Governor Gives OK to Release Community Names
of the COVID-19 Positive Residents
On Saturday afternoon, during the Governor's Press Conference, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced that he is releasing the names of the long-term care communities and nursing homes with COVID-19 positive residents.
Watch the Governor's Press Conference video by clicking on the
Florida Channel.
The long-term care presentation begins at the 7-minute mark.
There's going to be a lot of public interest and questions from the media. Please don't let this take you away from your first priority which is caring for your residents and keeping your team members safe.
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Department of Health Issues Emergency Rule Reporting Requirements for COVID-19
An Emergency Rule related to COVID-19 reporting was published in the Florida Administrative Register on April 14. The
Emergency Rule 64D-ER20-26,
F.A.C.,
(64D-3.029, F.A.C.) requires immediate reporting of suspected or confirmed cases and both positive and negative test results of Coronavirus (COVID-19) by physicians, hospitals, and laboratories. The effective date on this rule was April 10, 2020.
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FSLA: Here When You Need Us
The Florida Senior Living Association represents assisted living and memory care communities. That's us -- and we are keenly focused on representing your interests at the national, state and local levels. We have put together the best team of staff and consultants with the expertise and knowledge you want and need to represent your interests throughout the year, especially during a time of crisis.
- Our National Partner -- Argentum is the nation's largest senior living association;
- Our Outside Consultants are some of the best in the state --
- Lobby firm, Southern Group, ranked #1 lobbyists;
- PR firm, Bulldog Strategy Group, experts in crisis communications;
- ALF Core Trainer, ICE Bridge Training, ALF core trainer ranked with the highest test results in the state; and
- Our professional staff, dedicated advocates ready to serve 24/7.
COVID-19 is changing our ways of life, especially in long-term care. FSLA has been embedded in the state's Emergency Operations Center since Day One, answering your questions and getting the latest information and updates. Our staff members are in direct contact with state and local officials on a daily basis. And just this week, we successfully served as a conduit for an order of face masks for several member communities, bringing them the personal protective equipment they so desperately needed.
During the response to COVID-19, all of our information and updates are available to the long-term care industry, regardless of your membership status. Our COVID-19 page is public and our daily updates are available to anyone in our industry.
We've also closely monitored the state's rule-making process during this situation, working to ensure rules are not promulgated improperly or without the appropriate consideration. And we're working hand-in-hand with the Governor's Office and the Legislature on Emergency and Executive Orders, including discussions on funding for ALFs.
For a complete list of our accomplishments and for more information on COVID-19, please check out
our website
and reach out to us with any questions or concerns. Also, please like
our Facebook page
.
We're here when you need us, stronger together!
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Is it Time to Review your ALF Crisis Communication Plan?
Assisted living facilities are in full implementation of their crisis communication plans. One of FSLA’s members shared the following information which includes these key areas:
- In my communication plan, I include a statement that describes the organization’s philosophy; consider emphasizing the importance of consistent messaging, transparency, and professionalism.
- Identify who from your community will be notified and when if a positive case is verified --
- Those that are directly affected -- residents, staff, families
- How they will be notified
- Those who are indirectly affected -- 3rd parties, etc.
- How they will be notified
- Identify the time frames when notifications will take place (i.e. within 24 hours of receipt of notice) and who will be notifying residents, families and staff
- Notify the Local Emergency Management Office (County Health Department) and Department of Health immediately
- Update your information in the Emergency Status System (Agency for Health Care Administration)
- Provide the format and expectations with your staff for documenting future notifications
In case you missed it, FSLA drafted a
sample template
to provide a starting point for communicating with family members if a resident or staff member tests positive for COVID-19. This news is best delivered person to person (via telephone); and the sample template offers a framework in preparing for this important discussion.
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Animal Farm Foundation
Virtual Pet Visits
A Response to COVID-19 Crisis Designed to Ease Social Isolation
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Animal Farm Foundation
has announced the launch of Pets Together, a program that allows those who are socially isolated due to the COVID-19 pandemic to enjoy friendly interaction with pets (including dogs, cats, goats, horses, and other critters) and people. The goal of the program is to increase social connection and mitigate the loneliness that is a painful aspect of the pandemic.
Animal Farm Foundation (AFF) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to
bringing dogs and people together to end discrimination.
Using live video-conferencing platforms (Zoom, Skype, Google Hangouts), the AFF team will schedule real-time visits where people can watch the animals and participate in friendly conversations with those who care for them. Notably, the Pets Together model greatly expands access to pet visits that have traditionally been reserved for face-to-face interactions for people living in group settings (such as nursing homes and hospitals) through formal therapy animal programs. The video chats are also available to doctors, nurses, and other health professionals on the front lines of the coronavirus crisis.
Kim Wolf, Master of Public Health and Master of Social Work Candidate at the University of Georgia, worked with AFF to create the innovative Pets Together Program. She explains, “Pets bring us comfort during times of distress, but not everyone is in a position to have one. I can’t imagine going through this pandemic without my pets, so I wanted to share them with others. Pets Together is a model that brings joy and comfort to those who are feeling socially isolated and lonely. We are all in this together, even the pets!”
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