Dear Residents and Families:

The team at Stafford continues to be mindful and vigilant regarding the safety of our residents. Ongoing care and concern for the well-being of each individual is top of mind for us, especially as it relates to the COVID-19 pandemic.

We have been very successful at keeping our locations free from COVID-19 infections, but we know we cannot let our guard down. We continue to enforce and reinforce the following practices:

• Habitual hand washing
• People in the building are wearing face masks, including both staff and residents
• Routine monitoring of all residents
• Allowing only essential personnel in the buildings
• Single point of entry to each location
• Staff are continually screened for potential exposure outside our buildings
• New residents are being quarantined for 14 days
• Immediate testing is being done when there’s the slightest suspicion of infection

A key part of keeping residents safe is allowing only essential personnel inside our locations. That keeps residents safe, but it also creates real hardship for those that would like to visit. The fact that we can’t allow visitors is a deep concern for us. While we are under strict regulation about what we can and can’t do. We are currently evaluating how we can accommodate some safe, outdoor visitation. We are working to gain approvals and finalize details, but we hope to have some solutions soon. Please know that this is very important to us. We can clearly see the impact that this is having on our residents.

Thank you for being our partner in keeping your loved ones safe as we navigate together through these incredibly difficult times.

Washington Department of Health issued a new directive that long-term care facility residents and staff must be tested for COVID-19. Currently, this applies to our skilled nursing facilities only. We continue to be proactively vigilant about keeping our residents and staff safe. Because of this, our facilities are currently COVID-19 free.

To further ensure the safety of our residents, we are now requiring all new residents and re-admissions to be placed in quarantine for 14 days. This allows time for us to closely monitor and ensure COVID-19 is not present.

We have been putting a lot of energy into the mental and social well-being of our residents. Not being able to have visitors in the building has been very difficult for our residents and families. We are engaging residents and being creative in our activities and events.

It is encouraging to see some counties in Washington State beginning to enter Phase 2 of reopening which will allow some businesses to resume operations. Care facilities are under industry-specific guidelines, including visitor restrictions, as directed by our governor. That means that it will still be some time before we can allow visitors back into the buildings. We know this is hard. We are doing everything possible to meet the social needs of those you love.

Rest assured, we have been successful in protecting and caring for our residents. Our buildings are a place where your loved one is highly important and well cared for. Our staff continue to model their passionate commitment to the needs of those we serve. We are dedicated to continuing that effort.

You see many stories in the headlines these days about the horrible events taking place in nursing homes across the country. Please know that the media is reporting the worst-case scenarios. These stories do not reflect what is happening in our locations. Our residents are safe and well cared for. There are certainly disruptions in daily life, but first-rate care is happening every day in each of our locations.

We remain free of any COVID-19 infections in all locations. It’s a testament to the professionalism and dedication of our leadership teams.

Visiting restrictions are still in place. As hard as this is, we will maintain this policy until we get clear guidance from State and Federal authorities that indicates it’s safe to remove them. Unfortunately, it may be a while. We understand the difficulty this presents for both our residents and their families. We are grateful for your understanding, patience and cooperation.

We have begun to see our personal protective equipment supplies begin to stabilize. We’re starting to reach desired stock levels and are now creating reserves that equip us in the event of a resident infection.

We want to acknowledge our staff. They get very little appreciation for the difficult choices they make every day. It is no exaggeration to call them heroes. Their selfless sacrifices have allowed our residents to stay healthy and protected. We all owe them a tremendous debt of gratitude.

Our company has been caring for those in need since 1945. We always have—and always will—put resident care first.

As we near the completion of our sixth week of virus-related restrictions, we are pleased to let you know that no current residents or working staff have tested positive for COVID-19. We continue to be vigilant and aggressive with our safety precautions to protect those who live and work at our locations.

Last week, we did have one resident at our Seatac facility who displayed symptoms of COVID-19.  The resident was quickly isolated and tested positive for the virus, and was transferred to the hospital.  We informed our residents and their families of the situation and engaged the University of Washington to test all staff and patients in the building.  With the exception of two staffers (who are now self-quarantining at home), all tests came back negative. 

We will continue to be forthcoming with any new developments that occur at any of our locations, and we are grateful for our caring and conscientious team, who work so hard to follow every precaution to stop the spread of COVID-19.

While so many things have changed, one remains constant – our commitment to keeping our staff and your loved ones safe and healthy through this crisis.

Thank you again for being our partner through this. We appreciate your continued prayers and support and look forward to the time we can welcome you into the buildings again! 

As the concerns over the coronavirus continue, we are extremely proud of our staff. They have continued with courage and selflessness in caring for our residents. As of today, we do not have a resident or staff member who has tested positive for the virus. We feel truly blessed to have such a skilled and caring team.

We are steadfast in our efforts to keep our buildings infection-free. Every day there is specific emphasis on hand washing and disinfection practices. Our vigilance won’t stop.

We continue to monitor and follow state and federal guidance regarding visitors. We have a clear understanding of our residents’ need for social interaction. We are doing our best to keep things positive and upbeat in the building. Please continue to reach out to your loved ones via phone/video calls. We are available to assist with video technology if you need it. Video and pictures of grandchildren, pets, and jokes are always helpful to lift spirits. In addition, stories about how you are staying happy and healthy may help to alleviate their concerns about you.

We can’t do this alone, but we can together. Thank you for partnering with us as we navigate through this difficult time together.  We will keep you posted as we learn of new developments.

We remain vigilant to protect our residents from COVID-19.  As of this writing, we still do not have a resident or staff member who has tested positive for the virus. Our staff is doing an outstanding job of keeping everyone safe. We are fortunate to have such a dedicated team.

We know the visitation restrictions are incredibly difficult for many of you. We are keenly aware that it’s a challenge for our residents to be isolated. We are being creative by keeping the atmosphere light and reminding staff how important their interactions with residents are. Thank you for keeping in touch with us and letting us know how we can take special care of your loved ones.

We continue to be attentive to any new guidance provided from state and federal health agencies. We’ll be sure to let you know if there are any new developments.

Thank you for your support and understanding as we protect our residents and staff. Your encouragement is a great blessing to all of us.

We remain vigilant to protect our residents from COVID-19.  As of this writing, we still do not have a resident or staff member who has tested positive for the virus.

The Centers of Medicare and Medicaid, in coordination with the CDC, issued updated guidance for Skilled Nursing facilities and Assisted Living facilities.

Per their most recent guidelines:

• All visitation is suspended except for end of life situations.
• Only essential healthcare personnel will be allowed to enter the facility, and they will be screened upon entry including taking their temperature.
• Group activities and communal dining have been altered in accordance with CDC guidelines.
• We are actively screening residents, employees, and health care professionals for fever and symptoms of COVID-19.
• We are temporarily suspending outside trips for residents to prevent exposure to them and other seniors in the facility when they return.

We understand that these new rules can be challenging for all of us, but nothing is more important to us than the safety of those in our care.

We are strictly following best practices for preventing the spread of COVID-19. The health, care, and safety of our residents, staff and families remains our top priority.

Thank you for your understanding and support as we protect our residents and staff.

More than ever, we are committed to the welfare of our residents, families, and staff. Protecting their health and safety is our top priority. As of this writing, we do not have a resident or staff member who has tested positive for COVID-19.

Per Governor Inslee’s new regulations, we are limiting individuals entering our building to one adult visitor, per resident, per day. Everyone who enters our building, including family, guests, employees, and vendors, will be screened prior to entry. Temporary visiting hours are now in effect: 8 AM to 6PM.

It is important to us to take every precaution to prevent this virus from entering our building. People are thought to be most contagious when they are the sickest, but there is some risk that people who appear healthy can carry the virus and infect others. To protect our residents, we will be screening, including taking the temperature of, every person who enters our building, every time they enter. Experts all agree that limiting interactions can help slow the spread of the virus.

Thank you for your help and understanding as we take precautions to protect the health and wellbeing of our residents.

Today Governor Jay Inslee announced new rules for skilled nursing facilities and assisted living facilities to protect older adults. The following rules go into effect immediately and will remain in effect until midnight on April 9, 2020:

• All visitors must be adults and the visit must take place in the resident’s room/apartment. Each resident is allowed one visitor per day. This rule does not apply to end-of-life situations.
• All visitors must follow COVID-19 screening and follow reasonable precautionary measures.
• All visitors must sign a visitor’s log.
• Employees and volunteers must be screened for COVID-19 symptoms at the start of each shift.
• People who live in skilled nursing facilities or assisted living facilities and who test positive for COVID-19 must be isolated away from other people.