May 7, 2020
Dear Families,
I’m writing to provide the status of individuals in our care at Orchard View IRA. Unfortunately
, one staff member at Orchard View IRA has tested positive for COVID-19. As a result, the entire house is under quarantine. Rest assured,
no other staff or individual from the Orchard View IRA has tested positive.
Following proper protocol, the Department of Health (DOH), Office for People with Developmental Disabilities (OPWDD) and local health authorities were notified immediately. We are doubling-down every effort to keep individuals and staff safe.
This is hard news to share. As you know, the coronavirus health crisis is impacting everyone – from our community to all nations worldwide. We assure you, however, that our team takes extreme measures to protect your family member. Greystone continues strict protocols (beyond the recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) for infection control. Recent measures include:
- Implementing entry station at each IRA to include Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) distribution for staff, enhanced electronic monitoring of symptoms and temperatures and procedure for sanitizing hands, cell phone and footwear at the doorway
- Extensively cleaning and disinfecting of Orchard View IRA
- Staggering mealtimes to allow for social distancing among residents and staff
- Implemented food delivery service for all Greystone IRAs
- Facilitating additional trainings for clinical staff, including CDC, DOH and OPWDD webinars
- Staff deployed to only one IRA each to minimize exposure
- Prevention training Part 1 and Part 2
- Mandating staff who are experiencing any symptoms of illness (i.e., cough, runny nose, headache, fever, body aches) to stay home and self-quarantine for a minimum of 7 days and 72 hours
- Taking temperatures of all Greystone-supported individuals and staff daily
- Requiring all support staff to wear masks while on shift
- Holding daily Infection Control Committee meetings (7 days per week)
- PPE and Mask handling training
We will continue to communicate as we have more news to share. Please, do not hesitate to reach out to me via email at
spryce@greystone.org
or my cell (845) 505-0354 with any questions and concerns.
Stay healthy and safe,
