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AHAVA Memory Care Resident Visits and Outings – REVISED Policies

Revised and posted on May 12, 2021

Vaccination numbers continue to rise, the positivity rate for COVID in Allegheny County is dropping, and the Pennsylvania Department of Health and the CDC have revised their restrictions and guidelines for senior care communities like JAA.

Resident visits are experiencing significant changes in protocol at AHAVA Memory Care Center. Please follow these new policies and enjoy visits with your loved ones.

  • Entering AHAVA
  • Outdoor Visitation
  • Indoor Visitation
  • In-Room Visitation
  • Compassionate Care Visits
  • Medical Outings
  • Visitation Times/Locations

ENTERING AHAVA:

  • Visitors are to remain in their cars until they are notified that their visit is ready to begin.
  • Visitors over 12 years of age should sign in at the kiosk in the Winter Garden. No visits are permitted to anyone unable to pass kiosk screening.
  • Visitors who have been fully vaccinated are required to provide proof of vaccination when requesting a visit without the need for masking and social distancing at all times during the visit. This would occur only when visitors are in residents’ rooms/apartments. Visitors MUST wear a facemask when walking through the building.
  • Unvaccinated visitors are provided with a surgical facemask upon arrival and are asked to replace their personal mask with the surgical facemask given to them.

OUTDOOR VISITATION: FOR VACCINATED AND UNVACCINATED RESIDENTS AND VISITORS:

  • Weather permitting, visits may be scheduled and accommodated outside of the facility in designated areas.
    • Outdoor visits must be scheduled.  AHAVA activities staff members are responsible for confirming the number of visitors including children in order to accommodate visits with enough space for social distancing.
    • AHAVA staff members are responsible for placing and maintaining visible markers to indicate where chairs should be placed during outdoor visits in order to accommodate social distancing.
    • Children should remain with their group during the duration of the visit. Unvaccinated children over two years old should wear masks at all times.
    • In order to allow for proper social distancing at AHAVA, a limit of three (3) children are permitted for a scheduled outdoor visit. This accommodation requires a specific seating area. Therefore, visitors coming with three (3) children must schedule this in advance and alert staff prior to the visit. During times of inclement weather, these visits will be rescheduled for an alternative time and/or date. 
    • If any member of the visiting party is unvaccinated, residents and visitors must wear well-fitting facemasks during outdoor visitation. For residents who cannot tolerate a facemask, a FACE SHIELD must be worn in place of a facemask during the visit. 
    • If residents and visitors have been vaccinated, facemasks may be removed ONLY while sitting in the designated visitation space. If residents or visitors move away from the designated visitation space for any reason, facemasks must be worn at ALL times.
    • If residents and visitors are all fully vaccinated, they may choose to have close contact and not wear masks, ONLY while in the designated visitation space.
    • Unvaccinated residents must wear well-fitting facemasks and maintain social distance from visitors during outdoor visits at ALL times.
    • One pet is permitted for outdoor visits. Pets may not enter the building at any point during the visit.
    • Outdoor visitation areas (tables, chairs) are disinfected after each visit.
    • Food and drink are NOT permitted during visits to AHAVA.

INDOOR VISITATION: FOR VACCINATED AND UNVACCINATED VISITORS:

  • Indoor visitation adheres to the following rules. NO EXCEPTIONS are permitted:
    • All indoor visitations occur in the designated areas outlined by AHAVA staff.
    • All indoor visitors are screened through the kiosk located at the Winter Garden.
    • Hand sanitizer is provided to visitors before entering designated area.
    • Unvaccinated visitors are provided a surgical facemask and must replace their personal mask with the mask provided.
    • Visitors must wear facemasks in common areas of AHAVA at ALL times.
    • AHAVA activity staff members may monitor visits. After each visit, the indoor visitation area is disinfected and cleaned by assigned staff.
    • If residents being visited or any members of the visiting party are unvaccinated, residents and visitors must wear well-fitting facemasks during indoor visitation. For residents who cannot tolerate facemasks, a FACE SHIELD must be worn in place of facemasks during visits. 
    • If residents being visited and all visitors to that resident have been vaccinated, facemasks may be removed ONLY while sitting in the designated indoor visitation space. If residents or visitors move away from the designated visitation space for any reason, facemasks must be worn at ALL times.
    • If residents and visitors are both fully vaccinated, they may choose to have close contact while not wearing masks, ONLY while in the designated visitation space.
    • If residents are fully vaccinated, they may choose to have close contact during indoor visits, within six (6) feet of unvaccinated visitors, if both residents being visited and visitors are wearing well-fitting facemasks.
    • Unvaccinated residents must wear well-fitting facemasks and maintain social distance from visitors during indoor visits.
  • Indoor visitation are limited to two (2) visitors at a time.
  • Indoor visitation must be scheduled. Please allow two days advanced notice for scheduling purposes. Visits are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis, subject to availability.

IN-ROOM VISITATION: FOR VACCINATED RESIDENTS AND VACCINATED VISITORS ONLY:

  • In-room visits for vaccinated residents are only permitted for visitors who are able to provide documentation that they are fully vaccinated, meaning it has been greater than 14 days since they received the last dose in a series of COVID vaccines. The only exception to this is for compassionate care visits, which may be held in-room regardless of the visitors’ or residents’ vaccination status; please see Compassionate Care Visits below.
  • Vaccinated visitors MUST provide proof of vaccination in order to receive this less restrictive visitation option.
  • There is a limit of two (2) visitors at a time for in-room visits
  • No pets are permitted.
  • In-room visits are held only at times designated by AHAVA staff.
  • All in-room visitors are screened through the kiosk located in the Winter Garden. 
  • Hand sanitizer is provided to visitors before proceeding to resident room.
  • Staff members escort visitors to resident rooms.
  • Vaccinated visitors and residents are permitted to remove their masks and have close contact, only while in the resident’s room, never in common areas of AHAVA.
  • Congregating outside of resident rooms and walking inside AHAVA corridors are NOT permitted.
  • Doors must remain closed during in-room visits.
  • In-room visitation must be scheduled at least 24 hours in advance, in order to plan travel routes and limit traffic in AHAVA corridors.  
  • Staff may perform periodic checks on in-room visits. A “Visitation in Progress” sign is placed on the door during in-room visits to alert staff of rooms holding visits.
  • Visitors MUST reapply facemasks prior to leaving, and exit AHAVA using the same route they used to enter, signing out of the Winter Garden kiosk prior to leaving. No additional visits with other residents in the facility prior to leaving are permitted.

COMPASSIONATE CARE VISITS: FOR UNVACCINATED VISITORS:

  • In-room compassionate care visits are permitted regardless of vaccination status. However, unvaccinated visitors are encouraged to be tested frequently for COVID, especially prior to upcoming visits with their loved ones.
  • Unvaccinated, compassionate care visitors are given a surgical facemask upon arrival and are asked to replace their personal mask with the surgical mask provided.
  • Visitors must screen at the Winter Garden lobby kiosk and sanitize hands before going to the resident’s room.
  • There is a limit of two (2) visitors at a time for in-room compassionate care visits.
  • No pets or unvaccinated children are permitted.
  • Doors must remain closed during in-room compassionate care visits.
  • Close contact is permitted with unvaccinated visitors if residents are fully vaccinated and both residents and visitors wear facemasks.
  • Limited close contact is permitted with unvaccinated residents receiving compassionate care visits from unvaccinated visitors if withholding physical contact would become a detriment to the compassionate care visit. Unvaccinated visitors providing compassionate close contact to an unvaccinated resident should wear a facemask and a face shield. 
  • AHAVA staff members perform periodic checks on compassionate care visits.
  • Visitors must exit AHAVA using the same route they used to enter, signing out of the Winter Garden kiosk prior to leaving.

MEDICAL OUTINGS: FOR VACCINATED AND UNVACCINATED RESIDENTS:

For vaccinated residents, medical outings other than hospital stays and emergency room visits pose a low risk because they take place in a controlled environment.

  • All residents leaving AHAVA for medical appointments are to wear a well-fitting facemask.
  • For unvaccinated residents, medical outings of any kind present a moderate risk. Therefore, residents should be included in JAA’s regular testing schedule for individuals who have left the facility.

VISITATION: TIMES AND LOCATIONS:

For AHAVA Memory Care Center:  Please contact the Activities Staff by emailing [email protected]. Indoor/outdoor visits are 30 minutes each and are scheduled on a first-come, first-served basis, depending on availability.  Emails and phone numbers are provided to families/friends for use in scheduling visits.