March 16, 2021

Dear Patients and Families:

I am writing to share news regarding indoor visitation at The Woodlands Health & Rehab Center. Indoor visitation will now be offered beginning Wednesday, March 17, 2021. CMS published guidance specific to nursing home visitation on March 10, which has been incorporated into our visitation plan. The following bullet points highlight key aspects of the Center’s visitation plan:

Indoor visitation may occur with the exception of the following:

• patients who have not been vaccinated when Alleghany County’s COVID-19 positivity rate is greater than 10% and if less than 70% of all patients have been vaccinated. Please note, the percentage of patients who are vaccinated may vary depending upon new admissions, discharges, and availability of the vaccine.
• patients who are confirmed positive for COVID-19 (regardless of vaccination status) until transmission-based precautions may be discontinued per CDC recommendations.
• patients in quarantine (regardless of vaccination status) until transmission-based precautions may be discontinued per CDC guidance.

Note: Patients who meet the conditions above are able to have virtual or window visitation. Compassionate care visits are allowable at all times.

Scheduling:

• All visitation must be scheduled in advance. Scheduling is on a first come, first served basis by utilizing our online scheduling portal or calling the Center. Initially, indoor visits will be scheduled every 14 days to allow opportunity for all patients to have a visit within a two week timeframe.
• Visits will be scheduled for 30 minutes in duration, Monday, Wednesday and Friday, between the hours of 10:00 am – 12:00 pm and 1:00 pm – 5:00 pm. These days and times will allow for the maximum amount of staff support to perform essential functions such as cleaning between visits and processing test results. Visitation hours and days of the week will be expanded in the future.
• The number of visitors per patient at one time and the total number of visitors in the Center at one time must be limited. Each patient is allowed two visitors per visit. Visitors must be age 16 or older.
• Visits will be conducted in the Visitors Lounge, which will safely accommodate one visit at a time with visual reminders for social distancing.
• We ask that you refrain from eating/drinking while enjoying your visit in an effort to eliminate the need to remove PPE.

Visitor Screening and Testing:

• COVID-19 testing will be offered and is encouraged for any visitor participating in indoor visitation. A visitor who has been tested within the previous 2-3 days may share their test results at the time of the visit or choose to be tested by the Center prior to the visit. Testing will require signing a consent form.
• Visitors are asked to arrive on time to allow time for screening to include temperature check, screening questions and COVID-19 testing, if desired. Visitors who arrive late may have their visit shortened to prevent delay of the other scheduled visits.
• On the day of the visit, the visitor should call the Center once in the parking lot. Testing, if desired, will be conducted inside the visitor’s vehicle. Once testing has been completed, the visitor will be asked to wait in their car until the test results are received, which is typically within 15-20 minutes. Any visitor who tests positive will not be able to visit for 14 days from the date of the positive test result or until medically cleared.
• Visitors who have been fully vaccinated for COVID-19 are asked to share that information during the screening process.

Core Principles of COVID-19 Infection Prevention:

Visitors must adhere to the following core principles as outlined by CMS:

• Screening for signs and symptoms of COVID-19. Any visitor who is experiencing signs or symptoms will not be allowed entry into the Center.
• Hand hygiene
• Face mask should be worn at all times
• Social distancing of a minimum of 6 feet should be maintained
• Receive education on COVID-19 signs and symptoms, infection control precautions, and other applicable Center practices during each visit.

Visitors who fail to adhere to these core principles will not be permitted to visit and will be asked to leave.

The safety of all patients is the responsibility of Center. Staff members are required to monitor visitation to ensure the core principles are observed at all times while offering as much privacy to visitors as is practicable. By following these precautions, we are confident that we can safely facilitate visitation inside the Center.

Should the Center be required to initiate outbreak testing, visitation will be suspended pending the outcome of the testing. If the county positivity rate increases to more than 10%, we will evaluate the current vaccination percentage among patients and communicate any changes to visitation accordingly.  Virtual and window visitation will continue as per usual.

Beginning Tuesday, March 16, the online scheduling feature will be live and may be accessed by clicking this link: https://woodlands-rehab.com/patient-visitations. Should you have any questions about scheduling an indoor visit, please contact the activities/social services department by calling 540-863-4096. Please feel free to contact me should you have any questions.

Sincerely,

Angela Baldwin, LNHA
Administrator