Blog Post

We have learned that the Rhode Island Department of Health (RI DOH) will be conducting coronavirus testing of all nursing home and assisted living residents and staff.

 

To date, no resident or staff member of The Cove has tested positive for COVID-19, nor has exhibited any symptoms that have resulted in a positive test result. The same is true for The Willows, our assisted living residence. 

 

Since we do not have any cases at The Cove, we do not know the future date or time that this testing will take place, but stand at the ready to comply. Several weeks ago, we increased the “hazard pay” of our employees, and are experiencing no staffing shortages or issues.  

 

Should any of our residents test positive for the coronavirus, the first step will be for us to notify their family members and begin contact tracing within our building. 

 

We do not know how long it will take to obtain results of the RI DOH’s testing initiative. It is our understanding that results will be aggregated and reported only as total numbers of cases per nursing home. If there are less than 2 cases at any particular home, those results will not be included. This report will become available to the public online but will not list any resident or staff person by name. 

 

We recognize that the coronavirus presents differently in individuals, and it’s entirely possible that some of our population can be asymptomatic but still test positive. False negatives are also a possibility, for example, with the Abbott ID NOW rapid tests currently in use at the CVS drive-through testing site in Lincoln. “For all of the tests that we do…it is most reliable and most accurate when it’s done on persons who have symptoms,” stated RI DOH Director Dr. Nicole Alexander-Scott in a news article about the rapid test. “(It) decreases the risk of the false negative.” 

 

All staff continues to be vigilant in their own hand washing hygiene and that of the residents in their care, and are taking all necessary preventive measures per Centers for Disease Control guidelines such as safe distancing to prevent any spread of germs. We also have ample personal protective equipment (PPE) supplies of gowns, gloves, masks and – thanks to a recent donation – 3-D printed face shields for our direct-care staff members to wear. Housekeeping staff cleans and disinfects high-touch areas frequently throughout each shift, and all staff are screened before and throughout their shifts for temperature and other symptoms of the virus.  

 

We will continue to keep you apprised of this new testing initiative. Thank you for your understanding, sacrifice and compliance with the ‘no-visitors’ rule that remains in place. It’s not easy to be kept away from your loved ones, but rest assured we are doing the very best we can each day to provide a safe environment for them. We are caring for your loved one as if they were a member of our own family.

 

Sincerely,

 

Mark Lescault, Administrator

Mary Beth Lescault, Director of Nursing

Benjamin Lescault, Co-Administrator