January 13, 2022
A new year inspires hope and optimism – even in the midst of a pandemic – and here at Ingersoll Place, we are truly grateful to begin another year with our residents, families and staff.
This year, however, will not be without its challenges as yet another wave of COVID-19 surges across the country. The highly contagious Omicron variant has fueled growing numbers of breakthrough cases at a time when healthcare and other industries are already hard hit by staffing shortages.
“In recent weeks,” says Caroline Thompson, Executive Director, “nine employees, across all departments, have tested positive for COVID-19 and were instructed to quarantine at home for seven days or longer, depending on symptoms.” Of this group, Caroline reports, “Most have described their symptoms as mild-to-moderate; some have already returned to work; others are due back within the next week or so.” Thus far, there have been no post-holiday cases of COVID-19 among residents.
In response to staffing issues, Ingersoll employees have again stepped up in support of the residents and each other. Depending on house-wide needs which can change daily, they are working extra shifts, providing cross-coverage in other departments and offering to deliver groceries, medications and supplies to their homebound co-workers. In addition, we continue to monitor the availability of our part-time and per diem employees and as well as those associated with staffing agencies and are tapping into these resources as circumstances dictate. In the often repeated words of Pam Jordan, Facilities Director, “Teamwork makes the dream work.”
With regard to visitation, as it pertains to the post-holiday surge, the NYS Department of Health has not yet issued regulatory changes to assisted living facilities. We are receiving COVID-related updates regularly from the DOH and ESAAL (Empire State Association of Assisted Living) and will notify you promptly of new guidance from health officials. A few reminders to anyone that plans on visiting our facility:
· If you are experiencing cold or flu-like symptoms, please stay home.
· Use hand-sanitizer upon entering the building.
· Mask-wearing by visitors is required at all times in public spaces including the lobby, hallways and elevators and we strongly encourage their use while visiting in residents’ rooms.
With regard to the vaccination status of residents including new admissions, we have completed our clinics for Moderna and Pfizer vaccines and booster shots. All but one resident are fully vaccinated and all but three have chosen to receive their boosters. As mandated by New York State, all staff are fully vaccinated but some have not yet received booster shots. This past Tuesday, the NYS Public Health and Health Planning Council held an emergency meeting to decide whether booster shots will be required for all healthcare workers except those with medical exemptions. We have not yet received official notification from the Department of Health regarding the booster mandate and will keep you informed of regulatory updates.
Throughout the nearly two years of the COVID-19 pandemic, we’ve adapted almost every aspect of daily operations at Ingersoll Place to ensure the best possible care for our residents and to maintain a safe and supportive environment for the people that live and work here. We’ve continued to admit new residents, some from as far away as Florida and others as close as our own backyard and we’ve interacted with a much broader array of community and facility-based healthcare professionals than ever before.
As an organization, we are enormously grateful to the families that have entrusted their loved ones to our care and whose patience, encouragement and support have helped sustain us during these challenging but rewarding times.
If you have questions, please contact the following members of the management staff, as appropriate, at 518-370-4419:
Caroline Thompson, Executive Director/Administrator
Kate Giemza, RN, Resident Care Director
Pam Jordan, Facilities Director
Michelle Rearic, Business Office/HR Manager
Amber Zoller, Assistant Case Manager
Christina Benardo, Activities Director
