Resident Fact Sheet for Provider Information Notice (PIN) 20-38-ASC, Updated Guidance on Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19)
We have prepared this Resident Fact List as a companion to PIN 20-38-ASC to inform you of guidance we’ve provided to your care providers concerning your care.
A Note to Continuing Care Retirement Community (CCRC) Residents: If you live in a CCRC independent living unit and do not receive assisted living services, you may not have to be tested as often as the residents who do not live independently. There are exceptions though: when you move into a facility; are exposed to or have symptoms of COVID-19; and live or commingle with residents receiving assisted living services. Certain visiting restrictions also may not apply to you.
TESTING IN RESIDENTIAL FACILITIES
The Department of Social Services has advised your facility to:
- Test you before returning to your facility from a stay at a hospital or skilled nursing facility if there was no known exposure and you do not have symptoms.
- Retest everyone in your facility as soon as possible after someone in your facility tests positive for the virus. They should also retest everyone in your facility at least every 7 days until there are no new cases of COVID- 19 in your facility.
- Screen everyone in your facility at least daily for COVID-19 who has no virus symptoms. The screening process consists of taking your temperature and checking for coughing and respiratory symptoms. They should also isolate everyone who has COVID-19 symptoms.
If you need to get tested but cannot access testing, the licensee should instead do the things listed below.
- Quarantine you if you do not have symptoms, and until at least 14 days have passed since the most recent date of exposure to COVID-19; or
- Isolate you if you have symptoms, and until all of the following conditions are met:
- At least 1 day (24 hours) have passed since you stopped having a fever without the use of fever-reducing medications, like Tylenol or Robitussin;
- Your coughing and shortness of breath has improved or subsided;
- At least 10 days have passed since your symptoms first appeared.
A licensee should not require that you get tested, quarantine, or isolate if:
- You or other residents had the virus and completed the isolation at the hospital or SNF. However, if the isolation period was not completed at the hospital or SNF, you will need to continue to isolate at the facility.
- You are returning from: a hospital visit (e.g., emergency room visit); outpatient care (e.g., dialysis visit, mental health treatment, or other medical appointments); or an outing (e.g., visiting friends, family, a casino, or a hair salon, etc.).
- If you were exposed to COVID-19 during an outing or if you have symptoms of the virus after an outing, the facility will require you to be tested.
COMMUNAL DINING, ACTIVITIES, AND FACILITY AMENITIES
PIN 20-38-ASC advises the licensee of your facility that if you or other residents contract or were exposed to COVID-19, you should not participate in communal dining, group activities, access shared facility amenities or equipment, or obtain facility salon services until:
- You get a negative test result; or
- You have been cleared by the local health department; or
- You have been isolated or quarantined for the appropriate length of time and your symptoms, if any, have improved.
Also, even though some counties do not allow for indoor dining and indoor gyms, you may still use your facility’s dining room and fitness equipment or gym as long residents, staff, and visitors are adhering to infection control guidelines (e.g., screening and testing, requiring face coverings, physical distancing, and outdoors if possible). Facility salons may operate indoors with modifications, and all licensed salons must follow conditions of their licensure.
VISITATION
PIN 20-38-ASC advises the licensee of your facility they must allow you essential visits, virtual visits (i.e. video calls) and scheduled outdoor visit at all times. Essential visits are: medically or legally necessary visits; visits from social workers; government health and social services agency visits; visits by service contractors necessary to maintain facility operations; or visits mandated by court order or federal law, such as visits by Adult Protective Services or the Long-Term Care Ombudsman.
Your facility may also allow for scheduled indoor visits as long as your facility is not experiencing:
- new transmission of COVID-19 for 14 days;
- staff shortages; or
- shortages of Personal Protective Equipment and essential cleaning supplies.
For all visits, visitors should be screened for symptoms or possible exposure to COVID-19. Everyone involved in the visit must wear a face covering unless they are exempt and should stay 6 feet apart from you.
CCLD appreciates your understanding. Your care providers, the licensee of your facility, and the Ombudsman are available to answer your questions.