During routine staff testing this week, we had one staff member of our care center test positive for COVID-19. We will initiate entire-site testing for all residents and staff on 11/30/20. Our residents are now on quarantine to prevent further exposure. We continue to work with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and are following COVID-19 recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Please consider how your Thanksgiving plans impact others. We encourage you to stay home and gather with people within your household. Most importantly, visit with your friends and loved ones in our care center virtually as much as possible. Share family recipes over the phone or Zoom. Send letters and photos instead of an in-person visit during our current visiting limitations. For more ways you can connect with your loved one or to schedule a virtual visit, please contact Lacey, Activity Director, at lboesen@zhs.sfhs.org or 507-732-8409.

This Thanksgiving season we want to thank our residents, family and friends for their support and prayers throughout the COVID Pandemic. We thank you for your continued patience and the sacrifices you have made. With you we will work through this pandemic. Remember to wear a mask, social distance when possible and practice proper hand hygiene. On behalf of our entire team, please stay safe and healthy.

Looking for ways to help? We have a variety of positions available with flexible scheduling and on the job training. For more information or to apply, visit www.jobswithus.org, search “Zumbrota.”

Don’t forget to get your flu shot this season to help protect our community. Please follow our Facebook page (@Zumbrota Health Services) or our website (www.zhs.sfhs.org) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Laura Erickson, Administrator, at 507-732-8132 or by email at lerickson@zhs.sfhs.org if you have any questions or concerns.

Dear Family and Friends,

We recently learned that the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and the federal Medicare agency (CMS) are advising against residents leaving their care center for holiday visits. As we continue to fight against COVID-19, we ask that you not take your loved ones out this Thanksgiving.

By not taking your loved one out for a holiday visit, you will help us in protecting the health of everyone who lives and works here. One of the best things that you can do for your family this holiday season is to not gather in groups and keep everyone safe by wearing a facemask when you do.

We know just how special the holiday season can be and spending time with family is what adds meaning to our celebrations.  However, we need your help to protect our residents, our staff, and yourself during this pandemic’s risky time by limiting our contact with the broader community.  As Governor Walz told us the other night, the COVID-19 surge is at a dangerous level in Minnesota.

This past year has been a challenge like no other and we deeply appreciate the sacrifices that you and your family have already made during these past months. The hope of a COVID-19 vaccine is promising, but until that time we all need to use extra caution to slow the spread of this highly contagious disease.

If a resident does choose to go to a holiday gathering outside of our care center, the resident will need to quarantine in his or her room for 14-days after returning as a necessary precaution. Even when being very careful and following all of the guidelines, the risk of being infected when being out in the general public is high.

Our staff is committed to keeping you connected during the holiday seasons. We have a variety of activities planned that will engage our residents and are doing all we can to facilitate alternative means of communication between you and your loved one. If you have any gifts or cards you would like to give to your loved one or wish to schedule a virtual visit, please contact Lacey, Activity Director, at lboesen@zhs.sfhs.org or 507-732-8409.

We know that this news may cause concern or that you may have questions about what we are doing to keep everyone safe and healthy. Please do not hesitate to reach out to me at 507-732-8132. 

Sincerely,

Laura Erickson, Administrator

11/19/20

As of today, we have no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our care center. We continue to work with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and are following COVID-19 recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Our county positivity rate has risen above 10% putting our care center in the “red zone.” According to CMS calculations, all Minnesota counties but four are now in the “red zone.” Being in the “red zone” requires our care center to routinely test our staff twice weekly. We are also required to suspend all indoor visits at this time. Essential Caregivers are still able to visit if they are being tested twice per week. We encourage you to use alternate ways to connect with your loved ones such as Zoom, Facebook Portal, Phone, and Facetiming. To schedule your visit or for more information on our visitation policy, please contact Lacey, Activity Director, at lboesen@zhs.sfhs.org or 507-732-8409.

Looking for ways to help? We have a variety of positions available with flexible scheduling and on the job training. For more information or to apply, visit www.jobswithus.org, search “Zumbrota.”

Don’t forget to get your flu shot this season to help protect our community. Please follow our Facebook page (@Zumbrota Health Services) or our website (www.zhs.sfhs.org) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Laura Erickson, Administrator, at 507-732-8132 or by email at lerickson@zhs.sfhs.org if you have any questions or concerns.

Today we received the last of our results from the COVID testing we conducted on care center staff on 11/9/20. One staff person tested positive; they have not worked for a couple of weeks prior to the test and have not exposed residents or staff. We will now go from routine weekly testing to routine biweekly testing of staff due to the increased county rates. At this time residents do not need to be tested. We continue to work with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and are following COVID-19 recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

This week Governor Walz announced new COVID-19 restrictions. These include earlier bar and restaurant closing times and 10 person limits on all indoor and outdoor gatherings. We encourage everyone in their efforts to control the spread of the virus including wearing masks, social distancing and the recent turning back of the dial by the State. At the care center and assisted living, we will continue to have modified congregate dining, following COVID-19 safety recommendations and size limitations as well as socially distanced small group activities.

We continue to see outbreaks in our rural communities and this has affected the care center’s and assisted living’s ability to allow indoor visits. Due to the increase in cases in the county (above 10% per Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) calculations), we can no longer allow indoor visits. Essential Caregivers will be allowed to continue providing cares for their loved ones.

Looking for ways to help? We have a variety of positions available with flexible scheduling and on the job training. For more information or to apply, visit www.jobswithus.org, search “Zumbrota.”

Don’t forget to get your flu shot this season to help protect our community. Please follow our Facebook page (@Zumbrota Health Services) or our website (www.zhs.sfhs.org) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Laura Erickson, Administrator, at 507-732-8132 or by email at lerickson@zhs.sfhs.org if you have any questions or concerns.

11/09/2020

As of today, we have no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our care center or assisted living. We routinely test staff at the care center on a weekly basis. We continue to work with the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and are following COVID-19 recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS).

Our top priority is to support and protect our residents and dedicated caregivers. We have equipped our staff with the training and supplies needed to provide safe, quality care, services and support to our residents. We continue to urge everyone to practice proper hand hygiene and safe physical distancing.

We are committed to ensuring that physical distancing does not mean isolation. We are working to have a variety of small group activities that engage our residents such as social distanced bingo, crafts, trivia, happy hour, and exercise group. We know that you too are making sacrifices and we appreciate your patience as we continue to navigate through this Pandemic.

To schedule a visit with your loved one at the Care Center, please contact Lacey, Activity Director, at lboesen@zhs.sfhs.org or 507-732-8409

Looking for ways to help? We have a variety of positions available with flexible scheduling and on the job training. For more information or to apply, visit www.jobswithus.org, search “Zumbrota.”

Don’t forget to get your flu shot this season to help protect our community. Please follow our Facebook page (@Zumbrota Health Services) or our website (www.zhs.sfhs.org) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Laura Erickson, Administrator, at 507-732-8132 or by email at lerickson@zhs.sfhs.org if you have any questions or concerns.

As of 10/28/2020, we have no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in our care center or assisted living. We routinely test care center staff monthly. We follow all recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

While we welcome the new indoor visitation guidelines, we continue to monitor the COVID outbreak in our community and nearby counties. Our care center and assisted living may ask visitors to get tested for COVID-19 prior to visiting with your loved one. Even when not experiencing symptoms, you may test positive for COVID-19 and spread the virus without knowing. To schedule your visit or for more information on our visitation policy, please contact Lacey for the care center at lboesen@zhs.sfhs.org or (507) 732-8409 and Virginia at (507) 732-8455 or Barb at (507) 732-8414 for the assisted living.

COVID continues to change the way we celebrate holidays. This year our care center Halloween celebrations include a costume parade by staff, special decorations and projects, and a small-group social distance Halloween party!

Looking for ways to help? We have a variety of positions available with flexible scheduling and on the job training. For more information or to apply, visit www.jobswithus.org and search “Zumbrota.”

Don’t forget to get your flu shot this season to help protect our community. Please follow our Facebook page (@Zumbrota Health Services) or our website (www.zhs.sfhs.org) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Laura Erickson, Administrator, at 507-732-8132 or by email at lerickson@zhs.sfhs.org if you have any questions or concerns.

Today we received the last of our COVID testing results from 10/19/20, and we are thrilled to announce that all results were negative!! This means we will continue routinely testing staff monthly. We follow all recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

We are ready to begin limited indoor visitation in accordance with the MN Department of Health Guidance. At this time, we do not require visitors to provide proof of a negative COVID-19 test, but that may change in the future. We are however required to comply with several rules to ensure the safety of the residents, our staff and you, the visitor. The following rules will be enforced:

• Visits for the Zumbrota Care Center will be available on Tuesdays from 2:00 pm to 4:30 pm and Thursday from 10:00 am to 11:30 am.

• Visits for Bridges of Zumbrota will be available Tuesday through Friday from 10 am to 2 pm, and from 6:30-7:30 pm.

• All visits must be scheduled 24-hours in advance. Appointments can be made with Lacey at lboesen@zhs.sfhs.org or (507) 732-8409 for the care center and with Virginia at (507) 732-8455 or Barb at (507) 732-8414 for BOZ.

• Up to 2 people may visit at one time. Children under the age of 12 must be under the complete control of an adult.

• All visitors will be screened at the front lobby entrance for the Bridges and the Dayroom outdoor exit door for the Care Center and agree to the visitation rules

• Visits at the Care Center will be held in Dayroom (outside door facing West side) and in Apartment 101 at the Bridges will last for up to 25 minutes

• Visitors will be expected to provide their own mask

• Visitors will agree to maintain the 6’ social distance from the residents

• All items brought in for the resident needs to be given to staff for sanitizing

Due to limited facilities for indoor visitation, we are only able to accommodate one visit per resident per week and we need to strictly enforce the time limit so others have an opportunity to see their loved one. We are very excited to welcome you back to the Zumbrota Care Center and Bridges of Zumbrota and please watch for more updates as we will hopefully expand visitation hours in the near future.

Looking for ways to help? We have a variety of positions available with flexible scheduling and on the job training. For more information or to apply, visit www.jobswithus.org and search “Zumbrota.”

Please follow our Facebook page (@Zumbrota Health Services) or our website (www.zhs.sfhs.org) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Laura Erickson, Administrator, at 507-732-8132 or by email at lerickson@zhs.sfhs.org if you have any questions or concerns.

October 14^th, 2020

On Monday, October 12^th, we conducted outbreak testing on our residents and staff. We are happy to announce that we had NO additional positive cases of COVID-19 in our care center.  We will be testing again on Monday, October 21^st. Unfortunately, we are not able to allow patio visits at this time. We continue to follow all recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

We are very excited to share the news that we will soon be able to resume indoor visits, and warmly welcome you back into our care center. The Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has issued guidance on how we can safely re-open to visitors while continuing to protect the health of our residents and staff. This guidance takes effect on October 17^th.  In the meantime, we remind you to take advantage of window visits and virtual visits.

Even though we are excited to open up our care center for indoor visits, it is tempered by the fact that rural communities are seeing more outbreak in recent weeks which has the potential to impact our care center’s ability to offer visitation. There can be no new onset of COVID-19 cases in the last 14 days and facility cannot currently be conducting outbreak testing.  COVID-19 county positivity rates will determine how our care center will facilitate indoor visits. 

For your planning purposes, please know we expect to accommodate indoor visitation very soon, following these strict guidelines:

• All indoor visits MUST be scheduled in advance.
• Visitors must be screened prior to entering the care center for signs and symptoms of COVID-19.
• All visits must be conducted using social distancing.
• Visitors must wear a mask covering both nose and mouth while in the care center. Residents must wear a surgical mask during the visit.
• Proper hand hygiene must occur (use of alcohol-based hand rub) throughout visit.
• Visits may be restricted to a designated area within the building.
• Physical contact (hugs, kisses, handshakes, etc.) continues to be restricted to protect everyone from potential virus transmission.
• Visitors will be limited to two visitors per resident; the total number of visitors in the building will be limited; and the duration of visits will be limited.
• Visitors must adhere to all infection control policies (ICP) and staff should provide monitoring for those who may have difficulty adhering to ICP
• Cleaning/disinfecting high frequency touched surfaces and designated visitation areas must occur after each visit.
• All items brought to the visit must be left with staff for disinfection and not passed to the resident during the visit.

Our ability to resume visitation would not have been possible without the incredible commitment and dedication of our staff, who have worked tirelessly to manage the risks of COVID-19 and providing compassionate care and support to our residents at a time when they are physically separated by their loved ones. We know that you too, have made sacrifices during this incredibly difficult time and we thank you for your patience and understanding.

Looking for ways to help? We have a variety of positions available with flexible scheduling and on the job training. For more information or to apply, visit www.jobswithus.org.

Please follow our Facebook page (@Zumbrota Health Services) or our website (www.sfhs.org) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Laura Erickson, Administrator, at 507-732-8132 or by email at lerickson@zhs.sfhs.org if you have any questions or concerns.

October 7th, 2020

We regret to inform you that during our routine staff testing on Monday, October 5th, we had one staff member test positive for COVID-19. This positive case causes Zumbrota Health Services to conduct weekly entire-site testing again. Our first round of testing for all residents and staff will take place on Monday October 12th. We follow all recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH), the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention (CDC) and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

Due to the positive case in our care center, we will discontinue patio visits at this time. As a reminder, we must have two consecutive weeks with no additional cases to resume outdoor visitation. We deeply appreciate the sacrifices you made to limit the impact of COVID-19 on our community and your patience as we navigate through these unprecedented times. Our entire team looks forward to seeing you again. Families, friends and volunteers are a core fabric of what makes our community so special. In the meantime, we remind you to take advantage of our closed window visits and the ability to connect residents and their loved ones through alternative communication, such as FaceTime, Zoom and Skype.

Looking for ways to help? We have a variety of positions available with flexible scheduling and on the job training. For more information or to apply, visit www.jobswithus.org.

Thank you again for being partners with us in fighting the COVID-19 virus. Your messages of support, prayers, and caring is important to those working to keep our residents healthy and safe. Without a doubt, there will be more challenges ahead, and we continue to ask for your patience. Please follow our Facebook page (@Zumbrota Health Services) or our website (www.sfhs.org) for all COVID updates and information on what is happening inside our care center. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Laura Erickson, Administrator, at 507-732-8132 or by email at lerickson@zhs.sfhs.org if you have any questions or concerns.

Dear ZHS Family and Friends,

We performed our 3rd round of entire-site testing on 9/28/2020. We are excited to announce that all tests have returned negative for COVID-19. We have now gone two consecutive weeks without any additional cases allowing us to discontinue entire-site testing of our residents. Our staff will continue to be routinely tested weekly, following CMS guidelines. Our next round of routine staff testing will take place on Monday, 10/5/2020.

Following the State and Federal guidelines, we will end facility wide quarantine and resume limited communal dining. Patio visits will resume shortly. Please know we continue to offer window visits and virtual visits. Please contact Lacey Boesen, Activity Director, at lboesen@zhs.sfhs.org to schedule your visit in advance.

The coming cooler months will continue to challenge us in limiting the impact of COVID-19 on our community. It is important for each of us to think about how our actions affect others we come in contact with. We must protect one another. You are a key partner in the safe reopening of our care center, please remember to social distance, wear a mask, and practice proper hand hygiene. Remember to stay home if you have symptoms of COVID-19 or have had close contact with someone who has been diagnosed with COVID-19.

If you or someone you know may be interested in working side by side with us as we truly make a difference in the lives of our residents, please contact our care center or visit www.jobswithus.org and search “Zumbrota” for more information.

We truly appreciate your patience as we prepare to expand visits and other activities. We all look forward to the days ahead when we’re able to enjoy the simple pleasures of hugs, handshakes, and warm in-person greetings again.

Thank you again for being partners with us in fighting the COVID-19 virus. Updated information on our planning and preparedness for Coronavirus and our activities within our care center can be found by visiting our website (www.zhs.sfhs.org) or our Facebook page. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at 507-732-8132 or by email at lerickson@zhs.sfhs.org.

Laura Erickson

Administrator