ST. LOUIS COUNTY, Mo. — Nazareth Living Center in Mehlville announced Wednesday that 55 of its residents and 16 employees have tested positive for COVID-19.
The retirement community said it is in close communication with state and local health officials, as well as the Benedictine COVID-19 Task Force, to make sure it is taking the appropriate steps.
A special unit within the building has been created to care for residents who have tested positive, with dedicated caregivers who are provided personal protective equipment. The unit has a separate exterior entrance for staff and supplies to prevent the spread of the virus.
"Be assured, we are doing everything we can to stop the spread of this virus and have implemented all measures recommended by Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and our state and local health departments," the center said in a Wednesday statement.
The center said it is providing updates on its COVID-19 response on its website.
Below is the full statement from Nazareth Living Center to 5 On Your Side:
"Because our priority is the health and wellness of our residents and employees, we implemented the following measures:
• Provided face masks to all residents to wear whenever one of our staff is in their room or when they venture outside their room.
• Monitored and screened all residents daily for fever, respiratory symptoms and oxygen levels.
• Advised residents to remain in their rooms as much as possible and educated them on measures they can take to protect themselves from the virus.
• Encouraged outside medical personnel to use telehealth whenever possible.
• Restricted visitors to only essential health care and compassionate care situations, such as end of life. Those individuals were required to pass a health screening before entering.
• Cancelled all activities that involved outside visitors and large groups.
• Adjusted our meal service to provide nutritious meals to residents and tenants in their rooms and apartments.
• Screened all our associates for symptoms and temperature at the beginning of their shift each day. Associates are not allowed in the building if they are ill.
• Required all associates to wear face masks and face shields while providing care.
• Implemented enhanced infection control measures, including extra efforts to clean and disinfect all high-touch areas throughout the building.
To provide the best possible care, we constructed a special unit within our building to care for residents who tested positive. Dedicated caregivers, who agreed to take on the assignment, were designated to care for these residents and provided with the appropriate personal protective equipment. The unit has its own exterior entrance for supplies and for staff to enter and exit to prevent the spread of the virus.
Unfortunately, as of May 12, Nazareth Living Center has had 55 residents and 16 employees test positive for COVID-19. Be assured, we are doing everything we can to stop the spread of this virus and have implemented all measures recommended by Centers for Disease Control & Prevention, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and our state and local health departments. We are in close communication with our state and local health officials and the Benedictine COVID-19 Task Force to ensure that we are taking the appropriate steps at this time.
Yet, in spite of the social distancing and visitor restrictions, our staff have been incredibly creative in keeping our residents active and engaged. We actively encourage loved ones to keep in touch via phone, mail, email and video chat. We are especially grateful for our dedicated caregivers, who are focused on providing exceptional care and services for all our residents."
A hotline has been set up for family members of residents who wish to receive updates. The number is 314-207-6180.
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