What We Are Doing

Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19)

September 28, 2020

Update Regarding Pet Visits, Indoor Visitations, Testing, and Flu Shots

• Pet Visits: Our residents are welcome to have contact with pets during outdoor visits. Necessary guidelines still apply, such as pets must be kept under control on a leash and up-to-date on vaccinations. If your visitor would like to bring a pet along, please make us aware when scheduling your outdoor visit.
• Indoor Visits: DHS/CMS released guidance mid-September regarding the conditions under which indoor visits would be allowed. We are in the process of interpreting this guidance and developing policy and procedures to implement indoor visits when able. Please understand that guidance is constantly changing. Our team is working very hard to interpret all of the requirements and regulations. While we recognize the importance of keeping our residents and employees safe and healthy, we also value supporting our residents with social interactions that enhance their quality of life. We will keep you posted on this process.
• Testing: We have received many questions related to the frequency and requirements for COVID-19 testing for both employees and residents. Local, state, and federal agencies all provide guidance on this topic. Ongoing testing in our settings occur (as testing supplies are available) per community spread and outbreak status. Outbreak is defined as one or more employees or residents testing positive for COVID-19. Outbreak status ends 14 days from the date of the positive test.
• Flu Shots: Receiving the flu vaccine is always the first step to prevention and this year it's more important than ever, considering flu season is overlapping the current COVID-19 pandemic. Vaccination is recommended as soon as the flu vaccine is available, as it takes the body approximately two weeks to build immunity. Dove Healthcare strongly encourages residents and employees to receive the flu vaccine. It is administered to those that provide consent. We offer the vaccine to new employees upon hire and new admissions if indicated, and this will continue throughout the entire flu season to help prevent influenza in our Dove Healthcare family. For more information visit the website www.cdc.gov or ask to speak with the director of nursing at your Dove Healthcare location.

If you have any questions or concerns, please contact the administrator of your Dove Healthcare location. Our entire family of caregivers thanks you for your continued support and encouragement. Take care and stay well.

September 4, 2020

Two more Dove Healthcare locations are now scheduling outdoor visits, Dove Healthcare - West Eau Claire and Wissota Health & Regional Vent Center (Chippewa Falls). If you have a loved one residing at one of the following Dove Healthcare locations, please call for more information on how to schedule your visit. We look forward to hearing from you.

• Dove Healthcare - Barron
• Dove Healthcare - Bloomer
• Dove Healthcare - Orchard Hills Assisted Living (Eau Claire)
• Dove Healthcare - Osseo (assisted living and skilled nursing)
• Dove Healthcare - Rice Lake
• Dove Healthcare - Rutledge Home (Chippewa Falls)
• Dove Healthcare - South Eau Claire (assisted living only)
• Dove Healthcare - West Eau Claire
• Dove Healthcare - Wissota Health & Regional Vent Center (Chippewa Falls)

August 19, 2020

Two more Dove Healthcare locations are now scheduling outdoor visits, Barron and Rice Lake. If you have a loved one residing at one of the following Dove Healthcare locations, please call for more information on how to schedule your visit. We look forward to hearing from you.

• Dove Healthcare - Barron

• Dove Healthcare - Bloomer

• Dove Healthcare - Orchard Hills Assisted Living (Eau Claire)

• Dove Healthcare - Osseo (assisted living and skilled nursing)

• Dove Healthcare - Rice Lake

• Dove Healthcare - Rutledge Home (Chippewa Falls)

• Dove Healthcare - South Eau Claire (assisted living)

August 3, 2020

Two more Dove Healthcare locations are now scheduling outdoor visits with residents and their loved ones. The skilled nursing and rehabilitation center at Dove Healthcare - Osseo will start outdoor visits Tuesday, August 4. Dove Healthcare - Bloomer started outdoor visits on Tuesday, July 28. Please see the update below from July 21 for other Dove Healthcare locations scheduling outdoor visits. If you have a loved one residing at one of these six locations, please call the director / administrator for more information on how to schedule your visit. We look forward to hearing from you.

July 21, 2020

We are happy to announce that our residents residing at the following Dove Healthcare assisted living locations are now able to schedule outdoor visits with their loved ones:

• Dove Healthcare - Orchard Hills Assisted Living (Eau Claire)
• Dove Healthcare - Osseo
• Dove Healthcare - Rutledge Home (Chippewa Falls)
• Dove Healthcare - South Eau Claire

After taking into consideration DHS' guidance to assisted living residences for implementing and conducting safer visits, these locations created and implemented a Safer Outdoor Visiting Policy and Procedure. If you have a loved one residing at one of the location's listed above, please call the director / administrator for more information on how to schedule your visit. We look forward to hearing from you.

Our six skilled nursing facilities located in Bloomer, Chippewa Falls, Eau Claire, Osseo, and Rice Lake are actively using the guidance recently released by CMS and DHS to develop a policy and procedure - specific to their location -  for safe outdoor visits. As soon as all of the systems and protocols are finalized and ready to safely implement, the administrator will notify the families and residents at their respective location. We are hopeful these visits will begin soon.

Please do not hesitate to contact the director / administrator with any questions or concerns. We are here to support you.

June 11, 2020

It has been almost three months since visitor restrictions were implemented. We know how challenging these unprecedented times have been for everyone, and we want to thank you for your continued patience and support as we begin to carefully navigate towards reopening to visitors.

Understanding the vulnerable nature of the population we care for and our responsibility to protect them, it requires ongoing, aggressive efforts to prevent COVID-19 exposure. As such, Dove Healthcare will use guidance and criteria specified by CMS, DHS, and local public health departments for creating and implementing a multi-phased plan to relax certain restrictions and mitigate the risk of COVID-19 resurgence.

CMS recently released preliminary guidance that included multiple criteria that must be taken into account prior to reopening:

• Case status in community: This factor will vary for each county. We do not have public health guidance yet, likely because they are awaiting DHS guidance.

• Case status in location: At this time, we do not have any known active cases of COVID-19 (residents and employees).

• Adequate staffing: All of our locations are fortunate to have adequate staffing.

• Access to adequate testing

• Access to adequate PPE (personal protective equipment) for employees

• Universal source control (includes visitors and residents wearing face coverings, social distancing, and hand washing/sanitizing).

It is important to understand that each of the above criteria has yet to be fully defined by CMS. For example, we do not know what "adequate testing" means as far as frequency required for both residents and employees. Before we can proceed with implementation of a reopening plan, we must be able to meet the ongoing requirements of adequate testing.

Again, we are fully committed to reopening safely and in compliance with CMS and DHS, as well as the local public health department's community specific requirements. Unfortunately, we have yet to receive specific guidance from DHS or public health, and so at this time, we are unable to fully prepare or provide you with a detailed plan for reopening.

We will keep you informed in the weeks ahead as we continue to receive communications from federal, state, and local departments. Please do not hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns. We are here to support you.