COVID Mitigation Efforts

Updated July 14, 2020

There are currently no cases of COVID-19 at Clark-Lindsey.

In July, the following changes went into effect for The Village (Independent Living):

• Scheduled sales tours are now permitted for wait list members and prospects who are interested in apartments currently on offer in the Village. Each individual tour is limited to three people. Guests will be screened the day prior to their visit as well as screened upon arrival for their tour.
• Water-based exercise classes are now available to Village residents. Class size allows for a maximum of six, including the instructor.  Registration is required.  
• Indoor land-based exercise classes continue to be available with a maximum class size of 10.
• Staff-organized and resident-led activities have group size limitations of 10 for indoor activities and 25 for outdoor activities.
• Weekly complimentary transportation to select area stores (grocery and general merchandise) is now available. Registration through the front desk is required.

If you would like the guide, "Navigating a World with COVID-19: Tips & Tricks From Clark-Lindsey" you can access it HERE.

Coming Later This Summer (after September 1st)

• Limited dining room re-opening.

 

Outdoor Visitors

It is welcome news that visits from family and friends are once again happening on campus!   While outdoor visits are considered safer than indoor visits, there is still enough risk to warrant the following safety precautions (and campus rules):

• Please do not schedule a visit if either you or your visitor is not feeling well.  Ask your visitor if he or she has been exposed to COVID-19 or travelled to areas with high COVID infection rates and ask that they reschedule their visit until more than 14 days has passed.
• Residents that are under quarantine may not have visitors until they are no longer under quarantine precautions.
• All visits must happen outside.  Visitors are not allowed inside the building (this includes no visitor access to toilet facilities).
• All visitors must be age 18 years or older.
• Three visitors are allowed at one time.
• Both the visitor and the resident are required to wear face coverings (masks) throughout the duration of the visit.
• Social distance of a minimum of 6 feet is recommended.

 

Continued Precautions

As Clark-Lindsey cautiously re-opens, you can expect the familiar advice about masks, handwashing, and social distancing to continue.  As a matter of fact, use of certain amenities or participation in activities will require it.  To protect other members of a class or activity (including the staff), face coverings will be required for most indoor activities.

From the CDC website:  “CDC continues to study the spread and effects of the novel coronavirus across the United States.  We now know from recent studies that a significant portion of individuals with coronavirus lack symptoms (“asymptomatic”) and that even those who eventually develop symptoms (“pre-symptomatic”) can transmit the virus to others before showing symptoms.  This means that the virus can spread between people interacting in close proximity—for example, speaking, coughing, or sneezing—even if those people are not exhibiting symptoms.  In light of this new evidence, CDC recommends wearing cloth face coverings in public settings where other social distancing measures are difficult to maintain (e.g., grocery stores and pharmacies) especially in areas of significant community-based transmission.

It is critical to emphasize that maintaining 6-feet social distancing remains important to slowing the spread of the virus.  CDC is additionally advising the use of simple cloth face coverings to slow the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it from transmitting it to others.  Cloth face coverings fashioned from household items or made at home from common materials at low cost can be used as an additional, voluntary public health measure.”

You can read more about the recent studies that support mask-wearing as a key strategy in fighting the spread of COVID-19 at  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/cloth-face-cover.html The CDC also has updated resources about Daily Life & Coping that includes information about deciding to go out, running errands, and other activities.  https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/daily-life-coping/going-out.html

 

Mask Safety for Services in Apartments

For the safety of staff (and residents), when any staff is visiting an apartment, residents must wear a face covering.  This includes when residents are receiving housekeeping or maintenance services.  Residents can also choose to leave the apartment while the services are being performed or cancel their housekeeping if that is their wish.  This also applies to visits from technology support or residential services.

 

Continued Services

We understand that just because you can go out, doesn’t mean that you want to go out.  All residents should continue to exercise caution as they decide what their individual risk tolerance is.  For the time being, we will continue to provide door-to-door delivery of meals and mail.  Concierge grocery service will also continue at no additional charge.  In other words, if you feel safest in your apartment, we will continue to support you in your choice to stay there.  Daily temperatures and check-ins will also continue.

For residents ready to venture out into the world, please consider planning your trips for less busy times.  Bring your mask and your hand sanitizer with you.  And limit your participation in large groups, choosing outdoor gatherings over indoor gatherings and maintaining 6 feet of distance whenever possible.

 

What’s Next

At each point in our re-opening plan, we will review local COVID-19 trends, including new cases in the county, hospital capacity, and testing availability, before further relaxing campus restrictions.  While it is our hope that our “next step” will be towards less restrictions, it is always a possibility that community trends would require us to reinstate previous restrictions for the safety of the overall Clark-Lindsey community. 

 

Meadowbrook Health Center and Green House Homes

Our licensed Assisted Living and Skilled Care areas will continue to have the same restrictions as required by The Illinois Department of Public Health.  However, IDPH did just announce that limited outdoor visitation for residents of Meadowbrook and Green House homes are now permissible.  These visits will start on June 24, 2020 and will require an advance reservation by calling 239-6343. 

The Illinois Department of Public Health has issued the following guidance that must be followed for visits to occur:

• If you are ill, we ask that you not visit or schedule a visit until you are feeling well
• Residents that are under quarantine/isolation may not have visitors until they have been released from quarantine/isolation.
• All visits must happen outside – visitors are not allowed inside the building
• All visitors must be age 18 years old or older
• Two visitors are allowed at one time per resident with a maximum of two visits per day per resident
• Visits must be scheduled and can be arranged by calling 217.239.6343.  Please leave a message if no one answers your call.  We will call you back.
• There is a designated resident visiting area that is marked outside the entrance to Meadowbrook Health Center off of Race Street.  Visitors are to park in the designated visitor parking area
• Visiting hours will be between 10:00am – 5:00pm Monday – Saturday
• The length of the visits will be 20 minutes and will start on the hour and ½ hour
• All visitors will be screened via phone by a Meadowbrook Staff member who will be using the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) symptoms checklist not more than 24 hours in advance of your scheduled visit
• Visitors will also need to be screened in person upon arrival to the campus utilizing the same symptom list as well as having your temperature taken.  That screening will occur at the employee entrance which is very near the designated parking space or you may be screened at the Clark-Lindsey main entrance and then drive to the parking lot off of Race Street.
• You will be given a colored dot to wear which will signify that you have been through the screening station and passed and are allowed to visit
• Both the visitors and the resident shall wear face coverings (mask) throughout the duration of the visit
• After the visit is over, a staff member will take the resident inside and back to their unit
• Visits will be cancelled or stopped if weather does not safely permit visitors and residents to be outside
• Any visitor who does not follow the rules and guidelines as outlined and stated shall be asked to leave the visiting area and the outdoor visit will be stopped and the resident returned inside Meadowbrook

You can also call Meadowbrook Health Center or the Green House Home for updates on the status of your loved one. We understand that you are concerned about your loved one, but it is crucial that we continue to restrict visitation to reduce the spread of this virus. We also understand that connecting with family members is incredibly important to our residents. Family members are encouraged to connect with their loved ones through video chat, calling, texting, or other social media formats.  We are happy to assist you with doing this.

We will contact you if your loved one is suspected or diagnosed with COVID-19.  Updates will be provided weekly, or each subsequent time a confirmed infection of COVID-19 is identified and/or whenever three or more residents or staff members with new onset of respiratory symptoms occurs within 72 hours. 

 

STAFF REQUIREMENTS

All employees are required to wear masks. Prior to the start of their shift, all employees are screened for signs and symptoms of COVID, including having their temperatures taken. This process is repeated midway through their shift for those employees working 4 or more hours. Staff are required to wash their hands upon entering the building. Additional break rooms have been established so that staff may maximize their time on their unit. Staff who work in the isolation unit of Meadowbrook Health Center change into Clark-Lindsey provided scrubs when they arrive for duty, and change back into their street clothes before they leave.

Questions?
If you have any questions, or are a family member interested in receiving regular email updates related to COVID-19, please email us at Residential retire@clark-lindsey.com or call the front desk at 344-2144.

Click HERE to see the measures that Clark-Lindsey has previously taken.

Minimum Safety Protocol Required for All Individuals

• Maintain at least 6-8 feet separation from other individuals not within the same household
• All residents are recommended to wear a face covering (over the nose and mouth) while outside the home, as tolerated. While a face covering is not required outdoors, it is recommended if feasible and tolerable. A cloth face covering is recommended when in the presence of any other person not within the same household while indoors.
• Routine cleanliness and hand sanitation should be rigorously practiced. Wash or disinfect hands upon leaving home and after any interaction with others or 'high touch' surfaces-- even while practicing social distancing. Make sure to wash your hands upon your return home too.
• Self-screen for any of the following symptoms of possible COVID-19 before leaving your home. If you experience any of these symptoms , stay home. If the symptoms are unusual for you, more severe than usual or worsening, stay home and contact Resident Services through the front desk 217-344-2144:

1. Shortness of breath or difficulty breathing
2. Chills
3. Repeated shaking with chills
4. Muscle pain
5. Headache
6. Sore throat
7. Loss of taste or smell
8. Diarrhea
9. Feeling feverish or a measured temperature greater than or equal to 100.0 degrees Fahrenheit or 2 degrees above your normal temp
10. Known close contact with a person who is suspected or confirmed to have COVID-19

What to Do If You Don't Feel Well

If you have new signs or symptoms, please stay in your home and call the Front Desk so that Resident Services can follow-up with you. Do not leave your home if you are not feeling well. Please call 911 in an emergency. 

In addition to reporting new signs or symptoms to Resident Services, below are some useful COVID hotlines to call. Each of them will help you to decide what steps to take next, and all are recommending that you call either your provider or the hotline BEFORE arriving at the clinic or hosptial. 

• Carle                           217.902.6100

(select 1 for patients. If someone doesn't answer, you have two options: select 1 for COVID information, select 2 if you are experiencing symptoms and you will be transferred to a patient advisory nurse / available 24/7)

• Christie Clinic           217.366.4070

(available Monday-Friday, 8am to 5pm only)

• OSF                             833.673.5669

(select 1 for frequently asked questions only, select 2 if experiencing symptoms / available 7 days a week 7am to 11pm)