Good news! Manor, Parkview Heights now open to visitors

The Imperial Manor, Parkview-Heights staff is excited to announce beginning Wednesday this week the facility is open to families and friends to come inside to visit their loved ones.
There is a schedule and strict guidelines that must be followed for the safety of the residents and staff.
“I am so happy and excited! We have been waiting for this for a long time,” said Eric Haider, CEO of the facilities.
The last time they had a COVID positive person was Dec. 28 on the Parkview-Heights side and Jan. 31 on the Manor side, he said.
“We have worked very hard to stay COVID free to get to this point,” Haider said.
The facility has been in Phase 2 for some time, but has now moved to Phase 3.
What this means, Haider said, is that regular COVID testing of staff will go from twice a week to once a month.
Residents will no longer have to be regularly tested unless they present symptoms of COVID.
“Phase 3 will bring a lot of changes. Residents can now participate in communal dining, social gathering, church services, group activities, bingo, etc.,” Haider said.
Staff and visitors won’t have to wear full PPE any longer­­—just a mask—unless they are going into an isolation room, he added.
“Life will become almost normal again. But I must caution everyone that we must be extra, extra careful to follow safety guidelines because we are still in a pandemic,” Haider said.
“It would only take one positive case entering the facility to take us back to Phase 1 again.”
Strict visitation guidelines
The guidelines for outside visitors to enter the facility are preferably “one on one” visits with a resident.
“Outside visitors will still not be able to participate in group activities with residents,” Haider said.
If a family member would like to eat a meal with a resident, they need to call in advance and a special table with proper distancing can be set up, he added.
The schedule for visiting Monday through Saturday is from 9 to 11 a.m. and 2 to 4 p.m.
Sunday hours will be from 2 to 4 p.m.
“All visitors must enter through the front doors of the Manor, regardless of where in the facility they are going,” Haider said.
    The guidelines boxed with this story are consistent with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidance for nursing homes and should be adhered to at all times.
     The risk of transmission can be further reduced through the use of physical barriers and outdoor visitations.
     If a visitor comes more than once a week, they will need to have a COVID rapid test every third day, Haider noted.
Encouraging facts
    In a March 2 news release, it was reported that nursing homes have seen a large decline in COVID cases.
    Recent Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) data shows that nursing homes have seen an 82% decline in new COVID cases among residents, which was the lowest amount of new COVID cases since CMS started tracking in May 2020.
    It is also the lowest number of cases since the peak during the week of December 2020, when there were more than 30,000 new resident cases in the U.S.
    During the same time period, community cases in the general population dropped by 46%, indicating the vaccines are working as well as having an impact in protecting the elderly population in nursing homes.
    “I am looking forward to having the facility open so residents can see family and friends again,” Haider said.
    He said he has been receiving emails from family members saying how happy they are to be able to visit again.
    The Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) recently hosted a Q & A Facebook conference with family members of nursing homes and assisted living facilities in Nebraska.  
    “If you missed the conference, go to the DHHS Facebook page, scroll down to the video on the left of the interim Deputy Director of the Division of DHHA, Becky and Dan and select that picture to view the conference recording. It is about 47 minutes long,” said Haider.