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: Andrew McGovern
  Admissions Director: Steve Aksim
  Maintenance Director: Jason Toifel
  Activities Director: Mary Walaszek /
  Nancy Guerrera
  Housekeeping Amaury Sanchez
  Dietary Director: Taylor Shepherd
  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).

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

Monday, November 30th, 2020

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

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

March 1st, 2021

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

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,

As the nation as a whole and New Jersey specifically march toward higher vaccination rates, the infection rates for us continue to fall. The good news is based on the latest CALI score, Somerset County achieved a green LOW designation. This is very encouraging news. The one caveat I must share is the Northeast region which was green last week unfortunately went yellow MODERATE this week. So, it is my hope that we in Somerset County keep the low designation. Of course, we will be keeping a sharp eye on this as it’s the best indicator of how we are doing.

We are anticipating to reopening the hair salon for the residents in the coming days. Please look out for a separate email which will discuss this issue in detail.

I must reiterate, we are currently still bound by the visitation rules currently in place. Please continue to use the links below to schedule your visits.

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. https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/statistics/covid/index.shtml

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,

We are very happy to announce that our beauty salon, renamed The Salon at Foothill Acres, will be reopening starting Wednesday, July 7, 2021.  It has been a long time since some of the residents have had any type of salon services and we are certain they will be anxious to get a new hair style, but we are asking everyone to please be patient as we work our way through the facility and get to everyone.  In an effort to streamline this process, we have set up a convenient way for you request services by following this link to an online form.  This form is for setting up routine services, ex. Wash & Blow-Dry/Set/Style weekly, hair cut monthly and color every 6 weeks.  We have made easy to use pull down menus to select your choices and then how often you want that service completed.  There is also a selection if you do not wish to use the salon services.  This form will only have to be completed one time, after that, the services will be automatically done according to your selections.  If you ever need to change the frequency or want to request a different service, you can always submit a new request.  All requests must be in by noon on Friday for the following week to allow time for scheduling.

The Salon will also have an email address so you can communicate directly with the beautician and/or request services for special occasions when the resident may be going out to an event like a wedding.  The email is thesalonatfoohillacres@gmail.com.  Current plans are for the Salon to be open Wednesday-Friday.  The Salon and the staff at Foothill Acres will do everything possible to ensure your loved one is able to have an enjoyable experience while receiving their services.  However sometimes, due to physical limitations, it may be difficult to complete a wash and it may be safer and more pleasant for the resident, if their services coincide with a day their hair has been washed by the staff.  The Salon has been equipped with adaptive devices to assist with shampooing so the majority of the residents can enjoy the complete experience.

Please remember that all payments for salon services will be deducted directly from each resident’s Personal Needs Account (PNA) and funds must be in the account prior to any services.  If you have any questions regarding your resident’s account, you may reach out to Lori Kulik at boffice@foothillacres.com.  

Please take a minute to review the attached flyer for The Salon at Foothill Acres and I thank you in advance for your patience and understanding, as it may take a couple of weeks to get to every resident but we will be sure everyone has the opportunity to receive salon services if that is their wish. 

In other news…

Our region continues to have a CALI score in the low (green) level.  This is very good news, although there have been other regions that have returned to yellow, so we must all remain cautiously optimistic.  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.

There have been no new updates to the visitation guidelines for Long Term Care facilities from the State Department of Health.  We look forward to the day when we can return to unlimited visitation, however at this time, we are still bound by the current regulations.  The link to schedule visitation is www.calendly.com/foothillacres  and if you have any questions regarding visitation, please email foothillacrescommunication@gmail.com and they will be able to help you.

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 Pinny, our Administrator, 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 you may call Pinny’s 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.

I want to wish everyone a very safe and happy 4^th of July weekend!!

Mary Walaszek
Regional Activity Director

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

Hello,

I am happy to report the Hair Salon has officially opened. We were able to get 10 residents seen and as you could imagine, they were thrilled. It was so nice to see the Salon humming again. Please see last weeks email regarding scheduling and pricing. The email address is thesalonatfoothillacres@gmail.com. It may take a few more sessions but we are committed to getting to every resident as quickly as possible,

You know what I’m gonna talk about next….. the CALI scores. We were on a bit of a streak, staying in the LOW green designation for a little over two weeks. But we went back up to YELLOW moderate yesterday. The experts are pointing to the highly contagious delta variant. New cases more then doubled in the last two days, and its being reported that although vaccinated folks are doing well, the not yet vaccinated are susceptible. This means we educated our staff on being aware of where they travel to and whom they hang out with.

Here is the link for the CALI score:

https://www.nj.gov/health/cd/statistics/covid/index.shtml

Speaking of vaccines, I was looking at our long-term care numbers and would like to share the following data:

If you look at the three long term units Magnolia, Maple, and Cedar, a whopping 98% of our residents (100 of 103) are fully vaccinated.

Additionally, we are now up to 85% our staff being fully vaccinated.

Visitation is still restricted, and we are still using the systems we have in place. Please continue to use the link below to schedule your visits.

www.calendly.com/foothillacres

Our current numbers:

Active: 0

Residents:0

Staff:0

I apologize to everyone who called in to the weekly call this past week. There was a communication error on my part where I thought I asked someone to cover for me, but they misunderstood. I do plan on making the call this coming week.

PLEASE NOTE SCHEDULE CHANGE FOR THIS COMING WEEK ONLY. THE CONFERENCE CALL WILL BE ON WEDNESDAY INSTEAD OF TUESDAY.

To join the conference call, please dial 865-666-3900, enter conference room number 116, then enter 1234# for the password.

To reach me for any reason, please call my cell at 973-525-4011

Enjoy the weekend.

Respectfully,

Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA

Good morning,
 
Unfortunately, we have to suspend all visitation until at least Tuesday due to a positive test by a staff member.  All forms of visitation are affected including compassionate care, essential care, indoor visits, outdoor visits, DDD visitation, and even out on pass visits.  All communal dining and group activities have been suspended as well.  The Activity Programs will return to virtual activities through the tv system so all residents can still participate, and all meals will be served in the resident rooms.  The Salon will also have to be closed this week until testing is completed.  Anyone scheduled for this week will be carried over until
next week.
 
We have started outbreak testing and must have at least one round of negative testing completed for all staff and residents before we can resume any type of visitation.  We will keep you informed of any further developments via Constant Contact emails.  I will also send out any other information regarding visitation as needed. 
 
Please feel free to reach out if you have any questions and thank you for your understanding and cooperation as we try to get through the outbreak testing as quickly as possible.
 
Take Care,
Mary Walaszek
Regional Activity Director

Good morning,

As a follow up to the email sent yesterday, we unfortunately had a 2nd staff member test positive via a rapid test. As per protocol we also did a PCR test and will notify the families of the results which we hope to get tomorrow. That said, we are in full outbreak which means we will now need to have complete 2 rounds of outbreak testing to resume visitation which should be early next week.
Our current numbers:

Active: 2
Residents:0
Staff:2

In light of the current situation, I will be hosting a conference call today at 3:00 PM
To join the conference call, please dial 865-666-3900, enter conference room number 116, then enter 1234# for the password.

To reach me for any reason, please call my cell at 973-525-4011

Respectfully,
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA

Good morning,

Test results returned to us early this morning and confirmed a rapid test done on a resident in Sub acute is positive with COVID. This resident has been in isolation for the last 36 hours since the rapid was done as part of our outbreak testing, All precautions are being made to keep this incident to one person. Outbreak testing continues as all residents will be tested again in the next two days. We will keep everyone updated on when we will be resuming visitation.

If anyone has any questions, you can reach us via email at safety@foothillacres.com. Additionally, I am available on my cell phone at 973-525-4011.

Stay safe
Pinny Goldblatt, LNHA
Administrator
Foothill Acres Rehab and Nursing