04/13/2020
To Our Residents and Family Members:
We know many of you are concerned about the spread of COVID-19 (the new coronavirus) and how it may impact us here at Cobalt Healthcare. Ensuring residents are cared for in a safe and healthy environment is our first priority. At this time, we don’t have any cases in our community. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) have recommended a variety of steps that we are implementing to help reduce the potential for the virus to enter our building. However, we need your help in battling COVID-19. Below are some examples of how you can help protect the residents, as well as prevent the spread throughout the community.
At this time, per order of Gov. Ned Lamont we are not allowing any visitation into the facility and out of an abundance of caution, we are limiting all medical physicians, diagnostic testing and outside contract worker to our community unless absolutely medically necessary. This is crucial to reduce any potential virus being brought into our facility. We are posting signs on our entryway doors to notify visitors of this policy and actively performing strict screening to individuals, including staff, who need to come into the building.
At this time we are not allowing any items to be dropped off or picked up which includes laundry, personal items, food. This again is to ensure we are doing all we can to reduce any risk of something being contaminated and passed on to our residents and staff. Remember the virus may be actively shedding before a person infected is showing any symptoms
We understand that connecting with your loved ones is incredibly important, and there are a variety of other ways you might consider communicating with them. These may include telephone, email, text, video chat or social media. You can call our social worker Carolyn Murphy or Recreation Director Diane Kozikowski to help with any communication needs to see what can be done to accommodate you. Nursing is available 24/7 to answer any questions or concerns you may be having as well.
Please make sure we have your most current, emergency contact information. We want to make sure we efficiently communicate with you should there be any new developments. Please reach out us at (860) 267-9034 with your updated contact information.
Residents, please help prevent the spread of infection by exercising proper hand washing hygiene as well as coughing and sneezing etiquette. We offer hand washing and alcohol-based hand sanitizer stations throughout the building, which you are welcome to use. Please also avoid shaking hands and hugs with any individual. If you are experiencing a cough, fever, sore throat, runny nose, and/or shortness of breath, please let a staff member know immediately. You may be asked to stay in your room and wear a mask when staff are entering to provide your care and also protect the caregiver from contracting your illness.
We are following the recommendations of the CDC on prevention steps, including following strict hand washing procedures, and staff are mandated to wearing a mask at all times when in building. We also are wearing gowns and gloves with all contact and close interaction with our residents practicing strict infection control methods.. We also are staying up to date with the CDC / DPH recommendations as they continue to change on a daily basis. In addition, we are in close contact with the local and state health department, and we are following their guidance.
We train for emergencies and disasters annually, and we are trained to handle a pandemic situation. Our Infection Preventionist Dawn Yates RN is highly skilled and trained on how to deal with a variety of sicknesses and situations. You may contact her with any COVID 19 specific questions and she will answer them as best possible.
We will notify you if any residents or staff are diagnosed with COVID-19. Should you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at Cobalt Healthcare (860) 267-9034
For additional information, please visit the CDC’s coronavirus disease information page.
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov
Sincerely,
Victor Arduini RN
Director of Nursing
Cobalt Healthcare & Rehabilitation
(860) 267-9034
Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is a virus (more specifically, a coronavirus) identified as the cause of an outbreak of respiratory illness first detected in Wuhan, China.
