Coronavirus Update: What We Are Doing

Heritage Lane Behavioral Assisted Living is taking the coronavirus (Covid-19) very seriously. We started taking measures early on as information became available about the virus. We began by implementing precautions in our community that were well above the standards recommended by the AZ Department of Health at the time. Our objectives are to protect the wellness of the residents of Heritage Lane and to protect the wellness of those that care for the residents.

 

Current Practices

• Policies and procedures remain in effect for incidents and changes in health conditions which include reporting and monitoring until symptoms have subsided
• Only workforce and essential health service providers may enter the buildings, no exceptions
• All suppliers are met outside by employees and will retrieve supply orders outside the buildings
• Stop signs are posted at all entrances and doorbells have been installed at every entrance to ensure no entry but provide availability for assistance if needed
• All FedEx and UPS shipments are checked in outside the building by employees using doorbells
• All workforce and essential health service providers are screened at entry for temp and questioned regarding their potential exposure; may not enter if temp is 100°F+ or have had exposure to COVID-19
• We have increased our Housekeeping workforce by 30% to disinfect all shared contact surfaces and bathrooms a minimum of 10 times per day during the hours of 8am to 5pm
  1. Including: tables, chairs, phones, remotes, soda machines, doorknobs, handrails, toilets, sinks, fixtures, dispensers, and more
• We have increased our clinical staffing by 20% allowing LPN (Licensed Nurses) to remain on shifts through the hours of 6am – 10pm, 7 days per week to monitor caregiver activity and direct clinical services and functions
• All outings have been cancelled and Heritage will not be hosting any community or shopping outings through the Month of April
• All indoor activities hosted by outside parties or volunteers have either been cancelled and replaced with other activities or now hosted by our workforce where possible
  1. This includes haircuts and church services.
• The Bridge Church is offering services telephonically through month of April on Sundays at 1:30pm
• We are asking all residents to practice social distancing recommendations where possible and also encouraging them to remain at home for the month of April to reduce the chances of acquiring the virus and bringing it into the community
• We are meeting with our residents at least 3 times per week at 10am and reminding of handwashing and providing critical updates as we receive them
• Our Life Skills Program run by Dr. Lana Peterson has organized her BH Paraprofessional workforce to hold a special hygiene clinic working with residents individually to teach proper handwashing and improve overall hygiene to reduce risks of acquiring or spreading illnesses
• Workforce who are symptomatic of COVID-19 must stay home and not report to work

We are asking for support from the friends and families of our residents to help us implement these measures. We understand our residents have rights and can leave if they wish, however, we strongly encourage all friends and families to help us by asking their loved ones to follow our recommendations and requests at this time for the safety and well-being of all. Considering the medical and mental health diagnoses we manage; change is not only difficult but redirection to routines where insight is lacking adds another layer of complexity and we need the support of all involved. We are closely monitoring the guidance of our state government and department of health and will lift these restrictions at the appropriate timeframes. Considering all possible measures and opportunities, Heritage Lane will not be a social contributor and sponsor of spreading this illness and we will work diligently to accomplish our two most important objectives of caring for our residents and staff.

Contact Heritage Lane Behavioral Assisted Living

To learn more about what we’re doing to keep residents safe, contact us at 480-999-0511.