HOMES
AND
ASSISTED
%LIVING
FACILITIES ACROSS THE
%STATE ARE
CLAMPING
DOWN
O
N
%VISITORS IN
ORDER
TO
PREVENT
%CORONAVIRUS.
%NEW
GUIDELINES
NOW
INCLUDE
%SCREENING
ALL
INDIVIDUALS,
%INCLUDING HEALTH CARE
WORKERS,
%CONSULTANTS
AND
VISITORS BEFORE%THEY WOULD
BE
ALLOWED
TO
ENTER
%THOSE
FACILITIES.
%MARISA
WOJCIK
SAT
DOWN
WITH
JOHN
%VANDERMERE, PRESIDENT OF
THE
%WISCONSIN HEALTH CARE
%ASSOCIATION
AND WISCONSIN
WISCONSIN
CENTER
%FOR ASSISTED LIVING TO
HEAR
WHA
T
%MEASURES
FACILITIES ARE
TAKING.%>>
WE'RE
ADVISING OUR
MEMBERS
TO
%DO EVERYTHING
POSSIBLE TO
%PROTECT THE HEALTH
AND
SAFETY OF
%THE
RESIDENTS THAT
WE
SERVE.
%SO
OUR
MEMBER
FACILITIES
ARE
%ENGAGING
IN A
COUPLE
O
F
CRITICAL
%PRACTICES.
%FIRST OF
ALL,
THEY'RE
LIMITING
%VISITATIONS OF
ALL
VISITORS
TO A
%FACILITY.
%ANY
VISITORS
THAT
DO
ACTUALLY GO
%
INTO
THE
FACILITY,
THEY'RE
%MAKING
SURE
THA
T
THEY
WASH
THEIR
%HANDS
AND
THAT THERE ARE
%SCREENING
PRACTICES
IN
PLACE
OF
%THOSE
VISITORS.
%THAT
THERE'S A
RESTRICTION
O
N
%LARGE
GROUPS
I
N
THOSE
FACILITIES
%TO
ENACT
SOME
SOCIAL
DISTANCING.
%AND
THEN
O
BVIOUSLY
I
THINK
WHEN
%YOU'RE
DEALING
WITH A
VULNERABLE
%POPULATION, IT'S IMPORTANT
TO
%
MAKE
SURE
THAT
THOSE
INDIVIDUALS
%HAVE
ACCESS
TO
THEIR
FAMILIES.
%SO WE
ARE
RECOMMENDING
THAT
OUR
%FACILITIES AND
OUR
FACILITIES
%ARE
ADOPTING PRACTICES
TO
ENSURE
%THAT
FACETIME
AND
REMOTE
%CONFERENCING
OPTIONS
ARE
%AVAILABLE
TO
ENSURE
THAT
%RESIDENTS
STILL
MAINTAIN
THAT
%PSYCHOSOCIAL CONNECTION WITH
%THEIR FAMILY
MEMBERS.
%ONE OF
THE
THINGS
THAT'S
VERY
%IMPORTANT
TO
REALIZE
I
N
THIS
SET
%OF CIRCUMSTANCES IN
THE
PANDEMIC
%IS
THE
ISSUE OF
THE
MORBIDITY
%RATES AMONG
THE
ELDERLY.
%SO
IT COULD
BE
15%
AND HIGHER
IN
%THE
EVENT
THAT
TESTING
I
S
%NECESSARY
FROM
A
CLINICAL
%STANDPOINT,
WE'RE
DOING
%EVERYTHING
THAT WE
CAN
AT
THE
%STATE LEVEL
AND
THE
INDIVIDUAL
%FACILITY LEVEL AND
THE
PROVIDER
%
COMMUNITY TO
WORK
WITH
STATE
%OFFICIALS T
O
ENSURE
THAT
THERE'S
%TESTING
AVAILABLE.%>>
THE
W
ISCONSIN
ELECTIONS
%COMMISSION LATE
THIS
WEEK
%DECIDED T
O
ALLOW
MUNICIPAL
%CLERKS
WITH
GUIDANCE
O
F
LOCAL
%HEALTH
OFFICIALS
TO
RELOCATE
%POLLING
PLACES
CURRENTLY
SLATED%TO
BE
I
N
NURSING
HOMES
AND
OTHER
%FACILITIES WHERE
PUBLIC
HEALTH
%IS A CONCERN.
%THE
COMMISSION ALSO
DIRECTED%MIEW
%
MUNICIPAL CLERKS
TO
MAIL
%ABSENTEE
BALLOTS
DIRECTLY T
O
%RESIDENTS IN
NURSING
H
OMES
%INSTEAD
OF
DISPATCHING
TEAMS
OF
%SPECIAL