Determined not to allow the Coronavirus to decimate the French nursing home she manages, an administrator took drastic action that turned out to be very effective. She implemented a 47-day and night “lockdown” that included herself, staff, and the 106 residents in the facility.
Last week, the administrator and 12 of her colleagues who stayed the whole 47-days, came out of their quarantine and celebrated a victory over the pandemic that has killed dozens of other vulnerable older adults residing in other French nursing homes. Tests for the COVID-19 virus performed on all of the staff and residents were negative.
During the lockdown, there were four deaths, but they were not related to the Coronavirus.
The administrator said that due to residents and staff being locked in together, it wasn’t necessary to confine residents to their rooms as other homes had done to mitigate the risk of infection coming into the facility from the outside. Residents were allowed to mingle and get fresh air and avoid the loneliness that accompanies social isolation implemented in other nursing homes.
The only time that residents were confined to their rooms was during the two days at the start of the lockdown that it took for staff members to thoroughly clean the facility. The administrator noted that in just those two days of isolation, residents began exhibiting negative responses like not wanting to eat or get up, and questioning the need for daily bathing and personal care.
Altogether, 29 of the facility’s 50 staff participated in the lockdown. They slept in sleeping bags, and the administrator slept in her office. The team created a theme which was written on a blackboard, “Always together at heart.”
Compliance Perspective
Nursing homes are being challenged to meet state and federal regulated standards for providing quality of care due to implementation of CMS/CDC COVID-19 guidelines prohibiting visitors and requiring social distancing to mitigate the spread of the Coronavirus. The effects that isolation and social distancing have on residents emotionally and physically may in some cases be nearly as detrimental to their well-being as the disease.
Discussion Points:
- Review policies and procedures regarding CMS/CDC COVID-19 guidelines. Investigate innovative ways to provide a high level of care to residents who have not contracted COVID-19 and mitigate the negative effects of isolation from family, friends, and fellow residents.
- Train staff about how isolation and social distancing affect the emotional and physical well-being of residents and ways to alleviate it.
- Periodically audit by interviewing residents and staff to determine how isolation and social distancing are affecting them emotionally and physically, and work with the team to develop and implement interventions to reverse feelings of loneliness, helplessness, and boredom.
