13 Residents, 5 Staff Test Positive For COVID-19 At Springfield Assisted Living Facility
SPRINGFIELD TENNESSEE: (Smokey Barn News) – Springfield Heights assisted living, by Americare in Springfield TN, following testing, has confirmed that 13 residents have tested positive for COVID-19 or are presumed positive based on symptoms and pending retest results.
According to a release from Americare, additionally, five employees have also tested positive. Americare tested all residents and employees on Wednesday, May 13 after receiving its first positive test result on a resident who admitted to the hospital, the firm stated.
Springfield Heights, located at 2540 S Main St, Springfield, TN MAP, is preparing to care in place for all positive testing residents. Local hospitals will be accessed should a resident need additional support. Americare has experience establishing separated care units at facilities and is confident this can be accomplished at Springfield Heights. Corporate nurses arrived Friday and began establishing the separation process, the release stated.
Initial resident relocation has taken place to separate positive and negative testing residents to different halls of the facility.
Positive testing residents have been placed on droplet isolation protocols in their room. Employees who tested positive will remain off work.
Droplet isolation protocols include wearing of full personal protective equipment (PPE) while in the resident’s room. PPE is defined as gown, gloves, N95 mask, level 1 mask and face shield. All care including meal service is provided in the resident’s room. Employees caring for residents with COVID-19 do not care for other residents during their shift.
All residents testing negative have been placed on in-room quarantine and the facility has implemented contact isolation protocols. All residents have been receiving daily wellness checks since March 13 and are now being checked every 4 hours during waking hours for symptoms. All staff is wearing N95 masks while in the building and gloves while in resident rooms.
In accordance with Americare pandemic guidelines, the administrator contacted the local and state health departments to report the positive test results and is following the recommendations and protocols set forth by the CDC and local and state health departments.
All residents and resident family members have been informed of their individual test results, the aggregate test results, and all plans for care.
“We are doing everything we can to ensure we stop the spread of this within our facility,” comments Patricia Cokingtin, spokesperson for Americare Senior Living. “Our staff and residents are following the recommended preventative action. As of March 13, we restricted visitors from entering our facility, and canceled all group activities within the building until the virus has been eradicated.”
Americare has made additional information available on how they addressing the coronavirus pandemic on their website.
Thank you to WKRN News 2 for partnering with Smokey Barn News to bring you this report. Top photo Google Maps.
