OHCA The Oregon Caregiver Spring Summer 2021

The Oregon Caregiver SPRING/SUMMER 2021 www.ohca.com 12 QUALITY Looking Ahead: Long Term Care in a Post-COVID-19 World By Linda Kirschbaum, Oregon Health Care Association M arch 11, 2021, marked a one-year milestone and an anniversary no one wanted to celebrate. It was the date when the stealth COVID-19 virus found its way into an Oregon long term facility. At the time, the world, Oregon, and the long term care sector, had no idea how devastating and impactful the COVID-19 virus was going to be to residents, staff, families, and organizations. The pandemic has put our profession to the test. We have learned so much and honed our resilience, persistence, creativity, and flexibility to accommodate changes in infection prevention policy and practice, keep our residents and staff safe, and create moments of joy and comaraderie even when we were experi- encing loss, fear, and loneliness. I’m glad to share that members, resi- dents, and families across the state report experiencing a brighter 2021! Vaccinations All licensed skilled nursing facilities, assisted living, residential care, and memory care communities have completed their Federal Pharmacy Program three- phase vaccine clinics. Tens of thousands of vaccinations have been administered to staff, residents, and other health care providers and volunteers. These vaccines have been shown to help prevent sympto- matic SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19) infection and, in turn, show a significant decrease in the number of case counts in Oregon long term care facilities. As with all things COVID-19, new policies and quality improvement processes never stop. Efforts are now underway to implement vaccine mainte- nance plans in licensed facilities. These ongoing vaccination plans require more intricate coordination between the federal government, Oregon Health Authority (OHA), Oregon Board of Pharmacy, long term care institutional pharmacies, retail pharmacies, and company and facility level leadership to ensure there is ongoing access to COVID-19 vaccines for new or not previously vaccinated residents, staff, associate staff, and volunteers. Ongoing vaccine education, promotion, and confidence within our sector and for all Oregonians are paramount to getting long term care to normalcy. Visitation In-person visitation is essential to the health and wellbeing of older adults and people with disabilities, offering immeas- urable benefits mentally and emotionally. Over the past 14 months, residents have had to forgo precious time with their spouses if they did not live with them, adult children, grandchildren, extended family members, beloved friends, and life enriching activities, out of concern for contracting or spreading the often asymptomatic COVID-19 virus. Indoor visitation in Oregon facilities remains subject to guidance from the Governor’s Office, Oregon Department of Human Services (ODHS), and OHA. Completion of the initial vaccine clinics in mid-April literally opened facility doors to more stable and predictable indoor visitation. Indoor visitation must be accommodated at all times and for all residents, regardless of vaccination status, except for specified circumstances when indoor visits may be limited. The follow- ing core principles of COVID-19 infection prevention must continue to sustain these long-awaited and vital engagements: • Screening all who enter the facility for signs and symptoms, handwashing or sanitizing, social distancing, universal use of face coverings or masks, instructional and educational signage, cleaning and disinfecting procedures between visits. • Visitors must be allowed in resident rooms or to visit in a private visiting area. • Visitors do not need to be monitored after they have been screened upon entry and as long as they follow infection control protocols and limit movement to going and coming from the individual resident’s living space. • Vaccination is not required for visitors but can be encouraged and asked about in screening. • Testing is recommended for visitors, but the facility cannot require testing as a condition of entry. • Visitation may be scheduled only for the purpose of maintaining core principles of infection control. • Indoor visitation may be limited when there is a suspected or active case at the facility or a resident is not vaccinated, and county positivity rates are greater than 10 percent and less than 70 percent of residents are fully vaccinated. • Routinely check state and federals agency rules for details and OHCA communications for revisions. We are so encouraged to see continued signs of hope, connection, and renewed spirits as we navigate through 2021. If we work together as a community and are diligent with infection prevention practice to combat COVID-19 and variants, and we stay hyper-focused on quality care and our workforce while more Oregonians get vaccinated, we will realize a brighter and better new normal. Linda Kirschbaum is the Senior Vice President of Quality Services and OHCA.