St. Ann’s Coronavirus (COVID-19) Prevention and Response
Family and friends may schedule visits with residents using our online scheduling page, found at: https://visitstanns.as.me/
Campus open only to scheduled visitors until further notice.
Like so many of you, St. Ann’s Leadership Team is closely monitoring the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) currently spreading across most of the U.S. and the world.
As always in all we do, the safety and well-being of our residents is our highest priority. We care deeply for every one of our residents, staff, volunteers, and others associated with St. Ann’s.
Accordingly, St. Ann’s is following the strict guidelines provided by the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS, which oversees nursing homes), as well as the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services and Kent County Health Department (which provide local leadership). We also are closely monitoring information provided by the Centers for Disease Control (CDC).
Ongoing Changes to Protect Our Residents
To protect our residents and safeguard our community, we are:
Scheduling All Visitors For the Foreseeable Future: The most effective way to prevent the introduction of COVID-19 into our community is to limit exposure to people who may be infected.
Limiting All Activities With Outside Groups: We are limiting activities with students, musical groups, and other outside venues. We will endeavor to maintain as close to a typical monthly schedule as possible to support our residents. Internal activities, such as resident birthday parties.
Screening of and Limitations on Essential Personnel: All essential delivery staff will be restricted to a single entrance secured by the Maintenance. Other essential staff, including physicians, Hospice staff, and other medical providers, including our pharmacists, will be allowed to enter to provide the care necessary to our residents. They will be screened for fever and respiratory symptoms according to the CDC and State of Michigan guidelines.
Accommodations Under Consideration
We understand closing our campus to visitors will be a hardship to you and your loved ones, so please watch this page for upcoming announcements of ways we will support you and your resident.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I visit my relative at St. Ann’s?
You can setup a virtual visit by following this link: https://stannshome.com/virtual-visit
St. Ann’s is currently restricting all visitors. We made this decision out of abundant caution since the best way to prevent COVID-19 from infecting any resident is to lessen the chance of the virus entering the building. We are aware of the potential hardships this will cause, so we are working on a Healthy Visitor option that will be rolled out in the immediate future.
Will non-family members like vendors, delivery staff, or others be allowed in the facility?
We will restrict all delivery staff to a single entrance secured by the Maintenance Staff. Others like medical providers, including Hospice staff or pharmacist, will be allowed to enter and provide necessary care to residents. They will be screened according to CDC guidelines.
Can I attend activities like monthly birthday parties and holiday parties?
No, the visitor restriction includes any activities residents will be able to participate in. The restrictions do cover the typical musical groups, student groups, and others who normally provide resident entertainment.
Can I pick up my family member and take him or her to an activity at my house or other places? Or to a beauty shop?
We are not permitting residents to leave St. Ann’s except for scheduled and needed medical procedures. Allowing residents to interact with community members and to be in non-medical settings increases the opportunity they will be exposed to the coronavirus.
I know that Grand Valley State University nursing students, and other students, regularly visit as part of their clinical studies. Will they be allowed to continue?
As of March 11, Grand Valley State University and other area colleges have temporarily closed. We are in contact with GVSU to learn whether students will continue their work at St. Ann’s. We will provide any update we get.
Does St. Ann’s have enough supplies?
We monitor all supplies regularly and have been in conversation with our supply vendors. We do not expect any immediate supply shortages, but we continue to monitor this evolving situation closely and work with our supply vendors to anticipate and respond to potential shortages.
Is St. Ann’s doing anything differently to clean resident rooms or common areas like the dining rooms?
St. Ann’s is using the list of cleaning products suggested and endorsed by the CDC and other federal agencies to strive for the cleanest environment we can provide. We have instructed staff to pay special attention to the use of approved surface wipes, hand sanitizing products, and cleaning equipment. We are also implementing steps to help residents wash their hands often.
