State health department restricts visitors at skilled nursing, assisted living, and intermediate care facilities
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
CONTACT:
COVID-19 MEDIA LINE: 303-900-2849 (Please leave a message)
Email: media_info@state.co.us
Denver (March 13, 2020): Per direction from Governor Polis, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) is restricting all visitors at skilled nursing, assisted living, and intermediate care facilities to protect the health of the residents and health care workers at those facilities. These facilities provide care to older Coloradans with underlying health conditions.
While 80 percent of COVID-19 cases are mild, the populations in these facilities are at higher risk of getting severe novel coronavirus 2019 (COVID-19) and have higher fatality rates. The department is doing everything possible to protect the public’s health by putting measures in place to slow and limit the spread of COVID-19 in these facilities.
“We all have a responsibility to protect the most vulnerable among us from contracting COVID-19,” said Governor Jared Polis. “It starts with staying isolated even if your symptoms are mild. We are all in this together, and we all have people we love who are particularly vulnerable — our parents, our grandparents, our aunts and uncles.”
“We have learned a lot from other states where COVID first appeared, and are taking this step because we believe it’s necessary to lessen the possibility of exposure to people living in these facilities,” said Jill Hunsaker Ryan, executive director of CDPHE. “We will continue to exercise every precaution necessary to protect those who are vulnerable. We all play a role in slowing and limiting the spread of this virus.”
The order requires:
- These facilities are required to offer alternative communication methods for people who would otherwise visit the residents by using virtual communication tools and providing staff to assist the residents with those tools.
- Third-party visitors who are critical to the resident’s care will be allowed to continue their services, with screening restrictions, to continue to provide the care, services, and supplies crucial to resident care. These include volunteers, vendors receiving supplies, agency staff, EMS personnel and equipment, transportation providers, and other practitioners.
- The order mandates facilities to document symptom screening for all individuals entering the building, and make the documentation available to the department upon request.
- In the event that the facility has a positive, or suspected positive case of COVID-19, the facility will keep records of visitation in order to prevent infection exposure to other residents.
“CDPHE is committed to protecting the health of our older Coloradans at these facilities while also protecting their rights to live a full and enriched life,” said Randy Kuykendall, division director of Health Facilities and Emergency Medical Services Division at CDPHE. “It is important to note that at this time there have not been any confirmed cases of COVID-19 in these Colorado facilities. Public Health Order 20-20 is an important step to continue to protect the health and well-being of this vulnerable population.”
Read the final order here.
####
El Departamento de Salud restringe visitantes a lugares de asistencia para personas mayores e instalaciones de cuidado intermedio
Denver (Marzo 13, 2020): Por instrucciones del Gobernador Jared Polis, el Departamento de Salud y Medioambiente de Colorado (CDPHE) restringe a todos los visitantes a lugares de asistencia para personas mayores e instalaciones de cuidado intermedio para proteger la salud de los residentes y los trabajadores de esas instalaciones. Estos lugares proveen cuidado a personas mayores con condiciones médicas comprometedoras.
Mientras el 80% de los casos COVID-19 no son severos, los que habitan en estas instalaciones están en mayor riesgo de contraer COVID-19 y tienen índices mortales mayores. El Departamento está haciendo todo lo posible para proteger la salud pública por medio de medidas para disminuir el contagio de COVID-19 en esas instalaciones.
“Todos tenemos la responsabilidad de proteger a los más vulnerables de contraer COVID-19,” dijo el Gobernador Jared Polis. “Comienza con mantenerse aislado aunque se sienta bien y los síntomas no son severos. Todos estamos juntos en esto y personas que amamos son particularmente vulnerables - nuestros padres, abuelos y tíos”.
“Hemos aprendido mucho de otros estados y estamos tomando este paso porque creemos que es necesario para disminuir la posibilidad de un brote en una de estas instalaciones”, así dijo Jill Hunsaker Ryan, Directora Ejecutiva de CDPHE. “Continuaremos con las precauciones necesarias para proteger a los más vulnerables. Todos tenemos un rol en disminuir y limitar el contagio de este virus”.
La orden requiere:
- Estas facilidades deben ofrecer métodos de comunicación alternativos a las personas que quieran visitar virtualmente y proveer a los residentes con esas herramientas.
- Visitantes que son cruciales para el cuidado de los residentes, serán permitidos con restricciones de revisión para continuar y proveer el cuidado, los servicios y el material vital para el cuidado de los residentes. Estos incluyen voluntarios, proveedores, personal de agencias, ambulancias, transportación y otro personal especializado.
- Al presentarse un caso positivo o sospechoso de COVID-19, las instalaciones tendrán un registro de los visitantes para poder prevenir una infección a otros residentes.
“CDPHE está comprometido a proteger la salud de las personas mayores en Colorado en estas instalaciones para proteger los derechos de estas personas”, así lo dijo Randy Kuykendall, Director de la División de las instalaciones de salud y emergencia médica de CDPHE. “Es importante que hasta este momento no hay casos confirmados de COVID-19 en estos lugares. La Orden de Salud Pública 20-20 es un importante paso para continuar con la protección de la salud y bienestar de estos grupos de personas vulnerables”.
Vea la orden final aquí en inglés (LINK).
####