August 13, 2021

Dear Jeanne Jugan Community,

There has been a lot of activity at the Home.  The Home celebrated Christmas in July.  Santa Claus and Mrs. Claus visited the Residents on July 24 with lots of Christmas cheer and gifts. Other activities included Christmas jewelry sale, Christmas bingo, and Christmas dinner for all Residents and Staff.

In addition, a recreational therapy student, Katrina Kurowski, joined us this summer with her cockatiel, Ollie.  She is Woonsocket resident, studying at the Grand Valley State University, Grand Rapids, Michigan.  She worked with individual Residents and with Residents’ group activities.  Ollie loved to perch on the shoulders of Residents and joined in calling out bingo numbers.

The Home is expecting that Covid Surveillance Testing guidelines will change in the next few weeks.  The Home has not had any positive cases over the last several months.  Currently, surveillance testing is occurring every 14 days for unvaccinated Residents and Staff.  The frequency of surveillance testing most likely will increase to twice a week for unvaccinated Staff and Residents and once a week for all Staff and possibly Residents. 

The Rhode Island Department of Health has issued a statement that all health care workers in all health care settings must be vaccinated for COVID 19 unless contraindicated medically by October 1.  Fortunately, our vaccination rate among Residents is 100% and 85% among our Staff.  The State is at a high rate of transmission with the positivity rate rising to 3.3% from 1.8% two weeks ago.

The guidance for personal protective equipment (PPE) has not changed. All Staff and Residents need to wear face covering at all times except for communal dining and outside while maintaining social distancing. No gowns will need to be worn, unless Residents need to quarantine/isolate. The Home will continue to screen all persons who enter the Home, and ensure that all continue to observe good hand hygiene and social distancing.

We also want to thank all our families and friends with your continued patience with the visitation policies and procedures. The Home will continue with the scheduled visitation.  The RI DOH recommends that visitation occur outside, weather permitting.  Outside visits are lower risk than in-door visits. In-door, in-person visits will be in specific designated areas.  Visitation may occur in the Resident’s room for one visitor, and for two visitors if the visitors have been fully vaccinated.  Please schedule your appointments in advance. 

Infection control guidelines continue in regard to hand hygiene before and after the visit, mask wearing and social distancing.  As we receive further direction from the RI DOH, we hope that with the continued public health initiatives the progression of the viral transmission will be minimal.

The Home is blessed with our faithful community Residents.  Our community Residents have returned to mass and dinner with our residents following all the infection control guidelines outlined by the RI Department of Health.  Once again we thank you for your patience and understanding as we navigate through these challenging times.  We remain optimistic, but vigilant in our policies and procedures in protecting our Residents, Staff and Visitors.

Mother Patricia Metzgar

Click here for the Monthly Vaccination Report (September 2021 Revised)

FACT SHEET FOR RECIPIENTS AND CAREGIVERS, PFIZER-BIONTECH COVID-19 VACCINE

Previous updates:
June 1, 2021
April 22, 2021
February 5, 2021
December 11, 2020
November 24, 2020
November 5, 2020
October 20, 2020
October 6, 2020
July 21, 2020
July 2, 2020
June 17, 2020
May 28, 2020
May 14, 2020
May 4, 2020
April 24, 2020
March 16, 2020

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