Coronavirus: Community Updates | SALMON Health and Retirement

Infection Prevention and Control

There are many changes that have been implemented since COVID-19 entered our lives and we continue to adapt and adjust to make the lives of our Residents as safe and happy as possible. Proper and attentive clinical care is vitally important at all times but takes on additional significance during this pandemic. All staff continue to follow pre-pandemic protocols to ensure the safety of Residents, including proper hygiene and hand hygiene, typical medical precautions, and more. We continue to:

Conduct Performance Testing

One of the most impactful steps we’ve taken is our consistent staff and Resident testing, which we continue to do more than mandated by the DPH. We have found different testing sources for faster turnaround times for results and can now obtain results in 24 hours. We continue to use the most accurate testing method when evaluating our Residents, patients, and staff members: the PCR test.

Follow Guidelines

We continue to follow DPH guidelines on room changing and co-horting. As of now, anyone that tests positive is sent to our former COVID-only campus, Beaumont at Worcester. There, we have one floor reserved for COVID patients only, where state-of-the-art technology is being used and the most trained, experienced staff work. We are removing Residents from the general population immediately to avoid potential spread and ensure that they are receiving the best care possible.

Wear Appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

All staff consistently wear appropriate PPE when interacting with Residents and co-workers, including face masks, face shields, gloves, and gowns. There are also PPE donning and doffing stations in each community. The additional education and re-education of our staff members continues to be extremely important.

Practice Increased Sanitation in All SALMON Communities

Housekeeping and laundry services have implemented advanced, methodical cleaning services to ensure SALMON communities are made safe and kept as free from the virus as possible. This includes:

Introduction of new products to help disinfect, including: electrostatic foggers and sprayers, microfiber mops, one-use microfiber wet or dry pads, HEPA-filter vacuums, hospital-grade disinfectant
Regularly sanitizing high-tough surfaces such as door knobs, chairs, counters, and other items

To learn more about our new changes and plans in place that took effect in spring 2020, please click here. Please note, some of these guidelines and plans have been adjusted to fit current MAP DPH and CDC guidelines.

Updated Visitor Guidelines

We are currently allowing limited visitation to take place at our communities. With the ever-changing guidelines set in place by the CDC and MA DPH, visitation at our communities fluctuates. For the most up-to-date guidelines for your campus location, please contact the Executive Director.

If visitation is allowed on your campus, we will screen each visitor for fever or respiratory symptoms, as well as have them answer a set of mandated questions about possible exposure and recent travel. If the visitor has a fever that is too high, is displaying respiratory issues, or answers “yes” to any of the mandated questions, they will not be permitted to enter the community.

Those who can enter the community will receive a surgical face mask, perform hand hygiene, and maintain 6-foot distance from Residents and staff alike.

If you have visited recently, please monitor for signs and symptoms of respiratory infection for at least 14 days after exiting the community. If symptoms occur, self-isolate at home, contact your healthcare provider, and immediately notify the community of the date in which you visited, the individuals you were in contact with, and the locations within the community you visited. We will then immediately screen the individuals of reported contact and take all necessary actions based on findings.

Click here for Nursing Home Visitation FAQs.

Thank you for your help in keeping our residents and staff safe.