A sign outside of Elm Terrace in Lansdale Borough.
As the autumn coronavirus surge continues to wreak havoc across the county and state, one long-term care facility in Lansdale Borough is continuing their fight to gain control of a recent outbreak that has claimed the lives of 14 of its residents.
On Dec. 10, Elm Terrace Gardens President and CEO Timothy Murphy acknowledged the severity of their outbreak via an email to family members of residents at the facility, stating that there were 43 positive cases at the facility along with five residents who were hospitalized and seven who had died.
However, on Monday morning, family members received another update from Murphy, stating that seven additional residents had died as a result of the coronavirus.
“It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that seven additional residents from Skilled Nursing have succumbed to complications from coronavirus,” said Murphy, via the email dated Dec. 14. “We continue to keep these residents and their loved ones in our thoughts and prayers.”
The deaths serve as a stark reminder of the lethality of the COVID-19 coronavirus in long-term care settings, but Murphy also provided reason for optimism by way of reporting a reduction in active cases. As of Dec. 14, the facility was reporting 15 positive cases in their Skilled Nursing department, along with one new case in their Personal Care department that was moved to Skilled Nursing and two new cases in their independent living department.
Combined, the active cases reported on Monday are less than half of those reported the previous week.
Soldiers from the Pennsylvania National Guard have also returned to the facility to provide assistance, though the medical personnel who were previously at the site have moved on to provide aid to other facilities. Murphy said the soldiers that are currently at Elm Terrace are general service personnel who are providing assistance with housekeeping and maintenance.
Murphy reiterated that his staff is taking every precaution they can while also following CDC guidelines. Those efforts include fitting all Skilled Nursing employees with N95/KN95 masks and face shields, along with gowns when providing direct care to residents. Skilled Nursing staff are also entering and exiting the facility from a separate entrance from the rest of the staff in an order to reduce potential spread, and all residents within the facility have been given masks to wear.
As the facility continues to deal with the outbreak, in-house visitation remains suspended for independent living residents. However, family members who wish to drop off food and supplies are encouraged to do so at the café entrance, where a staff member will pick them up and deliver them to the resident.
It was also announced that Elm Terrace has partnered with CVS Health to coordinate the administration of a 2-step coronavirus vaccine for all residents and staff. Murphy said the process was tentatively scheduled to begin in late-December or early January for the first shot, with a second shot being scheduled approximately 30 days later.
See also:
Lansdale Nursing Home Locked Down As Coronavirus Surge Continues To Wreak Havoc On Borough
Elm Terrace Reports 17 Cases, 2 Deaths As Facility Deals With Coronavirus
Report: Coroner Investigating 25 COVID-19 Related Deaths At ManorCare Montgomeryville
Gwynedd Square Nursing Center Confirms Multiple Coronavirus Cases, Deaths Among Residents
Healthcare Workers, Long-Term Care Residents Honored with Parade, Musical Performances
