A sign outside of Elm Terrace in Lansdale Borough.
Much of the discussion over recent weeks has centered around the impact that the coronavirus pandemic was having on area nursing homes and long-term care facilities. In early April, Gwynedd Square Nursing Center in Upper Gwynedd Township confirmed that they had multiple positive cases and deaths among their residents, and two weeks later, ManorCare in Montgomeryville reported that more than half of their residents had tested positive for the virus.
To date, 91 of Montgomery County’s long-term care and congregate living facilities are reporting cases of the virus. Now, you can add Elm Terrace Gardens in Lansdale Borough to that list.
After seeing a rise in cases for Lansdale Borough over the last two weeks, a source informed North Penn Now that Elm Terrace had seen their first case and was currently working to contain the spread within their facility. On Wednesday, Elm Terrace President and CEO Timothy Murphy confirmed those details, and provided a candid look into what the facility is facing and the impact the virus has had to date.
“We are proud of our staff for their dedication and hard work to keep the coronavirus out of our community for so long. Despite our efforts, our community has been affected,” Murphy said. “We have had residents and staff test positive starting last week. As an organization dedicated to the highest standards of care, we always strive to be honest and forthright with our residents, their loved ones and the community at large as we believe this promotes the trust necessary to form the foundation of our quality of care.”
Murphy said that 11 residents have tested positive within the facility, though none have occurred in the Skilled Nursing area. Additionally, the facility has tested many of their staff members, of which six have tested positive. All positives have been symptomatic, according to Murphy.
To date, two Elm Terrace residents have died due to the coronavirus. Several other residents have become hospitalized due to the virus, as well as one staff member, Murphy said.
“In order to keep these cases contained, one wing of our Memory Care area has been converted to a dedicated COVID-19 positive unit,” said Murphy. “Designated staff members have be assigned to that unit exclusively, and all Covid-19 Unit staff have designated equipment with proper PPE supplies.”
In consultation with various medical professionals, the facility is considering plans to either increase testing or implement mass testing of their residents and staff, though Murphy added that the availability of testing supplies has proved problematic for residents and staff who are asymptomatic.
On the supply and PPE side, Murphy said that the facility has adequate current availability, but due to their quick use and the unprecedented demand for those supplies across the country, keeping their current levels may be hard to do. Those supplies include isolation gowns, shoe covers, N95 masks, face shields, goggles and hand sanitizer.
When asked about support received from Lansdale Borough and Montgomery County, Murphy said both have been a great source of “much needed” moral support, and the county has been an “invaluable resource” for data mining. At the state level, however, there has been no communication.
“The county public health officials had a visit this week to see our COVID-19 unit and offer suggestions,” Murphy said. “We’ve had no contact from state officials and no supplies have been offered.”
To no surprise, the situation has taken a toll on morale across the facility, including both residents and staff. Murphy said that residents remain in their apartments and are not allowed to have visitors or resume normal activities.
“I think most of our residents feel at least a certain amount of sadness and deflated spirit,” said Murphy. “As for the staff, they have done an amazing job to keep the residents safe and have exhibited an unprecedented work ethic at a time when fewer workers are doing a lot more work over a longer period of time. Morale is typically very-high, but the circumstances have certainly caused a notable decrease.”
Despite all the facility is facing, Murphy continued to remain positive, drawing inspiration and heaping praise on both his staff and the surrounding community.
“We want to express our deepest gratitude for the incredible donations from residents, staff, family members and community members,” said Murphy. “We also want to thank the brave and caring staff for all their continued efforts to protect our residents.”
See also:
More Than Half Of Residents At ManorCare Montgomeryville Test Positive For Coronavirus
Gwynedd Square Nursing Center Confirms Multiple Coronavirus Cases, Deaths Among Residents
Coronavirus: Where We Stand, Where We’re Heading And What The ‘New Normal’ Will Look Like
From The Frontlines: Interview With Volunteer Medical Service Corps Chief Of Operations
Local Nurse Who Lived In Tent To Protect Family Tests Positive For Coronavirus
