was wearing appropriate PPE and worked on a unit that nearly all the residents were vaccinated. At this point, we are waiting for guidance from the local Health Department if this is considered an outbreak. If it is, ALL visitation will need to be put on hold until we get thru outbreak testing. AT THIS TIME, WE ARE STILL ABLE TO HAVE ESSENTIAL CAREGIVER AND COMPASSIONATE CARE VISITATION.
 
Now for the good news. The Somerset County CALI score dropped from HIGH (orange) to MODERATE (Yellow) What does this mean for us? Well, to protect the long-term care population, once the local CALI score drops a level, we are required to be two weeks behind the community. Simply put, once the Somerset County CALI score is at MODERATE (yellow) for two full weeks, we can than potentially restart indoor visitation.
 
Here is the link to get the latest CALI score for the State of New Jersey
https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/statistics/covid/index.shtml
In other news, the Valentines Day balloon bouquets will be delivered to the residents on Sunday.
 
Here are our current numbers:
 
Active
Residents: 0 positive
Staff: 1 positive
 
Recovered
Residents: 18
Staff: 13
 
I’d like to remind everyone that we have a weekly conference call hosted by myself and other Foothill staff on Tuesdays from 3:00 to 3:30. To join the conference call please dial 865-666-3900, enter conference room number 116, then enter 1234# for the password.
 
AS always, we will keep you updated with any further developments. The staff at Foothill Acres are available for any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please email safety@foothillacres.com or call my cell at 973-525-4011. I also invite you to go to our website at www.foothillacres.com which is updated with the latest news.
 
Have a wonderful weekend.
 
Respectfully,
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA
Good evening,
 
I wanted to follow up in regards to Pinny’s letter. We are happy to inform you that we received notice from NJ DOH that having 1 staff member positive only warrants an investigation but is NOT considered an outbreak. This means essential caregiver visits will continue as scheduled. I would also like to take this opportunity to wish you all a happy Valentine’s day.
 
Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions.
 
Have a great weekend,
 
Diana Truelove, RN DON
Foothill Acres Rehabilitation & Nursing Center
39 East Mountain Rd, Hillsborough, NJ 08844
908-369-8711 ext 5240
Hello everyone, 
 
Late last night we were notified that one of our residents in Magnolia Unit tested positive. This is the first resident positive we’ve had in approx. 8 weeks. We are now required to resume outbreak testing facility wide. All staff were rapid tested today, and so far, the results have all been negative. All residents will be PCR tested tomorrow. Unfortunately, even one resident testing positive is considered an outbreak, which means ALL visitation is immediately stopped, with the only exceptions made for those End-Of Life situations where a doctor deems their patient actively dying. This does reset the clock for general visitation as well. 
We hope this will remain an isolated incident. We are continuing to screen all employees at the main entrance for every shift prior to gaining access to the floors. We are continuing education to our staff, reviewing the importance of handwashing and wearing appropriate PPE. 
 
Here is the link to get the latest CALI score for the State of New Jersey https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/statistics/covid/index.shtml 
 
Here are our current numbers: 
 
Active: 
 
Residents: 1 positive 
Staff: 1 positive 
 
Recovered: 
 
Residents: 18 
Staff: 13 
 
I’d like to remind everyone that we have a weekly conference call hosted by myself and other Foothill staff on Tuesdays from 3:00 to 3:30. To join the conference call please dial 865-666-3900, enter conference room number 116, then enter 1234# for the password. 
 
AS always, we will keep you updated with any further developments. The staff at Foothill Acres are available for any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please email safety@foothillacres.com or call my cell at 973-525-4011. I also invite you to go to our website at www.foothillacres.com which is updated with the latest news. 
 
Please enjoy the rest of your day. 
 
Respectfully, 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA 
Hello everyone, 
 
Last evening, we were notified that one of our residents in Cedar Unit (which is being used as overflow for Sub Acute patients) tested positive. This resident was inside the 14-day isolation period from admission from the hospital. We are continuing outbreak testing facility wide. All staff and residents were tested today.
 
Additionally, all of the residents on Cedar were rapid tested with all results returning negative. We will continue to keep a close eye on all staff and residents for the next two weeks. 
 
ALL visitation is still stopped, with the only exceptions made for those End-Of Life situations where a doctor deems their patient actively dying. This does reset the clock for general visitation as well. 
 
Here is the link to get the latest CALI score for the State of New Jersey
 
 
Here are our current numbers: 
 
Active: 
Residents: 1 positive 
Staff: 1 positive 
 
Recovered: 
Residents: 18 
Staff: 13 
 
I’d like to remind everyone that we have a weekly conference call hosted by myself and other Foothill staff on Tuesdays from 3:00 to 3:30. To join the conference call please dial 865-666-3900, enter conference room number 116, then enter 1234# for the password. 
 
AS always, we will keep you updated with any further developments. The staff at Foothill Acres are available for any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please email safety@foothillacres.com or call my cell at 973-525-4011. I also invite you to go to our website at www.foothillacres.com which is updated with the latest news. 
 
Please enjoy the rest of your day. 
 
Respectfully, 
 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA
Hello everyone, 
 
Unfortunately, another resident in Magnolia tested positive. The resident was sent out to the hospital for treatment. This latest development had us rapid test all the residents and staff of Magnolia with all coming back negative. We will continue outbreak testing facility wide. 
 
ALL visitation is still stopped, with the only exceptions made for those End-Of Life situations where a doctor deems their patient actively dying. This does reset the clock for general visitation as well. 
 
Here is the link to get the latest CALI score for the State of New Jersey https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/statistics/covid/index.shtml 
 
Here are our current numbers: 
 
Active: 
Residents: 2 positives 
Staff: 1 positive 
 
Recovered: 
Residents: 18 
Staff: 13 
 
I’d like to remind everyone that we have a weekly conference call hosted by myself and other Foothill staff on Tuesdays from 3:00 to 3:30. To join the conference call please dial 865-666-3900, enter conference room number 116, then enter 1234# for the password. 
 
AS always, we will keep you updated with any further developments. The staff at Foothill Acres are available for any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please email safety@foothillacres.com or call my cell at 973-525-4011. I also invite you to go to our website at www.foothillacres.com which is updated with the latest news. 
 
Please enjoy the rest of your day. 
 
Respectfully, 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA

March 1st, 2021

Good Evening,
 
 
Today we were notified that a staff member tested positive. The staff member last worked on the Maple unit, and all residents of that unit were rapid tested will all tests coming back negative. The residents will be tested this week with a PCR test and later in the week with another round of rapid tests. Staff are continuing to be tested weekly. We will continue outbreak testing facility wide. 
ALL visitation is still stopped, with the only exceptions made for those End-Of Life situations where a doctor deems their patient actively dying. This does reset the clock for general visitation as well. 
 
Here is the link to get the latest CALI score for the State of New Jersey https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/statistics/covid/index.shtml 
 
Here are our current numbers: 
Active: 
 
Residents: 2 positives 
Staff: 1 positive 
 
Recovered: 
Residents: 18 
Staff: 14 
 
I’d like to remind everyone that we have a weekly conference call hosted by myself and other Foothill staff on Tuesdays from 3:00 to 3:30. To join the conference call please dial 865-666-3900, enter conference room number 116, then enter 1234# for the password. 
 
AS always, we will keep you updated with any further developments. The staff at Foothill Acres are available for any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please email safety@foothillacres.com or call my cell at 973-525-4011. I also invite you to go to our website at www.foothillacres.com which is updated with the latest news. 
 
Please enjoy the rest of your day. 
Respectfully, 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA

 

Good Afternoon, 
 
Late yesterday we were notified that a resident in Maple tested positive. The resident was transferred to the COVID unit to recover. In the meantime, all residents of that unit were rapid tested today with all tests coming back negative. Staff are continuing to be tested weekly. We will continue outbreak testing facility wide. 
 
ALL visitation is still stopped, with the only exceptions made for those End-Of Life situations where a doctor deems their patient actively dying. This does reset the clock for general visitation as well. 
 
Here is the link to get the latest CALI score for the State of New Jersey https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/statistics/covid/index.shtml 
 
Here are our current numbers: 
Active: 
 
Residents: 3 positives 
Staff: 1 positive 
 
Recovered: 
 
Residents: 18 
Staff: 14 
 
I’d like to remind everyone that we have a weekly conference call hosted by myself and other Foothill staff on Tuesdays from 3:00 to 3:30. To join the conference call please dial 865-666-3900, enter conference room number 116, then enter 1234# for the password. 
 
AS always, we will keep you updated with any further developments. The staff at Foothill Acres are available for any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please email safety@foothillacres.com or call my cell at 973-525-4011. I also invite you to go to our website at www.foothillacres.com which is updated with the latest news.
 
Please enjoy the rest of your day. 
 
Respectfully, 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA
Good Afternoon, 
 
I’m happy to report that thankfully this week there were no new COVID cases at Foothill. Residents and staff are continuing to be tested weekly. We will continue outbreak testing facility wide until next Thursday, March 18. 
 
With the weather becoming milder, we know visitation is on everyone’s minds. Additionally, the CDC just released new guidelines on visitation. Foothill Acres is waiting for NJ Dept of Health to issue their guidelines which usually mirror those from the CDC. Once we have them in hand, we will have a much better idea as to when we can open up for indoor visitation and under what circumstances. For now, CALI scores still play a major role in determining visitation status. 
 
Here is the link to get the latest CALI score for the State of New Jersey https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/statistics/covid/index.shtml 
 
I’m also happy to report that all staff have fully recovered and returned to work. We still have 2 residents considered with active COVID. 
 
Here are our current numbers: 
Active: 
Residents: 2 positives 
Staff: 0 positive 
 
Recovered: 
Residents: 19 
Staff: 15 
 
I’d like to remind everyone that we have a weekly conference call hosted by myself and other Foothill staff on Tuesdays from 3:00 to 3:30. To join the conference call please dial 865-666-3900, enter conference room number 116, then enter 1234# for the password. 
 
AS always, we will keep you updated with any further developments. The staff at Foothill Acres are available for any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please email safety@foothillacres.com or call my cell at 973-525-4011. I also invite you to go to our website at www.foothillacres.com which is updated with the latest news. 
 
Have a very nice weekend. 
Respectfully, 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNNA
Good evening, 
 
 
 
Earlier today we were notified that a non direct care employee tested positive. This employee last worked in the facility on Friday, was not feeling well on Saturday, and got tested outside the facility on Sunday. I’m happy to report that thankfully this employee took her personal responsibility seriously and was extremely careful not to be without her PPE at all, and chose to eat lunch while practicing social distancing to further increase the chance of not getting or giving the virus from or to anyone else. Those choices protected her fellow employees from potential exposure. To be safe, all employees who worked with this employee for the 48 hours prior were rapid tested today and all results were negative. We will be keeping a close eye on those employees for the next several days. Unfortunately, this does reset the clock for the outbreak, and we are now calculating our day14 for EG visitation to be Sunday March 28. 
 
CALI scores remain steady for the last 3 weeks at moderate, which is the silver lining here since that is a good indication of the overall health of the county. 
 
Here is the link to get the latest CALI score for the State of New Jersey https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/statistics/covid/index.shtml 
 
I’m also happy to report that all residents have fully recovered and were moved off the COVID wing.
 
Here are our current numbers: 
Active: 
Residents: 0 positives 
Staff: 1 positive 
 
Recovered: 
Residents: 21
Staff: 15 
 
I’d like to remind everyone that we have a weekly conference call hosted by myself and other Foothill staff on Tuesdays from 3:00 to 3:30. To join the conference call please dial 865-666-3900, enter conference room number 116, then enter 1234# for the password. 
 
AS always, we will keep you updated with any further developments. The staff at Foothill Acres are available for any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please email safety@foothillacres.com or call my cell at 973-525-4011. I also invite you to go to our website at www.foothillacres.com which is updated with the latest news. 
 
 
Respectfully, 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA
 
 
Hello all, 
 
Yesterday we were notified another non direct employee tested positive. The employee had no symptoms so a rapid test was done which was negative. Another swab was sent to the lab for PCR testing. The employee was immediately sent home. At this point we aren’t taking any chances and considering this a positive pending results of the next PCR which we hope to get back in 24 hours. We will keep everyone updated as this event unfolds.
 
Respectfully, 
 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA
Administrator
Foothill Acres Rehab and Nursing 
Hello all, 
 
Yesterday we were notified another non direct employee tested positive. The employee had no symptoms so a rapid test was done which was negative. Another swab was sent to the lab for PCR testing. The employee was immediately sent home. At this point we aren’t taking any chances and considering this a positive pending results of the next PCR which we hope to get back in 24 hours. We will keep everyone updated as this event unfolds.
 
Respectfully, 
 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA
Administrator
Foothill Acres Rehab and Nursing 

Dear Foothill Families & Friends,

 

Good News!!  We have received a new memo from the NJDOH that has some new guidelines regarding indoor visitation.   In the previous directive, one of the things that limited indoor visitation was the CALI score in the community.  This score went up last week and would have affected us, however under the new guidance, and since over 70% of the our residents are vaccinated (we are at 90%), we are now will be able to resume indoor visitation by appointment this week, starting on Friday!!! 

 

The new guidelines allow indoor visitation for all residents (regardless of vaccination status or facility’s phases) except now we have different steps that must occur in an outbreak in order for indoor visitation to be continued.  Under the new guidelines, indoor visitation would be limited under the following circumstances:

 

  • Indoor visitation for UNVACCINATED or NOT FULLY VACCINATED residents should be limited if the facility is in a region with a CALI score that is high or very high AND less than 70 percent (<70%) of the residents in the facility are fully vaccinated.
  • Indoor visitation should be limited for residents with confirmed COVID-19 infection, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated until they have met the criteria to discontinue Transmission Based Precautions.
  • Indoor visitation should be limited for residents under quarantine, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, until they have met criteria for release from quarantine. This means that these residents will not be eligible for a visit until their 14 day quarantine has concluded.

 

When a new case of COVID-19 among residents or staff is identified, we have to immediately begin outbreak testing and suspend all visitation until at least ONE round of facility-wide testing is completed.  We will then be able to resume indoor visitation as long as there is evidence that the transmission of COVID-19 is contained to a single area of the facility.   So if the first round of outbreak testing reveals no additional COVID-19 cases in other areas, then indoor visitation can resume for residents in areas with no COVID-19 cases. However, we are required to suspend indoor visitation for the affected areas until the we meet the criteria to discontinue outbreak testing.  If any additional areas are affected, then we would have to continue to suspend all visitation for all residents until we meet the criteria to discontinue outbreak testing (no new cases identified for 14 days since last positive case).

 

For the safety of all of the residents and staff of Foothill Acres, we have to limit the number of visitors per resident, the total number of visitors in the building at any given time, and the movement of the visitors while in the building.  In order to ensure all residents are able to receive visitors on a weekly basis, visits are still limited to 2 visitors (ages 14 or older) per visit and one visit per week, per resident. Family members will need to coordinate with each other when scheduling visits.  Only one form of visitation may be scheduled per day so, on days that indoor visitation is scheduled, all other forms of visitation (including video calls) will be canceled.

 

Fully vaccinated residents can choose to have close contact (including touch) with a visitor as long as the person and resident are wearing a tight-fitting masks (i.e. Surgical mask).  We will be encouraging the use of hand sanitizer before and after all personal contact.  Please try to maintain social distancing and limit contact with any other residents and staff.  All other infection prevention protocols must be maintained during indoor visitation.

 

Indoor visits will be for 25 minutes and appointments can be scheduled throughcalendly.com/foothillacres . You will see an event labeled ‘Indoor Visits’ .  Please review The Foothill Acres Indoor Visitation Guidelines that are linked here for further instructions on how to check in the day of your appointment.  You can direct any questions to us by emailingfoothillacrescommunication@gmail.com. 

 

On another note, our COVID update includes no new positive cases this week!  We still have one staff member positive out on quarantine.  We have ZERO residents positive at this time. 

 

We are very excited to be able to welcome you all back inside Foothill Acres and look forward to seeing everyone soon!!

 

 

Mary Walaszek
Regional Activity Director


Foothill Acres Rehabilitation & Nursing Center
39 East Mountain Road
Hillsborough, NJ 08844
(908) 369-8711 extention 5203
maryw@foothillacres.com

Hello everyone, 
 
Unfortunately, we were notified by the lab that two employees (direct and non-direct) have tested positive for COVID-19. Both employees are asymptomatic and have been asked to quarantine. No potential exposures were identified at this time since both employees wore the appropriate PPE while in the facility. We have been testing employees twice a week in accordance with the current CALI score and will continue to do this in the coming week. All residents will also receive outbreak testing starting Monday. 
 
ALL indoor visitation is cancelled until the first round of outbreak testing is complete, however; we have made arrangements to continue with outdoor visitation on the current schedule. Compassionate care visits and essential care visits will continue as scheduled as long as testing is maintained. 
 
Here is the link to get the latest CALI score for the State of New Jersey https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/statistics/covid/index.shtml 
 
Here are our current numbers: 
 
Active: 
Residents: 0
Staff: 3 positive 
 
 
I’d like to remind everyone that the weekly conference call will be hosted by Mary on Tuesday from 3:00 to 3:30. To join the conference call please dial 865-666-3900, enter conference room number 116, then enter 1234# for the password. 
 
AS always, we will keep you updated with any further developments. The staff at Foothill Acres are available for any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please email safety@foothillacres.com. I also invite you to go to our website at www.foothillacres.com which is updated with the latest news. 
 
Please enjoy the rest of your day. 
 
Respectfully, 
Diana Truelove, RN DON
 
Dear Foothill Friends & Families,
 
Unfortunately, our lab notified us today that a direct care staff member has tested positive. This staff member is someone who not only wears the appropriate PPE all the time, but consistently wears an N95 mask. All residents were negative during this round of testing. We will start testing all staff and residents again on Friday (4/2). 
 
All scheduled 25 minute indoor visits will remain outside (weather permitting) until the next round of testing is complete with negative results. Please continue to schedule these visits by going to www.Calendly.com/foothillacres. It is labeled as “indoor visits” but we will automatically change the location, depending on the testing circumstances, without anyone having to re-book with us.  
 
The weather forecast for tomorrow does not appear to be promising for outdoor visitation due to the extreme cold temperatures for this time of year. It is a very hard decision to make, but we feel it is best to cancel the scheduled visits for tomorrow. There is warmer weather forecast for the beginning of next week and without any rain, which should make visiting enjoyable. Mondays have morning and afternoon times available as it doesn’t interfere with the Activity programs. Please remember each resident can receive 1 visit a week with no more than 2 visitors per visit. We encourage families to coordinate with each other when scheduling to avoid conflicts.
 
Current numbers:
 
3 Staff Members positive
2 Staff Members recovered
 
0 Residents positive
 
Just a reminder, our weekly phone conference is held on Tuesday at 3:00 pm and all are invited. To join the call please dial 865-666-3900, enter conference room number 116, then enter 1234# for the password. 
 
AS always, we will keep you updated with any further developments. The staff at Foothill Acres are available for any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please email safety@foothillacres.com. I also invite you to go to our website at www.foothillacres.com which is updated with the latest news.
 
 
We wish you all a safe and happy Easter weekend,
 
Mary Walaszek
Regional Activity Director
Good Afternoon, 
 
I’m happy to report that thankfully this week there were no new COVID cases at Foothill. The first round of outbreak testing has been completed on residents and staff. Due to the CALI score remaining at high, staff are continuing to be tested twice a week. 
 
As far as visitation goes, we anticipate to restart INDOOR visitation Monday April 12. Everyone should have received an email from the Foothill Technology Team reminding you of the procedure to schedule visitation via www.calendly.com/foothillacres.
 
If you have a visit scheduled for Monday outdoors, it will automatically be switched to indoors, and there is no need to reschedule your visit for indoor visitation. 
 
Here is the link to get the latest CALI score for the State of New Jersey. You will notice the entire State has maintained the high level. https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/statistics/covid/index.shtml 
 
Here are our current numbers: 
Active: 
 
Residents: 0 positives 
Staff: 1 positive 
 
I’d like to remind everyone that we have a weekly conference call hosted by myself and other Foothill staff on Tuesdays from 3:00 to 3:30. To join the conference call please dial 865-666-3900, enter conference room number 116, then enter 1234# for the password. 
 
AS always, we will keep you updated with any further developments. The staff at Foothill Acres are available for any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please email safety@foothillacres.com or call my cell at 973-525-4011. I also invite you to go to our website at www.foothillacres.com which is updated with the latest news. 
 
Enjoy the nice weather, enjoy the weekend. 
 
Respectfully, 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA
Good Afternoon, 
 
I’m happy to report that with no new COVID cases at Foothill, we are steadily marching towards our goal of being COVID free for 28 days. That would allow us to request and “End of Outbreak” declaration from the local Health Dept which would enable Foothill to move forward on a few fronts. 
 
Visitation is in full swing, and I would like to give a shout out to Nancy Guerrera for spearheading the efforts of greeting, screening, and monitoring the visitation process. 
There have been a few requests for outdoor visitation even when we are having indoor visitation. In an effort to accommodate all reasonable requests, after discussing this with the Foothill team we decided to ask all families that prefer OUTDOOR visitation as their PRIMARY choice even when we are offering indoor visitation to reach out to us at info@foothillacres.com. Should we get enough interest, we will designate one day of the week for outdoor visitation. Please include your top 2 choices for which day of the week works for you. Obviously if there was a need to suspend indoor visitation, everyone will be switched to outdoors. 
 
The link to schedule visitation is www.calendly.com/foothillacres 
 
Here is the link to get the latest CALI score for the State of New Jersey. You will notice Somerset, Hunterdon and Mercer Counties dropped to Moderate level.
 
 
Here are our current numbers: 
 
Active
Residents: 0 positives 
Staff: 0 positive 
 
I’d like to remind everyone that we have a weekly conference call hosted by myself and other Foothill staff on Tuesdays from 3:00 to 3:30. To join the conference call please dial 865-666-3900, enter conference room number 116, then enter 1234# for the password. 
 
AS always, we will keep you updated with any further developments. The staff at Foothill Acres are available for any questions, comments, or concerns you may have. Please email safety@foothillacres.com or call my cell at 973-525-4011. I also invite you to go to our website at www.foothillacres.com which is updated with the latest news. 
 
Enjoy the rest of your day, 
Respectfully, 
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA
 
Good evening,
 
Today we received word from the lab that a non-direct care Foothill employee that works in Magnolia tested positive, While we have every reason to believe this is a false positive, the Dept of Health is requiring us to consider it a true positive. There was no known exposure to residents or staff because this employee was always wearing appropriate PPE. However, this means effective immediately all visitations will be moved outside. We are conducting outbreak testing on all residents and staff. If we can determine this is indeed a false positive, I will update everyone via email.
 
Respectively,
 
Pinny Goldblat, LNHA
Administrator
Foothill Acres
  • 39 East Mountain Road Hillsborough NJ, 08844
  • 908.369.8711
  • 908.369.5432

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