May 21, 2020 Update:
Please see below for past updates:
Frequently Asked Questions v22 5.13.2020
Frequently Asked Questions v21 5.7.2020
Frequently Asked Questions v20 4.30.2020
Frequently Asked Questions v19 4.27.2020
Frequently Asked Questions v18 4.24.2020
Frequently Asked Questions v17 4.20.2020
Frequently Asked Questions v16 4.17.2020
Frequently Asked Questions v15 4.14.2020
April 10, 2020 Update:
Today, Good Friday, was finally a day of good news!
Two residents from different households tested negative! This means that thus far, we have been successful in containing the virus to one household.
From the affected household, one resident test result returned negative, one resident returned positive, and two residents are still pending. The positive residents remain stable, and our team of nurses, caregivers, life enrichment staff, and housekeepers are diligently tending to their direct care needs.
Unfortunately, we also received report that one dining services employee responsible for production has tested positive but has been out of work since March 30th. CDC Guidance tells us that there is currently no evidence to support transmission of COVID-19 associated with food. Because of poor survivability of these coronaviruses on surfaces, there is likely very low risk of spread from food products or packaging.
As we head into the Easter Weekend in a year when family gatherings are discouraged, please know that we as team members see our residents as family too and look forward to celebrating our many blessings on behalf of those who can’t be together.
April 9, 2020 Update:
As of Thursday morning, Homestead Village has five residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 – all in one nursing home neighborhood, separate from our other residents.
We are minimizing staff movements between the positive area and the other areas of Homestead Village. A staff member who worked in that neighborhood has tested positive. The staff member had none of the normal symptoms. Nine other nursing home staff members have been tested; eight have been negative and one is still pending.
Stringent restrictions and screenings are still being followed, with an emphasis on meeting and exceeding CDC guidelines for cleaning, and using personal protective equipment and precautions.
Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with all of our residents, staff, and families during this difficult time.
April 7, 2020 Update:
Today we learned that a second nursing home resident has tested positive for COVID-19. The resident has been moved to a negative pressure room and will be cared for by a separate, specially equipped care staff. Homestead Village is closely following the protocol of our emergency preparedness plan, and all nursing home residents and staff will continue to be monitored for symptoms.
April 6, 2020 Update
Today we learned that a nursing home resident with a low grade temperature tested positive for COVID-19. The resident has been moved to a negative pressure room and will be cared for by a separate, specially equipped care staff. Homestead Village is closely following the protocol of our emergency preparedness plan, and all nursing home residents and staff will continue to be monitored for symptoms.
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Effective March 13, 2020, the Pennsylvania Department of Health mandated a no visitor policy in nursing facilities except in instances of end‐of‐life events that require visitation from immediate family members, friends, and religious leaders. Shortly thereafter we asked that family and visitors refrain from visiting apartment residents and coming to the apartment building. Until these restrictions are rescinded, visitation cannot be permitted.
Homestead Village is taking the recommendations of medical experts very seriously with a commitment to keep Homestead Village free of COVID-19. A daily morning meeting is held by the department leaders to address the changing daily developments of the pandemic. Stringent restrictions and screenings were put in place, and emphasis on the community’s pro-active response to meeting and exceeding CDC guidelines and recommendations for wellness were communicated to all residents, staff, family, and friends.
April 3, 2020 update:
As of this morning, we have no positive cases of COVID-19 at Homestead Village. We have been screening all staff members and visitors for over two weeks upon arrival and we began screening at the end of shifts last week. We now have all staff members wearing masks when working near residents, each other, or food preparation. Homestead Village has been systematically increasing our supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) through our normal vendors and through many unusual channels in order to be prepared for an outbreak. Many family members, friends and the community have donated equipment including cloth masks which we greatly appreciate. Yesterday we received ten boxes of supplies from the Pennsylvania Department of Health and Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) which was an unexpected surprise.
We have had many requests from stakeholders to volunteer and we appreciate that support. We are constantly looking for opportunities to allow volunteers to help.
Homestead Village is working diligently to keep everyone safe. Any staff member with even one symptom is asked to self-quarantine and get tested. So far we have received the results from 11 staff members who were tested and all were negative. Four staff members with at least one symptom are still self-quarantined and their test results are pending. In each case, staff were following precautions at the time they were showing symptoms.
The one staff member who tested positive was a part-time employee who started experiencing symptoms at home, was tested on March 23rd and received positive results on March 28th; but had not worked at Homestead Village for the previous 2 weeks. It has now been almost three weeks and no residents or staff who came in contact with the employee has shown any symptoms. For this we are thankful!
Any resident showing symptoms is isolated and observed. Four residents have been tested, mostly by LGH and all have been negative. One resident was tested twice with two negative results.
Identified COVID-19 cases are accelerating in Lancaster County; so we are preparing for the possibility of a positive case at Homestead Village; but we are doing all that we can to keep our community safe.
If you live in our Cottage, Villa, Mews or Farmstead neighborhoods and experience even one symptom; please contact your health care provider and inform our team as well. We will be making additional wellness calls, asking health questions during meal delivery and have set up a COVID-19 hotline to report any symptoms. We want to help you in any way we can.
Stay safe!
April 1, 2020 update:
There are no known cases of COVID-19 among residents or staff at Homestead Village as of March 31, 2020. A recent newspaper article references a part-time employee who informed us on March 28 that the employee tested positive; but had not been at Homestead for 14 days and had no symptoms while at Homestead. It has now been 17 days since that employee has been at Homestead and no residents or employees who came in contact with the individual has shown any symptoms. Please continue to visit us here at this landing page for daily updates. We will immediately report any positive cases here.
March 31, 2020 update:
We are also asking that family members and visitors refrain from visiting cottage, villa, Mews and Farmstead residents. We need to work together to minimize the spread of COVID-19. Deliveries should be placed on exterior porches, and deliverer should not enter the resident’s home, and keep in mind the 6-foot social distance requirement.
Please click here: Frequently Asked Questions v8 March 31, 2020 for additional information about our wellness precautions. We apologize for any inconvenience, but thank you for helping us protect our cherished residents. At this time, no positive cases have been reported among our residents.
March 28, 2020 update:
In spite of vigilant screening efforts, Homestead Village was informed on March 28, 2020, that an occasional employee had received a positive test result for COVID-19. The individual has not worked since March 14, 2020 and was never symptomatic while on campus.
Homestead Village has been in contact with the PA Department of Health and is following procedures recommended by the Centers for Disease Control & Prevention.
Homestead Village notified the small number of residents who may have interacted with the team member.
The employee’s coworkers have also been notified of their possible exposure.
Due to federal privacy laws and out of respect for the privacy of our employee, we will maintain strict confidentiality with respect to identity; but we are pleased to report that the employee who tested positive experienced mild symptoms, has recovered and is looking forward to being cleared to come back to work in accordance with the Department of Health and CDC guidelines.
See Additional Community Updates Here:
Frequently Asked Questions v8 (3.30.2020)
Frequently Asked Questions v7 (3.28.2020)
Frequently Asked Questions v6 (3.25.2020)
Frequently Asked Questions v5 (3.23.2020)
Frequently Asked Questions v4 (3.16.2020)
NEW Restrictions in effect Monday (3.16.20)
Frequently Asked Questions v3 (3.13.2020)
Frequently Asked Questions v2 (3.12.2020)
Frequently Asked Questions v1 (3.11.2020)