Covid19 - Bayview Community

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January 10, 2022: Reimposition of Restrictions

January 9, 2022: Update on Presence of Positive Cases at Bayview

January 7, 2022: Update on Presence of Positive Cases at Bayview

January 5, 2022: Update on Presence of Positive Cases at Bayview

December 29, 2021: Independent Living Visitation and Dining Updates

December 28, 2021: Positive Case Updates

December 25, 2021: Additional Staff Positive Cases

December 22, 2021: Independent Living Exposure

December 21, 2021: Independent Living Visitation Update

November 19, 2021: Launch of Test-Based Strategy

October 15, 2021: Vaccination Booster Process

October 4, 2021

August 23, 2021

This memo is lengthy. We are reporting on further guidance of restrictions for Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care and Skilled Nursing for residents, family, and staff. Some of the differences are subtle, so please refer to the section that is most appropriate for you.

Unfortunately, the King County Rates of Infection have continued to dramatically increase (King County rate of infection – 348.3 – 08/23/21). The King County rates of infection have now reached the highest levels since the inception of the pandemic. As a proactive measure, we are rolling out the below restrictions in anticipation of hitting 350 within the next day. Please note should infection rates decline and the 350 threshold is not met, we will send another communication piece out and ease restrictions back.

Within the past week, Governor Inslee has decisively acted to mandate vaccinations for all healthcare workers and reimpose mask mandates for all people when in public. The Center’s for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has followed suit by mandating vaccinations for all healthcare workers throughout the nation as a requirement of participation for healthcare services and funding. The Executive team has reviewed our policies and decided further actions are necessary to keep our Bayview population safe and healthy.

After reading this letter, if you have questions or need clarifications, please contact one of the following team members for further details or information:

Independent Living: Heather Smith x2313 206.281.5759 hsmith@bayviewseattle.org

Assisted Living: Pamela Yeo x2107 206-281-5755 pyeo@bayviewseattle.org

Skilled Nursing: Janice Pate – RN x3354 206-281-5778 jpate@bayviewseattle.org

All care levels: Joel Smith – NHA x3357 206-281-5747 jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY:

GENERAL:

Regardless of your vaccination status, your vigilance in following the core principles of infection control are more important now than ever. This includes:

Proper use of source control (facemask use) whenever you leave your apartment or room.
Proper social distancing of six (6) feet or more whenever feasible when in public.
Consistent proper hand hygiene and the use of Alcohol Based Hand Rubs (ABHRs).
Regardless of your vaccination status, all personnel inside and outside of Bayview (Residents, Staff, Essential Contractors, Providers, and Essential Support Personnel) MUST properly wear a facemask while transiting in public or common areas.

Public areas may include (but are not limited to):
Dining areas
Common spaces on each floor
Hallways throughout the facility
Elevators
The 10th
The outdoor Terrace.
The “Red Bench” area.
Laundry rooms
The library.
Staff and Essential Support Personnel (ESP) must wear proper personal protective equipment including, but not limited to, continuous facemask use while working, and eye protection while on regulated areas such as Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Skilled Nursing.
With the Governor’s amended proclamation, Bayview requires the use of facemasks while indoors AND outdoors on facility property.
Facemasks with respirator valves are not authorized for use at Bayview. Any person wearing this type of mask will be denied entry into Bayview.
At one time, early in the pandemic, Bayview offered facemasks with respirator valves for residents and staff. These masks must be discarded. A new mask can be obtained by contacting Heather Smith, Pamela Yeo, Janice Pate, or Joel Smith as listed above.
Bayview supplied facemasks are the recommended style of mask to use and should always be worn with the filter placed inside of the mask. If you are out of filters or need a refresher of how to use the filter, please contact any of the above-mentioned team members.
In accordance with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance, gaiters are permitted when properly worn, on a case-by-case basis, as recommended by a physician for medical purposes.
ESSENTIAL SUPPORT PERSONNEL VISITATION:

The legal requirements for an Essential Support person (ESP) are:
At least 18 years of age.
Designated by the resident or the resident’s representative if the resident is legally incapacitated (regardless of vaccination status), AND
Necessary for the resident’s emotional, mental, or physical well-being during situations that include, but are not limited to the following circumstances:
Compassionate care
End-of-Life care
Visitation to assist with important continuity of care
Visitation to assist with the reduction of confusion and anxiety for resident with cognitive impairments, or
Visitation to prevent or reduce significant emotional distress to the resident.
ESP visitation applies when limitations to visitation occurs due to a public health emergency or other threat to the health and safety of the residents and staff.
Please contact one of the above listed team members to inquire about designating a qualified ESP visitor.
FOOD SERVICES

The main dining room and all public eating spaces are closed. Free room delivery of three meals a day will once again resume.
You will receive menus a day prior on your door that should be filled out by 2pm that day.
Our Culinary Services team is fully dedicated and prepared to make this transition to room service as smooth and enticing as possible.

INDEPENDENT LIVING RESIDENTS:

Bayview strongly encourages residents to remain in their apartments unless essential business is necessary or required. Essential business includes, but is not limited to:
Trips to a medical appointment.
Emergency treatment.
Trips to the grocery store.
Fitness or exercise.
The safest form of visitation is OUTDOOR visitation. This includes the “Red Bench” or other means of outdoor visitation as residents are able. Please be respectful of other people’s use of the Red Bench area and maintain social distancing at all times.
Regardless of vaccination status, outdoor visitation may include up to five (5) people (including the resident) on facility property as long as social distancing can be maintained.
Outdoor visitors and residents must wear facemasks at all times.
Bayview STRONGLY discourages ALL indoor visitation until the county rates of infection decline.
If an Independent Resident insists upon an indoor visitation:
The visitor must continue to attest to the Governor’s “Washington Ready” proclamation and Bayview’s infection control policies. This includes the truthful and honest screening process at reception. Failure to comply with the Governor’s proclamation or Bayview’s infection control policies will jeopardize the already limited visitation privileges.
The visitor must move directly from the screening area to the resident’s apartment.
The visitor is NOT allowed in public areas.
Limit visitation to one (1) person only.
Limit visitation to one (1) visit a week to control Bayview’s viral exposure load.
Limit visitation to no more than two (2) hours a visit to control Bayview’s viral exposure load.
Residents and visitors must wear facemasks during visitation.
Bayview STONGLY discourages “close contact” during outdoor or indoor visitation with visitors.
Group activities will continue as scheduled, with proper infection control protocols in place including the core principles of infection control listed above.
Group activity capacity is reduced to:
Indoor group activity size: No more than five (5) people with social distancing and source control use at all times.
Outdoor group activity size: No more than ten (10) people with social distancing and source control use at all times.
Activities involving vaccinated volunteers should not involve singing or percussion instruments as expelled droplets atomize and travel farther, posing a larger risk of infection.
Comingling of residents within different levels of care is limited to Essential Support (ESP) visitation only.
ASSISTED LIVING RESIDENTS:

Bayview strongly encourages residents to remain in their apartments unless essential business is necessary or required. Essential business includes, but is not limited to:
Trips to a medical appointment.
Emergency treatment.
Trips to the grocery store.
Limited fitness or exercise.
The safest form of visitation is OUTDOOR visitation. This includes the “Red Bench” or other means of outdoor visitation as residents are able. Please be respectful of other people’s use of the Red Bench area and maintain social distancing at all times.
Regardless of vaccination status, outdoor visitation may include up to five (5) people (including the resident) as long as social distancing can be maintained.
Outdoor visitors and residents must wear facemasks at all times.
Indoor visitation is now limited to scheduled Essential Support Personnel (ESP) visitation only.
ESP visitors are not allowed in public areas.
ESP visitors must continue to attest to the Governor’s “Washington Ready” proclamation and Bayview’s infection control policies. This includes the truthful and honest screening process at reception. Failure to comply with the Governor’s proclamation or Bayview’s infection control policies will jeopardize visitation privileges.
ESP visitors must be escorted onto the Assisted Living Unit and move directly from the screening area to the resident’s apartment.
ESP visitors and residents must wear source control while visiting the resident inside the resident’s apartment.
Only one (1) ESP visitor may be designated by each resident. The resident or resident’s responsible party may change the designated ESP visitor once every 30-days. Exceptions to this policy are made on a case-by-case basis.
The ESP visitation schedule, times, frequency, and duration, including after-hours ESP visitation will be individually set in accordance with the resident’s specific need for visitation. Please contact Pamela Yeo as listed above for assessment and further details.
Bayview STONGLY discourages “close contact” during outdoor or indoor visitation with visitors or ESPs.
The Assisted Living Dining room is closed. The dining room will only be used for residents assessed as at risk for weight loss or needing physical assistance or cueing with dining.
Group activities will continue as scheduled, with proper infection control protocols in place including the core principles of infection control listed above.
Group activity capacity is reduced to:
Indoor group activity size: No more than five (5) people with social distancing and source control use at all times.
Outdoor group activity size: No more than ten (10) people with social distancing and source control use at all times.
Activities involving vaccinated volunteers should not involve singing or percussion instruments as expelled droplets atomize and travel farther, posing a larger risk of infection.
Comingling of residents within different levels of care is limited to ESP visitation only.
SKILLED NURSING UNIT:

Bayview strongly encourages residents to remain in their room unless essential business is necessary or required. Essential business includes, but is not limited to:
Trips to a medical appointment.
Emergency treatment.
Trips to the grocery store.
Limited fitness or exercise.
The safest form of visitation is OUTDOOR visitation. This includes the “Red Bench” or other means of outdoor visitation as residents are able. Please be respectful of other people’s use of the Red Bench area and maintain social distancing at all times. To schedule an outdoor visitation, please contact Janice Pate listed above.
Regardless of vaccination status, outdoor visitation may include up to five (5) people (including the resident) as long as social distancing can be maintained.
Outdoor visitors and residents must wear facemasks at all times.
Indoor visitation is now limited to scheduled Essential Support Personnel (ESP) visitation only.
ESP visitors are allowed in designated areas on the Health Center only to include:
The “Fish Tank” area.
The Dining room.
The outdoor courtyard (weather dependent).
ESP visitors must continue to attest to the Governor’s “Washington Ready” proclamation and Bayview’s infection control policies. This includes the truthful and honest screening process at reception. Failure to comply with the Governor’s proclamation or Bayview’s infection control policies will jeopardize visitation privileges.
ESP visitors must be escorted onto the Skilled Nursing Unit and move directly from the screening area to the resident’s designated visitation area.
ESP visitors and residents must wear source control while visiting.
Only one (1) ESP visitor may be designated by each resident or resident representative. The resident or resident’s responsible party may change the designated ESP once every 30-days. Exceptions to this policy are made on a case-by-case basis.
The ESP visitation schedule, times, frequency, and duration, including after-hours ESP visitation will be individually set in accordance with the resident’s specific need for visitation. Please contact Janice Pate as listed above for assessment and further details.
Bayview STONGLY discourages “close contact” during outdoor or indoor visitation with ESPs.
The Skilled Nursing dining room is closed. The dining room will only be used for residents assessed as at risk for weight loss or needing physical assistance or cueing with dining.
Group activities will continue as scheduled, with proper infection control protocols in place including the core principles of infection control listed above.
Group activity capacity is reduced to:
Indoor group activity size: No more than five (5) people with social distancing and source control use at all times.
Outdoor group activity size: No more than ten (10) people with social distancing and source control use at all times.
Activities involving vaccinated volunteers should not involve singing or percussion instruments as expelled droplets atomize and travel farther, posing a larger risk of infection.
Comingling of residents within different levels of care is limited to ESP visitation only.
DOROTHY’S PLACE MEMORY CARE RESIDENTS:

Residents are strongly encouraged to wear source control but may choose to not wear facemasks related to their diagnosed condition.
Visitation is now limited to scheduled Essential Support Personnel (ESP) visitation only.
ESP visitors are allowed in designated areas only to include:
The living room.
The Resident’s apartment.
The outdoor courtyard (weather permitting).
ESP visitors must continue to attest to the Governor’s “Washington Ready” proclamation and Bayview’s infection control policies. This includes the truthful and honest screening process at reception. Failure to comply with the Governor’s proclamation or Bayview’s infection control policies will jeopardize visitation privileges.
ESP visitors must be escorted onto the Memory Care Unit and move directly from the screening area to the resident’s designated visitation area.
ESP visitors and residents must wear source control while visiting the resident.
Only one (1) ESP visitor may be designated by each resident or resident representative. The resident or resident’s responsible party may change the designated ESP once every 30-days. Exceptions to this policy are made on a case-by-case basis.
The ESP visitation schedule, times, frequency, and duration, including after-hours ESP visitation will be individually set in accordance with the resident’s specific need for visitation. Please contact Pamela Yeo as listed above for further details.
Bayview STONGLY discourages “close contact” during outdoor or indoor visitation with ESPs.
If an ESP intends to take their loved one off of the Memory Care unit, please inform the Assisted Living nurse or Pamela Yeo as listed above PRIOR to leaving the unit for assistance in escorting the resident off of Memory Care.
Comingling of residents within different levels of care is limited to ESP visitation only.
TERRACE AND 10TH FLOOR HOURS:

Exercise is an essential activity, and all residents should have the ability to utilize the Terrace outdoor park.

Terrace designated hours:
Independent Living Residents: Before 2:00pm and after 4:00pm
Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing Residents: Between 2:00pm – 4:00pm
10th floor designated hours:
Bayview strongly suggests limiting the use of the 10th
Please exercise your judgement when accessing the 10th
The space should not be used for social gatherings until further notice.
Independent Living Residents: Before 9:00am and after 11:00am
Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing Residents: Between 9:00am – 11:00am
SPECIAL EVENTS:

Until the King County Rate of Infection decreases, special events will no longer be supported by Bayview. Special events include, but are not limited to:

Family gatherings / reunions
Birthday parties.
Anniversary parties.
Families are encouraged to hold special events at a safe location, off-site, while observing the core principles of infection control.

CHILDREN:

Children under the age of 18 do not qualify for Essential Support Personnel (ESP) visitation and will not be allowed inside of Bayview unless the child is part of the Child Development Center (ICC).
Visitation with children under the age of 18 is restricted to outdoor visitation only.
Children under the age of twelve (12) and children in the ICC are unvaccinated and pose the highest risk to spread or become infected with COVID-19.
Children under the age of twelve (12) and ICC children are restricted to designated areas only. These designated areas include:
Outdoor visitation areas such as the “Red Bench”.
Children’s playground.
ICC center.
FITNESS CENTER:

The fitness center, including the pool, will continue with scheduled fitness activities only. Please sign up for your opportunity to continue fitness and exercise from the sign-up sheets located outside of the fitness center.
Facemask use is required for residents in the fitness center.
Sanitize the equipment before and after EACH use.
Sanitize your hands before and after EACH equipment use.
ELEVATOR CAPACITY:

Elevators continue to pose a large threat of exposure related to:

The inability to properly social distance,
The enclosed, small space,
The limitation or lack of air flow.
Bayview recommends when riding the elevator to face away from other passengers and to limit conversation inside the elevator car as possible.

Elevator capacity is as follows:

North Elevator: NO MORE THAN THREE (3) people at one (1) time.
Large Tower Elevator: NO MORE THAN THREE (3) people at one (1) time.
Small Tower Elevator: NO MORE THAN TWO (2) people at one (1) time.
Small Central Elevator to A level: NO MORE THAN TWO (2) people at one (1) time.
A-Level to Parking and Health Center: NO MORE THAN TWO (2) people at one (1) time.
There will be helpful elevator signage to reiterate maximum capacities.
Staff are required to use the stairs as much as possible to free up elevator use for Residents.
Elevator capacity limitations include ALL EMPLOYEES at Bayview.
VACCINATIONS:

In alignment with the Governor’s and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) mandates, Bayview has now mandated proof of vaccination for all employees, essential providers and volunteers beginning October 18th, 2021.
Essential Providers include, but are not limited to:
Private caregivers.
Home Health providers.
Private therapy providers.
Volunteers for any activity.
Ancillary services such as:
Onsite dental hygienists
Onsite podiatrists
Any other vendor or provider that conducts business within Bayview such as:
Vending machine operators.
Outside Maintenance / Repair personnel.
Please notify any private services you may be receiving now of Bayview’s vaccination policy to avoid any interruption of services.
There are specific dates that must be met in order to continue employment or for internal access to Bayview:
Employees, essential providers, and volunteers must have received their first dose of a “two shot” vaccine by September 13th, 2021.
Employees, essential providers, and volunteers must have received their dose of Johnson and Johnson vaccine or the second dose of a “two shot” vaccine by October 4th, 2021, in order to be fully vaccinated by the deadline of October 18th, 2021.
There are only two (2) exceptions to this policy:
Religious exemption
Medical exemption
Attestation of vaccination is no longer an acceptable form of proof of vaccination. Documented proof of vaccination or exemption will be required and kept on file.
Personnel not able to provide document proof vaccination or exemption will not be allowed in the facility.
Attestation of vaccination for Essential Support Personnel and visitors (when allowed) is currently an acceptable form of vaccination are NOT required to show proof of vaccination yet. This may change in the near future.
TESTING LOCATIONS:

There have been several requests for information about how to locate current COVID-19 testing locations.
The Heath Center is not capable of testing residents outside of regulated areas without a physician’s order.
Please call 206-477-3977 or call one of the locations listed to schedule a COVID test..
SEATTLE CENTER – 888-702-9042

201 Mercer St.

Walk-up kiosk, appointment required

You may also book online for this location: https://curative.com/sites/17571

HARBORVIEW MEDICAL CENTER, ALLEY – 206-520-8700

319 Terry Ave.

Appointment required

Drive-through test

Complete the virtual questionnaire to schedule:

https://www.uwmedicine.org/locations/covid-19-testing-harborview

CARBON HEALTH – 206-350-7345

220 6th Ave. N

Appointment required

ONE MEDICAL – 888-663-6331

970 Denny Way

Appointment required

Drive-through test

These are difficult times. We have learned much during the past year and eight (8) months. Through this collective insight, we are capable of limiting the number of restrictions imposed as we regress backwards. Similar high community rates of infection of the past warranted a full closure of visitation and socialization. Let’s not abuse the above guidance. One (1) exception allowed by each resident each day equates to over 200 exceptions a day. Our risk of exposure exponentially increases if we allow this to happen. It has been said we have come too far to give up our efforts and hope now.

Together, we will beat this vicious virus.

Together, we will prevail!

Joel G. Smith, Health Services Administrator
ext. 3357 | 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

August 17, 2021: Bayview’s COVID-19 Vaccination Policy

August 9, 2021

COVID-19 UPDATES

This memo is lengthy. We are reporting on the further reimposition of restrictions for Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care and Health Center for residents, family, and staff. Some of the differences are subtle, so please refer to the section that is appropriate for you. The following information consists of restrictions Bayview has experienced in the recent past that are being reimplemented. For the safety of our community, please continue to honor the core principles of infection control – Universal Source Control (facemask use), Hand Hygiene, and Social Distancing.

With the continual rising of the King County Infection Rates (08/09/21 – 158.8 per 100,000 people) we have now crossed another restrictive threshold. As noted in early memos, thresholds are listed as:

Rates of infection above 350 per 100K people
Rates of infection between 150 – 349 per 100K people
Rates of infection between 75 – 149 per 100k people
Rates of infection between 25 – 74 per 100K people
Rates of infection below 25 per 100k people

We have moved to a higher level of potential exposure, and therefore are moving to a tightening of restrictions. Effective immediately:

GENERAL:

Please be vigilant in following the core principles of infection control which include, but are not limited to:

Proper use of source control (facemask use).
Proper (reinstitution of) social distancing.
Proper hand hygiene and the use of Alcohol Based Hand Rubs (ABHRs).

Regardless of vaccination status, all personnel inside of Bayview (Residents, Staff, Essential Contractors / Providers, and Visitors) MUST properly wear a facemask while in public or common areas.

Public areas may include:
- The dining room.
- The common space on each floor.
- Hallways throughout the facility.
- The elevators.
- The 10^th
- The laundry rooms.
- The library.
Staff must wear proper personal protective equipment (PPE) including, but not limited to, continuous facemasks use while at work, unless eating while on a break in authorized spaces.
Bayview strongly encourages the continued use of facemasks while outdoors. Outdoor facemask removal should be the exception and not common practice.
Facemasks with respirator valves are not authorized for use at Bayview.
At one time, early in the pandemic, Bayview offered facemasks with respirator valves for residents and staff. These masks should be discarded. A new mask can be obtained by contacting Heather Smith (x2313) Pamela Yeo (x2127) Janice Pate (x3354) or Joel Smith (x3357).
Bayview supplied facemasks should always be worn with the filter placed inside of the mask. If you are out of filters or need a refresher of how to use the filter, please contact any of the above-mentioned team members.
In accordance with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance, gaiters are permitted when properly worn, on a case-by-case basis, as recommended by a physician for medical purposes.

INDEPENDENT LIVING RESIDENTS:

In-apartment visitation is allowed; however, Bayview strongly encourages outdoor visitation as possible.
Visitation in common or public areas inside of Bayview, including dining, is NOT
Visitors must continue to attest to the current Governor’s “Washington Ready” proclamation and Bayview’s infection control policies. This includes truthful and honest screening at reception. Failure to comply with infection control policies may jeopardize your visitation privileges.
Visitors must move directly from the screening area to the resident’s apartment.
Limit in-apartment visitation to no more than two (2) visitors at a time per apartment for proper social distancing.
Limit in-apartment visitation to one (1) visit a day to control Bayview’s viral exposure load.
Limit the in-apartment visitation to one (1) hour to control Bayview’s viral exposure load.
Although it is not encouraged or recommended, fully vaccinated Residents AND fully vaccinated visitors may relax or loosen facemask use while inside the Resident’s apartment. However, facemask use is required at all times when outside of the Resident’s apartment.
Although it is not encouraged, the Resident may choose to have close contact. If chosen, the Resident and visitor should:
- Wear well-fitting facemasks,
- Should limit the duration of close contact as possible, and
- Should sanitize hands before and after the close contact.
Visits should occur between the resident and the resident’s family / visitor and should not include other Bayview residents at the same time due to the continued increase in County positivity rate.
Visitors should utilize the nearest exit to leave the property after visitation.
As a reminder, unvaccinated visitors may not visit with unvaccinated residents. Un-vax-to-un-vax visitation is only allowed outdoors or off Bayview property.
Dining services will continue as currently scheduled:
- Residents are strongly encouraged to eat in their apartments.
- If Residents choose to eat at an open table, table occupancy should not exceed four (4) people.
- Each Resident within a common household count as one (1) person. For example, two (2) people that live together counts as two (2) people at the table of a maximum of four (4).
- The dining rooms and public spaces are NOT open for visitors.
Group activities will continue as scheduled, with proper infection control protocols in place including the core principles of infection control listed above.
Group activity capacity is reduced to:
- Indoor group activity capacity: No more than 10 people with social distancing.
- Outdoor group activity capacity: No more than 20 people with social distancing.
- Designated Unvaccinated Resident sections apply, socially distanced from vaccinated participants yet close enough to participate in the activity.
- Activities involving vaccinated volunteers should not involve singing or percussion instruments as expelled droplets atomize and travel farther posing a larger risk of exposure.
- Comingling of resident care levels may occur on an assessed, individualized, and authorized basis. Review the “Co-Mingling” section below for more details.

ASSISTED LIVING:

Outside visitation is still considered “Best Practice’. Outdoor visitation is classified as Red Bench or off Bayview property visitation.
In-door visitation is allowed on a scheduled basis. Please contact Pamela Yeo (x2127, pyeo@bayviewseattle.org, or 206-281-5755) to schedule visitation.
Visitors must continue to attest to the current Governor’s “Washington Ready” proclamation and Bayview’s infection control policies. This includes truthful and honest screening at reception. Failure to comply with infection control policies may jeopardize your visitation privileges.
In-door visitation is allowed in designated areas only.
Designated indoor visitation areas for Assisted Living are:
- The TV lounge.
- The Dining room.
In-apartment visitation will be allowed as the King County infection rate improves or in specialized, and as individualized Compassionate Care visits (CCV) allow. For more information about CCV visitation on Assisted Living please contact Pamela Yeo (x2127, pyeo@bayviewseattle.org, or 206-281-5755).
Limit indoor visitors to two (2) people at a time.
Visitors MUST be escorted to and from the designated visitor area.
Indoor visits are not monitored, but visitors and / or the Resident should know how to contact staff in the event of a concern or need.
Limit the duration of the visit to one (1) hour or less.
Limit visits to one (1) visit a week.
Designated visitation areas must be sanitized before and after each visit.
Residents may choose to have close contact, including touch. If chosen, the Resident and visitor must:
- Wear well-fitting facemasks during any touching.
- Sanitize hands prior to and immediately after the close contact.
Current guidance does NOT allow loosening of facemask use in Assisted Living.
After hours visitation may be scheduled on a case-by-case, person-centered, and individualized basis. Please contact Pamela Yeo for more information regarding after-hours visitation listed above.
As a reminder, unvaccinated visitors may not visit with unvaccinated residents. Un-vax-to-un-vax visitation is only allowed outdoors or off Bayview property.
Group activities should be limited to no more than five (5) people at a time, including staff.
Group activities should include a separate, socially distanced area yet close enough to include unvaccinated residents in the activity.
Activities involving vaccinated volunteers should not involve singing or percussion instruments as expelled droplets atomize and travel farther posing a larger risk of exposure.
Assisted Dining is open for Assisted Living residents only. Socially distanced tables should allow for unvaccinated residents.

SKILLED NURSING RESIDENTS:

Scheduled visitation has resumed on the Skilled Nursing Unit (or Health Center Residents) as the outbreak status cleared on August 2^nd, 2021.
Outside visitation is still considered “Best Practice”. Outdoor visitation is classified as “Red Bench” or off Bayview property visitation.
In-door visitation is allowed on a scheduled basis. Please contact Janice Pate – RN (x3354, jpate@bayviewseattle.org, or 206-281-5778) to schedule visitation.
Visitors must continue to attest to the current Governor’s “Washington Ready” proclamation and Bayview’s infection control policies. This includes truthful and honest screening at reception. Failure to comply with infection control policies may jeopardize your visitation privileges.
In-door visitation is allowed in designated areas only.
Designated indoor visitation areas for Skilled Nursing are:
- The “Fish Tank” area.
- The Dining room.
In-room visitation will be allowed as the King County infection rate improves or in specialized, and as individualized Compassionate Care visits (CCV) allow. For more information about CCV visitation on Skilled Nursing please contact Janice Pate – RN.
Limit indoor visitors to two (2) people at a time.
Visitors MUST be escorted to and from the designated visitor area.
Indoor visits are not monitored, but visitors and / or the Resident should know how to contact staff in the event of a concern or need.
Limit the duration of the visit to one (1) hour or less.
Limit visits to one (1) visit a week.
Designated visitation areas must be sanitized before and after each visit.
Residents may choose to have close contact, including touch. If chosen, the Resident and visitor must:
- Wear well-fitting facemasks during any touching.
- Sanitize hands prior to and immediately after the close contact.
Current guidance does NOT allow loosening of facemask use in Skilled Nursing.
After hours visitation may be scheduled on a case-by-case, person-centered, and individualized basis. Please contact Janice Pate – RN for more information regarding after-hours visitation listed above.
As a reminder, unvaccinated visitors may not visit with unvaccinated residents. Un-vax-to-un-vax visitation is only allowed outdoors or off Bayview property.
Group activities should be limited to no more than five (5) people at a time, including staff present.
Group activities should include a separate, socially distanced area yet close enough to include unvaccinated residents in the activity.
Activities involving vaccinated volunteers should not involve singing or percussion instruments as expelled droplets atomize and travel farther posing a larger risk of exposure.
Health Center dining is open for Health Center (Skilled Nursing) residents only. Socially distanced tables should allow for unvaccinated residents.

DOROTHY’S PLACE MEMORY CARE RESIDENTS:

Residents are encouraged to wear facemasks but may choose to not wear facemasks related to their diagnosed condition.
Outside visitation is still considered “Best Practice”. Outdoor visitation is classified as the outdoor Memory Care courtyard and is allowed on a scheduled basis.
Indoor visitation is allowed on a scheduled basis. Please contact Pamela Yeo (x2127, pyeo@bayviewseattle.org, or 206-281-5755) to schedule visitation.
Visitors must continue to attest to the current Governor’s “Washington Ready” proclamation and Bayview’s infection control policies. This includes truthful and honest screening at reception. Failure to comply with infection control policies may jeopardize your visitation privileges.
Dorothy’s Place visitation is allowed in designated areas only.
The designated visitation areas for Dorothy’s Place are:
- The Dorothy’s Place living room and the Outdoor Courtyard.
In-apartment visitation will be allowed as the King County infection rate improves or in specialized, and as individualized Compassionate Care visits (CCV) allow. For more information about CCV visitation on Dorothy’s Place, please contact Pamela Yeo.
Limit indoor visitors to one (1) person at a time.
Visitors MUST be escorted to and from the designated visitor area.
Indoor visits are not monitored, but visitors and / or the Resident should know how to contact staff in the event of a concern or need.
Limit the duration of the visit to one (1) hour or less.
Limit visits to one (1) visit a week.
Designated visitation areas must be sanitized before and after each visit.
Residents may choose to have close contact, including touch. If chosen, the Resident and visitor must:
- Wear well-fitting facemasks during any touching.
- Sanitize hands prior to and immediately after the close contact.
Current guidance does NOT allow loosening of facemask use in Dorothy’s Place.
After hours visitation may be scheduled on a case-by-case, person-centered, and individualized basis. Please contact Pamela Yeo for more information regarding after-hours visitation listed above.
As a reminder, unvaccinated visitors may not visit with unvaccinated residents. Un-vax-to-un-vax visitation is only allowed outdoors or off Bayview property.
If a visitor intends to take their loved one off of Memory Care, please information the nurse or Pamela Yeo as listed above prior to the visit for assistance in escorting the resident off of Memory Care.

COMINGLING OF RESIDENTS:

Current King County rates of infection do not allow for the free comingling of residents.
Assisted Living (AL) and Health Center (HC) residents are not allowed to dine on the first or 10^th floor dining areas related to current “Safe-Start for Long-Term Care Recommendations and Requirements” guidance.
Vaccinated AL and HC residents may attend Independent Living (IL) activities on an assessed, individualized, and limited basis only. Please contact the appropriate care level manager listed below to inquire about IL activity attendance.
Vaccinated AL or HC Resident may visit an IL resident’s apartment. AL and HC Residents must be able to independently transit to and from the IL location and this type of “visit” is treated as if the AL or HC resident was an outside visitor. Therefore, the AL or HC Resident must coordinate with the IL Resident to ensure daily visitation limits are not exceeded.
An IL Resident may visit with an AL or HC Resident through the scheduled visitation process. Please contact the appropriate care level manager to schedule inter-facility visitation on AL, MC, or HC.
- AL / MC – Pamela Yeo – x2127 (pyeo@bayviewseattle.org) or 206-281-5755.
- HC – Janice Pate – RN – x3354 (jpate@bayviewseattle.org) or 206-281-5778.
IL residents are not allowed to pick up an AL, MC or HC resident in the respective care areas to assist or escort outside of the care area unless the proper assessments and scheduling has been completed.

TERRACE HOURS AND 10^TH FLOOR HOURS:

Terrace designated hours:
- Independent Living residents: Before 2 pm and after 4 pm
- Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing residents: Between 2 – 4 pm
10^th Floor designated hours:
- Independent Living residents before 9 am and after 11 am
- Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing residents: Between 9 – 11 am

CHILDREN:

Children, considered ages two (2) through twelve (12) years old are allowed to visit indoors as one (1) of the two (2) visitors as long as the Resident is fully vaccinated AND the child can follow the core principles of infection control including:
- Proper facemask use.
- Proper social distancing.
- Proper hand hygiene.
- Controlled movement and behavior.
Infants, considered ages zero (0) to two (2) years of age, are allowed for indoor visitation and are not counted as part of the total visitation count.
Children older than twelve (12) years of age must follow the above visitation guidance.
Residents are strongly encouraged to follow strict adherence to the core principles of infection control if the fully vaccinated Resident chooses to hold the visiting infant.

FITNESS CENTER:

The fitness center will return to scheduled fitness activities only. Please sign up for your opportunity to continue fitness and exercise from the sign-up sheets located outside of the fitness center.
Facemask use is required for residents in the fitness center.
Sanitize equipment before and after EACH use.
Sanitize your hands before and after each equipment use.

ELEVATOR CAPACITY:

Elevators pose a large threat of exposure related to:

The inability to properly social distance,
The enclosed, small space,
The limitation or lack of air flow.

Elevator capacity is as follows:

North Elevator: NO MORE THAN FOUR (4) people at one (1) time.
Large Tower Elevator: NO MORE THAN FOUR (4) people at one (1) time.
Small Tower Elevator: NO MORE THAN TWO (2) people at one (1) time.
Small Central Elevator to A level: NO MORE THAN TWO (2) people at one (1) time.
Small A-Level Elevator to Parking and Health Center: NO MORE THAN TWO (2) people at one (1) time.
There will be helpful elevator signage to reiterate max capacity.
Staff are encouraged to use the stairs as much as possible to free up elevator use for Residents.
Elevator capacity limitations include ALL EMPLOYEES at Bayview.

VACCINATIONS:

Bayview is in the process of mandating vaccinations for staff. Policies are currently in review for implementation in the near future. Please standby for future memos outlining our mandated vaccination process.
There is still no information to-date regarding the need for a booster shot. The Executive team will continue to provide updates as more information is obtained.

TESTING LOCATIONS:

There have been several requests for information about how to locate current COVID-19 testing locations.
The Health Center is not capable of testing Independent Living Residents as doctor’s orders are required for a nurse to conduct the test.
Please call 206-477-3977 to find a current COVID-19 testing location.

With the recent exposure on Independent Living, we are once again reminded of the dangers of COVID-19. The COVID-19 delta variant continues to pose the most serious threat to all of us, vaccinated or not.

Let’s remove any confusion for ourselves regarding source control and consistently wear our facemasks.

Let’s remain steadfast in our resolve to mitigate the risk of exposure.

Let’s celebrate the accomplishments we have made over the past year and 8 months.

Let’s continue to look forward to a brighter future!

Joel G. Smith, Health Services Administrator
ext. 3357 | 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

August 4, 2021: Independent Living Exposure

COVID-19 UPDATES: Independent Living Exposure

The facility has just become aware of a COVID-19 positive resident on Wednesday, August 4, 2021, at 12:30pm. Here is what we know:

An Independent Living resident contacted the Executive team immediately upon receiving positive PCR results.
The resident has been instructed to quarantine in their apartment for the next 14-days.
The resident is asymptomatic.
Contact tracing has shown there has been exposure to a limited number of residents. These residents have been notified and instructed to quarantine in their apartment for the next 14-days.
Contact tracing only includes those who have had direct, high exposure with known positive cases.
High exposure is defined as:
- A person who has cumulatively spent more than 15 minutes in a 24-hour period of time with a known positive case, AND
- A person who, within the above outlined timeframe was less than six (6) feet apart from the known positive case.
Residents and staff who may have been in contact with the residents with high exposure are asked to self-monitor for any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 over the next five (5) to seven (7) days. Symptoms include, but are not limited to:
- Fever – 100.4 or above
- Dry Cough
- Unusual fatigue or tiredness
- Loss of taste or smell
- Unusual headache
- Sore throat
- Difficulty breathing or sudden shortness of breath
- Chest pain or pressure
Call your Primary Care Physician or seek immediate medical attention if you have serious symptoms.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) kits have been distributed to the affected areas.
Increased sanitation efforts have been initiated to disinfect potentially affected areas.
Surface testing has been conducted in potentially affected areas with results pending.
The Department of Health has been notified and made aware of Bayview’s situation.

The following actions are as follows:

Independent Living resident are not allowed to enter regulated areas without prior approval from Janice Pate – RN, Pamela Yeo, or Joel Smith. This includes use of the second-floor elevator and stairwell on Assisted Living.
Although the Independent Living area does not meet the criteria yet for an outbreak, Independent Living residents are encouraged to use this opportunity to collectively pause and exercise extreme caution in practicing core principals of infection control – excellent sanitation and source control (facemasks) practices, and social distancing from others. Staying in your apartment also offers an additional measure of protection.
Independent Living residents are encouraged to pause all in-door visitation until August 18^th, 2021.
Independent Living residents wishing to be tested, should schedule testing with their Primary Care Physician (PCP), visit a clinic that performs testing, or visit a local testing site. Any positive results should be shared with Janice Pate – RN.
Staff wishing to be tested should schedule a visit with Janice Pate – RN.

Please respect the privacy of those involved by observing all HIPAA guidelines. We truly value the resilient and compassionate spirit of everyone as we stay the course of mitigating the spread of this virus.

With this current exposure and the King County Rate of infection continuing to climb (127.3 per 100,000 people as of 08-04-21), the Executive team is preparing for the next level of potential restrictions. Any further changes in protocols will be addressed in future memos. Please be prepared for continued communication and information regarding this matter.

Joel G. Smith, Health Services Administrator
ext. 3357 | 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

July 29, 2021: Reimposition of Restrictions

COVID-19 Update: Reimposition of Restrictions

We are reporting on the return of some restrictions for Independent Living, Assisted Living, Memory Care, Health Center and staff. These differences are subtle so please refer to the section that is appropriate for you.

With the continued rise in the King County Rates of Infection (93.2 per 100,000 people as of 7/29/21), the Executive team has determined it necessary to implement the following changes to our current COVID-19 policy.

Effective immediately:

INDEPENDENT LIVING RESIDENTS:

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) updated their masking guidance on Tuesday, July 27th, 2021. All residents, regardless of vaccination status, are again required to wear facemasks when outside of their apartment.
Visitors are restricted from public areas. Visitors may visit inside resident apartments only and must transit directly to the resident apartment. Upon leaving, visitors should exit through the nearest exit from the visiting apartment.
1. Visitors must continue to attest to the current Governor’s “Washington Ready” proclamation and to the facility’s core principles of infection control. This includes truthful and honest screening at reception.
2. Visitors are required to wear facemasks while transiting to, or from the visiting apartment.
3. The number of visitors has decreased to two (2) visitors at a time at a recommended duration of two (2) hours per visit. One (1) visit per day is still recommended.
4. Visitors should only use the north elevator when transiting to, or from the visiting apartment.
5. Outdoor visitation is still the safest place to visit. If at all possible, visit with loved ones outside of Bayview (ie; red bench, or off facility property).
6. While visitor facemask use inside of the visiting apartment is required, if both resident AND visitor is vaccinated, facemask use may be relaxed and close contact may occur as allowed by the resident.
7. If either resident or visitor is unvaccinated, close contact may occur while both people continue to wear well-fitting source control and as allowed by the resident.
8. As a reminder, unvaccinated visitors may not visit unvaccinated residents inside of Bayview. Un-vax-to-unvax visitation may only occur outdoors.
9. Visitors are reminded if any visitor is not feeling well to stay home.
Dining room table capacity is reduced to no more than four (4) residents per table.
Group Activities: Independent Living resident group sizes will remain the same with no more than 20 people indoors, and no more than 50 people outdoors.
Exceptions to this policy may be made at the discretion of the Chief Executive Officer.
Groups should continue to include separate sections for unvaccinated participants, that are socially distanced, but still remain part of the activity.
Facemask use is required for all residents, and staff in public spaces including attending group activities.

CO-MINGLING: INDEPENDENT LIVING, ASSISTED LIVING and MEMORY CARE:

Co-mingling is temporarily restricted. When the King County rates of infection decline, the Executive team will consider reinstituting co-mingling again.
1. The outdoor terrace will reinstitute Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing designated walking times as before.
2. Assisted Living residents may leave the assisted living area independently but are strongly encouraged to do so only for essential business.

ASSISTED LIVING RESIDENTS:

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) updated their masking guidance on Tuesday, July 27th, 2021. All residents, regardless of vaccination status, are again required to wear facemasks when outside of their apartment.
Visitation protocols have changed to the following:
1. Scheduled visitation has temporarily returned. When the King County rates of infection decline, the Executive team will consider reinstituting unscheduled visitation again. To schedule visitation please contact Pamela Yeo (206-281-5755, pyeo@bayviewseattle.org; ext. 2127).
2. Visitors will be escorted to and from the Assisted Living designated areas.
3. The number of visitors has decreased to two (2) visitors at a time at a recommended duration of two (2) hours per visit. One (1) visit per day is still recommended.
4. Visitors are required to wear facemasks when visiting Assisted Living.
5. While visitor facemask use inside of Bayview is required, if both resident AND visitor is vaccinated, facemask use may be temporarily relaxed, and close contact may occur as allowed by the resident.
6. If either resident or visitor is unvaccinated, temporary close contact may occur while both people continue to wear well-fitting source control and as allowed by the resident.
7. Although scheduled, indoor visitation is allowed, outdoor visitation is still the safest place to visit. If at all possible, visit with loved ones outside of Bayview (ie; red bench, or off facility property).
8. Indoor visitation will occur in designated areas including the TV lounge and / or the Assisted Living dining room.
9. Visitors must continue to attest to the current Governor’s “Washington Ready” proclamation and to the facility’s core principles of infection control. This includes truthful and honest screening at reception.
10. As a reminder, unvaccinated visitors may not visit unvaccinated residents inside of Bayview. Un-vax-to-unvax visitation may only occur outdoors.
11. Visitors are reminded if any visitor is not feeling well to stay home.
Assisted Living group activities should be limited to 10 or less residents.
Live music entertainment is temporarily suspended until the King County rates of infection decrease.
Volunteer use may continue on a limited basis.
Assisted Living residents may not eat in the Terrace dining room, 10^th floor, Bistro area or Terrace patio due to regulatory requirements and space restrictions.

MEMORY CARE:

Residents will be encouraged to utilize a facemask when in public spaces. However, residents may choose to not wear facemasks related to diagnosed conditions.
Visitation protocols have changed to the following:
1. Scheduled visitation has temporarily returned. When the King County rates of infection decline, the Executive team will consider reinstituting unscheduled vaccination again. To schedule visitation please contact Pamela Yeo (206-281-5755, pyeo@bayviewseattle.org; ext. 2127).
2. Visitors will be escorted to and from the designated Memory Care visitation area.
3. Visitors are required to wear facemasks when visiting Memory Care.
4. While visitor facemask use inside of Bayview is required, if both resident AND visitor is vaccinated, facemask use may be temporarily relaxed, and close contact may occur as allowed by the resident.

If either resident or visitor is unvaccinated, temporary close contact may occur while both people continue to wear well-fitting source control and as allowed by the resident.
The number of visitors per resident will remain at no more than two (2) visitors at a time with a decrease in duration to two (2) hours per visit, and one (1) visit each day.
Indoor visitation will occur in designated areas including the Memory Care Living Room, or outdoors in the Memory Care courtyard.
Visitors must continue to attest to the current Governor’s “Washington Ready” proclamation and to the facility’s core principles of infection control. This includes truthful and honest screening at reception.
If a visitor intends to take their loved one off of Memory Care, please inform the nurse or Pamela Yeo (listed above) prior to the visit.
Live music entertainment is temporarily suspended until the King County rates of infection decrease.
Volunteer use may continue on a limited basis.

HEALTH CENTER: SKILLED NURSING

In accordance with the King County Department of Health, the Skilled Nursing Unit is still clearing an “outbreak” status through August 2^nd, 2021.
1. Visitation remains on a scheduled basis only. To schedule a visitation, please contact Janice Pate, (jpate@bayviewseattle.org; ext. 3354).
2. Visitors will be escorted to and from the Health Center designated visitation area.
3. Visitation is limited to two (2) visitors at a time, for a duration of one (1) hour or less, and one (1) visit per day.
4. Group dining restrictions remain in effect with allowance for “at-risk” residents for weight loss.
5. Activity groups are limited to four (4) or less.
6. Volunteer use may continue on a limited basis.
7. Skilled Nursing Residents may leave the area for essential business.
8. Skilled Nursing Residents should refrain from leaving the area while in an outbreak status.

ELEVATOR USE:

Elevator capacity should be limited to four (4) people in the large and north elevator, and two (2) people for all other elevators. Facemask use is required for all residents, staff and visitors in public spaces including riding inside the elevator.

FITNESS CENTER AND POOL:

The Fitness Center capacity should remain low at a maximum of five (5) residents to avoid overcrowding. If you see that there are more than 5 residents working out in the gym, please come back at another time.

Maintain social distance from others while utilizing gym equipment or attending exercise classes.
Continue to sanitize equipment before and after each use.
Residents are strongly encouraged to wear facemasks when working out in the fitness center.
Pool occupancy – sign-ups continue.
Assisted Living residents may only use the pool with proper supervision. Please speak with Pamela Yeo (listed above) for further details and information.

ALL THE BUZZ SALON:

The salon will maintain its regular operation hours Tuesday through Friday.

Facemask use is required for all residents, and staff in public spaces including attending a hair appointment.
Occupancy is limited to one (1) resident at a time.

EMPLOYEES OF BAYVIEW:

Employees of Bayview are considered Health Care Workers (HCWs). HCWs are not included in the Governor’s “Washington Ready” program for the relaxation of exposure guidance.
1. HCWs must continue to follow the core principles of infection control.
Employees of Bayview are still required to wear a facemask while on Bayview property.
Employees must continue to screen in prior to entry using the kiosk at either the main entrance on Aloha Street, or on the A-level.
Employees that do not work on the A-level, or in the Health Center should screen at the main entrance through August 2^nd, 2021.
Employees who are not feeling well are encouraged to notify their supervisor and stay home.
HCW’s that enter regulated spaces including the Health Center, Assisted Living and Memory Care must continue to wear approved personal protective equipment (PPE) including eye protection.

The imposition of restrictions is a setback to our way of life at Bayview. However, Bayview has been recognized by state agencies as leaders in the fight to mitigate the spread of COVID-19. The Executive team will continue to review County Rates of Infection in our area with efforts to keep restrictions as low as possible while maintaining a safe environment.

We have come too far in our journey to abandon our efforts now. Continue to practice the core principles of infection control. Mainly:

Utilize good sanitation practices.
Use Alcohol Based Hand Rubs (ABHR’s) frequently on your hands.
Use source control (facemasks) when in public and,
Social distance (at least six (6) feet) from others.

Together we will continue to remain safe and healthy.

Joel G. Smith, Health Services Administrator
ext. 3357 | 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

July 26, 2021

July 9, 2021

This memo is lengthy. We are reporting on the lifting of restrictions in Independent Living, Assisted Living, and Memory Care as well as an update for Health Center families and staff. These differences are subtle so please refer to the section that is appropriate for you. The following liberalization of restrictions may cause feelings of both elation and caution. For the safety of our community, please continue to honor the core principles of infection control – Universal Source Control (face mask usage), Hand Hygiene, and Social Distancing.

Bayview has received guidance from the King County Department of Health (LHJ) concerning our recent outbreak. The guidance states:

Exposure was discovered on A-Level.
A-Level is separated from the Tower by corridors and elevators.
A-Level is quarantined through July 19^th, 2021. Skilled Nursing is currently under quarantine through July 19^th as a precaution and recommendation from LHJ, not due to infection.
The Tower may continue with regular policy and guidance.
Unvaccinated employees that were exposed to the employees that tested positive must quarantine at home for 14-days after last signs or symptoms of illness.
Bayview’s current “outbreak” will potentially end on August 2^nd, 2021, pending any further positive results of exposure.

INDEPENDENT LIVING RESIDENTS:

Bayview will continue with the liberalization of current restrictions. Effective immediately:

Vaccinated residents of Independent Living will be allowed to remove facemasks while in public spaces. With this liberalization, Bayview asks that residents continue to carry a facemask with them at all times to allow residents to don their mask when:
1. When entering regulated areas including Assisted Living, Memory Care, or Skilled Nursing.
2. A resident enters an enclosed and poorly ventilated space such as an elevator.
3. A resident enters an area with a large number of people that are not socially distanced.
4. A resident knows they are close to an unvaccinated person.
5. A resident becomes anxious or fearful of exposure in the situation they currently find themselves in.
Unvaccinated Independent Living residents must continue to wear facemasks while in public spaces.
The number of visitors per resident is increased to three (3) visitors at a time at a recommended duration of three (3) hours per visit. 1 visit per day is still recommended.
Visitors will be allowed to visit in public spaces with the residents they came to visit.
1. Visitors must continue to attest to the current Governor’s “Washington Ready” proclamation and the facility’s infection control policies. This includes truthful and honest screening at reception.
2. Although indoor visitation is allowed, outdoor visitation is the safest place to visit in order to reduce the risk of exposure.
3. Regardless of vaccination status, visitors must continue to wear facemasks in public spaces including outdoors on the Bayview campus. This policy may change as the King County rates of infection per 100,000 people declines (currently 40.0 per 100,000 as of 07/09/21).
4. At this time, visitors are not allowed to eat with residents in public spaces related to space limitations. This policy may change soon with updates provided by Dan Galvin, Director of Culinary Services.
5. Vaccinated visitors may relax facemask use when in the resident’s individual apartment as allowed by the resident.
6. As a reminder, unvaccinated visitors may not visit unvaccinated residents inside Bayview. Un-vax to Un-vax visitation may only occur outdoors.

CO-MINGLING: INDEPENDENT LIVING, ASSISTED LIVING, AND MEMORY CARE:

Vaccinated Independent and Assisted Living residents may co-mingle within the facility, on and off regulated areas.
1. Independent Living residents are required to wear facemasks when in public spaces on Assisted Living and Memory Care.
2. In Assisted Living and Memory Care, vaccinated Independent Living residents may relax facemask use when visiting inside a resident’s apartment as the resident allows. Independent residents should ask the resident they are visiting if it is okay to relax their facemask use.
3. Independent Living residents may not eat in the Assisted Living or Memory Care dining rooms.

ASSISTED LIVING RESIDENTS:

Vaccinated Assisted Living residents are allowed to remove facemasks while in public spaces. With this liberalization, Bayview requires Assisted Living residents to continue to carry a facemask with them at all times to allow residents to don their mask when:

1. An unvaccinated resident becomes present within the space the vaccinated resident is in.
2. A resident enters an enclosed and poorly ventilated space such as an elevator.
3. A resident enters an area with a large number of people that are not socially distanced.
4. A resident becomes anxious or fearful of exposure in the situation they currently find themselves in.
Unvaccinated Assisted Living residents must continue to wear facemasks in public spaces.
Visitation protocols have changed to the following:
1. Unscheduled visitation: Visitation is open during visiting hours of 8:00am to 8:00pm, Sunday through Saturday. If visitation is needed prior to, or after visiting hours, please contact Pamela Yeo (206-281-5755, pyeo@bayviewseattle.org, ext. 2127).
2. The number of visitors per resident is increased to three (3) visitors at a time at a recommended duration of three (3) hours per visit. 1 visit per day is still recommended.
Visitors will be allowed to visit in public spaces with the residents they came to visit.
1. Visitors must continue to attest to the current Governor’s “Washington Ready” proclamation and the facility’s infection control policies. This includes truthful and honest screening at reception.
2. Although indoor visitation is allowed, outdoor visitation is the safest place to visit in order to reduce the risk of exposure.
3. Visitors must continue to wear facemasks in public spaces including outdoors on Bayview campus. This policy may change as the King County rates of infection per 100,000 people declines (currently 40.0 / 100,000 – 07/09/21).
4. Visitors are not allowed to eat with residents in public spaces related to space limitations.
5. Vaccinated visitors may relax facemask use when in the resident’s individual apartment as allowed by the resident.
6. As a reminder, unvaccinated visitors may not visit unvaccinated residents inside Bayview. Un-vax to Un-vax visitation may only occur outdoors.
Assisted Living residents may not eat in Terrace dining room, 10^th floor, Bistro area, or Terrace patio due to regulatory requirements and space restrictions.

MEMORY CARE:

Vaccinated Memory Care residents will no longer be continually encouraged to wear facemasks when in public spaces unless an unvaccinated person is present.
Visitation protocols have changed to the following:
1. Unscheduled visitation: Visitation is open during visiting hours of 8:00am to 8:00pm, Sunday through Saturday. If visitation is needed prior to, or after visiting hours, please contact Pamela Yeo (206-281-5755, pyeo@bayviewseattle.org, ext. 2127).
2. The number of visitors per resident is increased to no more than two (2) visitors at a time to maintain a calm environment.
3. The duration of each visit is increased to three (3) hours for each visit.
4. Bayview strongly suggests residents continue with only one (1) visit each day.
Visitors will be allowed to visit in public spaces with the exception of the dining room in Memory Care. However, public visitations should be limited as possible.
1. Visitors must continue to attest to the current Governor’s “Washington Ready” proclamation and the facility’s infection control policies. This includes truthful and honest screening at reception.
2. Although indoor visitation is allowed, outdoor visitation is the safest place to visit in order to reduce the risk of exposure. The memory care courtyard is open for outdoor visitation.
3. If a visitor intends to take their loved one off of Memory Care, please inform the Nurse or Pamela Yeo (206-281-5755, pyeo@bayviewseattle.org, ext. 2127) prior to the visit.
4. Visitors must continue to wear facemasks in public spaces including outdoors on Bayview campus. This policy may change as the King County rates of infection per 100,000 people declines (currently 40.0 / 100,000 – 07/09/21).
5. Visitors are not allowed to eat with residents in public spaces related to space limitations.
6. Vaccinated visitors may relax facemask use when in the resident’s individual apartment as allowed by the resident.
7. As a reminder, unvaccinated visitors may not visit unvaccinated residents inside Bayview. Schedule outdoor, monitored, red bench, un-vax to un-vax Memory Care visitation with Pamela Yeo (206-281-5755, pyeo@bayviewseattle.org, ext. 2127).

HEALTH CENTER: SKILLED NURSING

In accordance with the King County Department of Health, the Skilled Nursing Unit will be in a quarantine status through July 19^th, 2021.
1. Indoor visitation has been suspended and will resume on July 20^th, 2021, if no further positive exposures occur.
2. Group dining restrictions are in place allowing at risk for weight loss residents to eat in the dining room only until July 20^th, 2021, if no further positive exposures occur.
3. Skilled Nursing Residents may leave the facility for essential business.
4. Skilled Nursing Residents should refrain from leaving the Health Center while in quarantine.
5. If no further exposures occur, Bayview’s outbreak will end on August 2^nd, 2021.

FITNESS CENTER AND POOL

The fitness center will be open for regular operations beginning Monday July 12^th, 2021.

Maintain social distance from others while utilizing gym equipment or attending exercise classes.
Please continue to sanitize equipment before and after use.
Vaccinated residents are allowed to remove facemasks while utilizing gym equipment or attending exercise classes.
Vaccinated residents in the gym with unvaccinated residents are strongly recommended to don their facemask.
Unvaccinated residents must wear facemasks in the fitness center, as it is considered a public space.
Pool occupancy – sign-ups will still be required for the pool at this time.
Assisted Living residents may only use the pool with proper supervision. Please speak with Pamela Yeo (206-281-5755, pyeo@bayviewseattle.org, ext. 2127) for further information.

ALL THE BUZZ SALON

The salon will maintain its regular operation hours Tuesday-Friday.

Vaccinated residents may remove masks during their service.
Unvaccinated residents must wear their facemask in the salon as it is considered a public area.
Occupancy is limited to two vaccinated residents and their corresponding household. If unvaccinated, occupancy is limited to one household only and social distancing must be maintained.
Visitors – if vaccinated, a visitor may accompany a resident to their salon appointment. No more than three (3) visitors may accompany the resident per appointment. Visitors must wear their masks as this is considered a public area.
1. Unvaccinated visitors may accompany the resident to their appointment but must wear a mask, as well as the resident. Social distancing must be maintained

EMPLOYEES OF BAYVIEW

Employees of Bayview are considered Health Care Workers (HCWs). HCWs are not included in the Governor’s “Washington Ready” program for the relaxation of exposure guidance.
1. HCWs must continue to follow the core principles of infection control.
2. Employees of Bayview are required to continue to wear their facemask while working at Bayview until the Department of Health changes guidance.
3. Employees must continue to screen in prior to entry using the kiosk at either the main entrance on Aloha Street, or on the A-Level.
4. Employees that do not work on A-level or the Health Center should screen at the main entrance until July 20^th, 2021.
5. Employees that enter regulated spaces including the Health Center, Assisted Living and Memory care must continue to wear approved personal protective equipment (PPE) including eye protection.

ELEVATOR USE
Elevator capacity should be limited to six (6) people in the large and north elevator, and four (4) for all other elevators. We encourage residents to don their facemasks while riding the elevator. Staff and visitors are required to be wearing masks.

GROUP ACTIVITIES
Group sizes will remain the same with no more than 20 people indoors, and no more than 50 people outdoors. Groups should include separate sections for unvaccinated participants, that are socially distanced but still remain part of the group. Unvaccinated participants must wear facemasks as groups are held in public spaces. Vaccinated residents are encouraged to wear face masks with unvaccinated residents present.

VACCINATIONS

There have been many recent requests concerning the policy of employee vaccination. The Executive team encourages you to review past memos to understand the details surrounding employee vaccination. Briefly:

At this time, Bayview does not mandate employee vaccination as 100% vaccination compliance would not be reached for the following reasons:
1. Emergency Use Vaccine not approved by the FDA yet.
2. Clinical Contra-indications.
3. Religious Beliefs.
4. Potential Break-Through Exposure.
5. Valued staff’s right to choose reducing probable turnover in relation to mandate.
6. Exposure risk still present related to potential unvaccinated visitation.
Bayview will continue to encourage all staff and residents to receive vaccination.
Bayview will continue to educate staff and residents on the risk and benefits of vaccination.
Bayview will continue to offer vaccination for all employees and residents wishing to receive the vaccination series.

Our Leadership Team continues to reevaluate this issue as new information becomes available. In the meantime, we are proud of our extremely high compliance rate with staff and residents.

If you have further questions or concerns, please contact Joel Smith (ext. 3357) for further clarification.

Joel G. Smith, Health Services Administrator
ext. 3357 | 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

July 6, 2021: COVID Positive Cases

June 18, 2021

COVID-19 Update:

HOLDING PATTERN:

Community rates of infection for King County continue to decline. As of June 17^th, 2021, King County rates of infection are 60.8 per 100,000 people marking a 1-year low. With such great progress made the rates of infection decline has slowed and may be showing signs of plateauing. With continued statewide vaccination efforts in full swing, we hope to see the rates of infection continue to decline.

Executive team members have fielded many concerns of moving too fast in the liberalization of Infection Control measures. As a result, the Executive team met earlier this week and determined it is best to remain cautious in our approach of lifting further restrictions within Bayview.

Bayview has done remarkably well throughout the pandemic, serving as the leaders in senior living for successfully adverting and limiting COVID-19 exposure within our community. Our success comes, not in following other community practices, but by carefully analyzing data, and methodically implementing controlled measures to mitigate the risk of exposure.

We will continue with our current restrictions with the following additions:

FOCAL POINT OF ENTRY INTO BAYVIEW:

Beginning June 21^st, 2021, a new screening device will be in full service located on the A-Level of Bayview.

Staff will be able to enter into either the Aloha Street entrance or the A-Level entrance. Screening is mandatory and must be conducted at either one of these locations.
Once staff screens into the facility, the staff member may re-enter the facility at any entrance with proof of a current screening sticker, without re-screening.
Staff who leave Bayview for more than 1-hour must rescreen at one of the two focal entry points.
Visitors must continue to enter the facility at the Aloha Street entrance only.
Once visitors screen into Bayview, visitors may re-enter the facility at any entrance with proof of a current screening sticker, without re-screening.
Visitors that leave Bayview for more than 1-hour must rescreen at the Aloha Street entrance.

LIBRARY:

Beginning June 21^st, 2021, the magnifier in the library will be in use once again.

Please use Alcohol Based Hand Rubs (ABHR’s) prior to utilizing the magnifier.
Please sanitize the area around the magnifier before and after use, including the chair arm rests.
Sanitation supplies will be kept within the library. For more information, please contact:
- Library usage: Heather Smith 2313
- Sanitation supplies: Marty Bradbury 3141

CARE CONFERENCES:

Beginning June 21^st, 2021, family members will be able to attend Care Conferences in regulated areas in person.

The family will have the choice to attend the care conference in person or via telephone or teleconference.
For more information, or to inquire about care conferences, please contact:
- Assisted Living / Memory Care: Pamela Yeo 2127
- Assisted Living / Skilled Nursing: Jamie Hart 2107
- Skilled Nursing: Laura Silverstein 3361

REMINDERS:

Continue to follow the core principles of infection control, when possible, to mitigate the risk of exposure.
Facemask use is required for residents in public spaces including, but not limited to:
- Hallways
- Dining areas
- Common spaces
- Library
- Laundry rooms
- Conference rooms
- Fitness center and gym
A new mask can be obtained by contacting Heather Smith (2313), Pamela Yeo (2127), Janice Pate (3354) or Joel Smith (3357).
Facility supplied facemasks should always be worn with the filter placed inside of the mask. If you are out of filters or need a refresher of how to use the filter, please contact any of the above-mentioned team members.
Employees are required to wear facemasks at all times while in Bayview unless eating or drinking in approved spaces. Employees are Healthcare Workers (HCWs), and current CDC guidance excludes HCWs from the liberalized source control guidance.

The Executive team understands the heightened anxiety that may come from the opening of many community areas and activities and will be mindful of our Bayview community “pulse”. As the community rates of infection declines, we will continue to review our current guidance in efforts of reducing restrictions. Thank you for your continued support!

Sincerely,

Joel G. Smith, Health Services Administrator
ext. 3357 | 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

June 4, 2021

COVID-19 Update:

FINALLY, SOME GOOD NEWS!!!!

The community rate of infection per 100,000 people has declined to levels not seen in over eight months. As of June 3, 2021, the King County rate of infection is 105.3 / 100,000. These rates have been on a steady decline for three (3) weeks, and there appears to be no signs of slowing down.

Bayview’s restrictive COVID-19 measures have served the Bayview community well but have also been very difficult for all to deal with. Now, while continuing to take a measured approach, the Executive team has begun to liberalize our policy in conjunction with the falling community rates of infection.

Even though our policies are changing, we encourage residents to individually weigh the risks and benefits of increased potential exposure. Residents should remember the pandemic is not over yet, and break-through exposure is entirely possible.

Please be patient with others. While some residents may be ready to have source control “burning parties”, other residents may have a considerable amount of anxiety and hesitancy surrounding the loosening of restrictions.

Below is a list of information and changes you can expect to see beginning June 7^th, 2021:

Source Control (face masks):

Rates of infection have not lowered enough to a level where indoor source control can be modified or lifted. Therefore:

Residents, visitors, and contractors must continue to wear facemasks in all public spaces inside of Bayview.
Employees are required to wear facemasks at all times while in Bayview unless eating or drinking in approved spaces. Employees are Healthcare Workers (HCWs), and current CDC guidance excludes HCWs from the liberalized source control guidance.

General Guidance:

Visitors will be required to attest to the current understanding and compliance of Bayview’s infection control policies upon entry to the facility. Copies of current policy are available upon request at the reception desk.
Continue one (1) focal entry point for visitors and staff for the initial entrance into the facility.
After successful initial screening, staff and visitors may access entry to the facility from any access point with proof of screening tag.
If visitors leave the facility for more than 1 hour, visitors must rescreen at the main entrance upon return to the facility.
Increase the elevator capacity to:
- Small elevator – 3 people or less.
- Large elevator – 5 people or less.
Allow scheduled vaccinated volunteers, including live performances in all care areas. For volunteer information please contact:
Independent Living: Heather Smith – 2313 (If dialing from the outside, please dial our main number 206.284.7330 and ask for appropriate staff.)
Assisted Living / Memory Care: Lynn Arntuffus – 3342
Health Center: Lynn Arntuffus – 3342

Continue to strongly encourage all residents and staff to obtain vaccination. Vaccination trips to Mercury pharmacy are available every Tuesday and Thursday. Contact Janice Pate at 3354 to schedule your vaccination.

Independent Living:

Continue to practice the core principles of infection control.
Increase indoor group sizes to 10 people or less with source control, without social distancing.
Increase indoor group sizes to 20 people or less with source control, with social distancing.
Increase outdoor group sizes to 25 people or less with source control and without social distancing.
Increase outdoor group sizes to 50 people or less with source control and social distancing.
Increase indoor dining table groups to six (6) or less people.
Increase the frequency of in-room visits to two (2) visits per day.
- Increase the duration of in-room visits to two (2) hours per visit.
- Visitors are still not allowed in public areas, in-room visits only.
- Maintain the visitation limit of two (2) visitors per visit.
Residents may now request guest meals to be delivered to their apartment for a customary fee allowing visitors to eat with loved ones in their apartment. Please contact Dan Galvin at 2131 for more information.
Residents from the regulated sections of the facility may now comingle, off of the regulated unit, with unregulated residents.
- Facemasks and social distancing must be observed during comingling exchanges at all times.
- Regulated residents may not eat in unregulated areas yet.
Reservations for private parties of 10 or less with source control and social distancing will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Please contact Heather Smith at 2313 or Dan Galvin at 2131 for more information.

Assisted Living:

Continue to practice the core principles of infection control.
Communal dining in Assisted Living is allowed, four (4) per table, on an assessed basis.
Increase indoor group sizes to 10 people or less, with source control, without social distancing as assessed.
Maintain visitor escorts to and from the Assisted Living area.
Scheduled indoor, in-apartment visitation is allowed. Please contact Pamela Yeo for at 2127 for further information.
Scheduled indoor, public visitation in designated areas is allowed (space permitting).
Increase indoor visitation duration to two (2) hours per visit.
Increase indoor visitation to two (2) visits per week.
Maintain the visitation limit of two (2) visitors per visit.
Unlimited outdoor visitation (red bench as space allows) visits are unmonitored; however, visitors must appropriately screen at the main entrance prior to the outdoor visit.
- Increase outdoor visitation limit to four (4) visitors per outdoor visit.
- Source control and social distancing is still required for outdoor visits.

Health Center / Skilled Nursing:

Continue to practice the core principles of infection control.
Communal dining in the Health Center is allowed, four (4) per table, on an assessed basis.
Maintain visitor escorts to and from the Health Center area.
Scheduled indoor, in-room visitation is allowed.
- Please contact Janice Pate at 3354 for further information.
Scheduled indoor and courtyard, public visitation in designated areas is allowed (space permitting).
- Source control and social distancing is still required for outdoor visits.
- Please contact Janice Pate as listed above for more information.
Increase indoor visitation duration to two (2) hours per visit.
- Increase indoor visitation to two (2) visits per week.
- Maintain the visitation limit of two (2) visitors per visit.

Memory Care:

Continue to practice the core principles of infection control.
Scheduled indoor and courtyard visitation is allowed in designated areas only.
- Contact Pamela Yeo at 2127 for scheduling information.
Visitors need to be escorted into and out of memory care before and after visitation.
Maintain indoor and courtyard visitation to two (2) visitors at a time.
Increase indoor and courtyard visitation duration to one (1) hour.
Increase the frequency of indoor and courtyard visitation to two (2) visits per week.
Facemasks and social distancing requirements must be observed as much as possible during all Memory Care visits.

Community rates of infection between 75 – 150 represents a “murky” time in determining what is safe and what is not safe. The Executive team is maintaining a controlled and measured response to our changing environment. As rates of infection continue to decline, the Executive team will continue to move in the direction of liberalization and return to our new “normal”.

Thank you for your continued support and vigilance of mitigating the spread of infection. If you have any further questions or comments, please contact me at your convenience at jsmith@bayviewseattle.org or 3357.

Sincerely,

Joel G. Smith, Health Services Administrator
ext. 3357 | 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

May 25, 2021

COVID-19 Update:

There has been an enormous amount of confusing conjecture surrounding source control (face mask), group activities, dining, and requirements in the past two (2) weeks. With the recent Centers for Disease Control (CDC) guidance dated May 13^th, 2021, people have been scrambling to interpret the meaning as the guidance applies to individual situations and circumstances. The guidance specifically states:

“Fully vaccinated people no longer need to wear a mask or physically distance in any setting, EXCEPT where required by federal, state, local, tribal or territorial laws, rules and regulations, including local business and workplace guidance”.

The guidance also states “…recommendations apply to non-healthcare settings”. Bayview is defined or considered a Healthcare facility.

The executive team has been fielding many questions of how this guidance applies to the residents at Bayview. Difficulties of interpretation and implementation arise when considering many factors including, but not limited to:

All levels of care: Independent, Assisted, Memory, and Skilled Nursing.
COVID-19 variants and “break-through” exposures.
Vaccinated versus Unvaccinated persons (questions arising on both staff and residents)

We must remember:

The close proximity of all care levels residing in a single building together demands extra attention for communal living.
Independent Living and regulated areas follow different guidance. While Independent Living residents more closely follow the Governor’s “Roadmap to Recovery” plan; regulated areas (Health Center, AL, MC) must follow the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) “Safe Start for Long-Term Care” requirements.
The CDC’s purpose for updating mask guidance was to provide a unified incentive for all people to become vaccinated. This “blanket incentive” disregarded state and county exposure and rates of infection data as well as a host of other issues including, but not limited to, the segregation of vaccinated and non-vaccinated people.

Bayview’s policy follows current State Department of Health data for King County as shown on the COVID-19 risk assessment dashboard – https://coronavirus.wa.gov/what-you-need-know/roadmap-recovery-metrics .

Rates of infection above 350 per 100K people
Rates of infection between 150 – 350 per 100K people
Rates of infection between 75 – 150 per 100K people
Rates of infection between 25 – 75 per 100K people
Rates of infection below 25 per 100K people

Each data point range listed above represents a time for potential change to Bayview’s pandemic policy.
As community rates of infection decline, Bayview’s policy will become more liberal and a closer return to normalcy.
If community rates of infection climb, Bayview’s policy may implement more restrictive temporary measures for the safety and health of our population.

Vaccinated versus Unvaccinated:

Many people have demanded vaccinations become compulsory at Bayview. While forced or compulsory vaccination may sound like a good idea, the notion of 100% compliance may never be achieved related to:

Medical contra-indications.
Break-through exposure and infection.
Religious beliefs.
Cultural issues.

Therefore, the Executive team has determined to continue to offer and educate residents and staff of the risk and benefits of vaccination.

Bayview will continue to offer the ability to receive vaccination through our contracted pharmacy and strongly encourage everyone to get vaccinated.
Bayview will respect people’s freedom of choice to receive or not to receive vaccination.
Bayview will not segregate vaccinated and unvaccinated people. Bayview considers people to be equal and err on the cautious side of exposure, assuming there are vaccinated AND unvaccinated persons present at any given time or place within the facility.
Bayview will not disclose vaccination statuses of residents or staff without consent of the person(s) involved.
Bayview will conduct business as if not all residents or staff are fully vaccinated. This affects such activities as:
- Activities / group meetings.
- Numbers of people allowed to attend group activities / meetings at one time.
- Comingling of resident care levels.
- Visitation
- Communal dining
- Use of source control in public spaces within Bayview.
- Elevator capacity.
- Testing strategy.
- Screening strategy.

Our current practice continues to follow the core principles of infection control. This includes:

Proper use of source control.
Proper social distancing.
Proper hand hygiene and the use of Alcohol Based Hand Rubs (ABHR’s).

All personnel inside of Bayview (Residents, Staff, Essential Contractors, Visitors, Vaccinated, and Unvaccinated) must properly wear a face mask while in public or common areas.

Public areas include:
- The dining room.
- The common space on each floor.
- Hallways throughout the facility.
- The elevators.
- The 10^th
- The Laundry rooms.
- The Library.
Gaiters and facemasks with respirator valves are not authorized for use as these devices have been found to increase the risk of exposure.
At one time, early in the pandemic, Bayview provided facemasks with respirator valves. These masks should be discarded. A new mask can be obtained by contacting Heather Smith (2313), Pamela Yeo (2127), Janice Pate (3354) or Joel Smith (3357).
Facility supplied facemasks should always be worn with the filter placed inside of the mask. If you are out of filters or need a refresher of how to use the filter, please contact any of the above-mentioned team members.

Dining services will continue as currently scheduled:

Residents are strongly encouraged to eat in their apartments.
If residents eat at an open table, there should be no more than four (4) people at the table.
Each person within a common household counts as 1 person. For example, two (2) people that live together counts as two (2) at the table of a maximum of four (4).
The dining room is not open for visitors.
There is no comingling of residents from different care levels on the first-floor dining room and 10^th

Group activities will continue as scheduled, with proper infection control protocols in place (mask wearing):

Independent Living group activity capacity
- Indoor group activity capacity: No more than 10 people with social distancing.
- Outdoor group activity capacity: No more than 20 people with social distancing.
Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing:
- Groups consist of no more than four (4) people at a time, socially distanced in accordance with the Safe Start for LTC requirements.

Comingling between levels of care is not encouraged or recommended, however comingling may be allowed on a limited basis as long as infection control is being followed.

Some examples of comingling that are allowed:

A vaccinated Assisted Living (AL) or Skilled Nursing (HC) Resident would like to participate in the Independent Living (IL) knitting club. Please contact Heather Smith x2313 (hsmith@bayviewseattle.org or 206-281-5759).
A vaccinated AL or HC Resident would like to visit an IL Resident’s apartment. This type of “visit” is treated as if the AL or HC resident was an outside visitor, and the AL or HC Resident must coordinate with the IL Resident to ensure daily visitation limits are not exceeded.
An IL Resident may visit with AL or HC Residents through the scheduled visitation process. Please contact the appropriate care level manager to schedule Inter-facility visitation on AL, MC, or HC.
- AL/MC – Pamela Yeo x2127 (pyeo@bayviewseattle.org or 206-281-5755)
- HC- Janice Pate x3354 (jpate@bayviewseattle.org or 206-281-5778)
An IL Resident may meet an AL or HC resident outside on the outdoor Terrace Level. These are not scheduled visits.

Some examples of comingling that are not allowed:

An IL resident may not pick up an AL resident in Assisted Living or in Skilled Nursing to assist or escort outside of the Assisted Living or Skilled Nursing Unit unless proper assessments have been completed.
AL or HC Residents are not allowed to dine on the 10^th floor or in the main dining room related to current “Safe Start for Long-Term Care Recommendations and Requirements” guidance.

VISITATION:

INDEPENDENT LIVING:

Independent Living residents fall under the Governor’s “Healthy Washington, Roadmap to Recovery” guidance.

In-apartment visitation is allowed; however, we continue to strongly encourage outdoor visitation.
Visitation in common areas inside Bayview is NOT allowed. Visitors must move directly from the screening area to the resident’s apartment. Once visitation is over, the visitor must leave out the nearest exit.
Reasons for no common area visits:
- 96% of Bayview Residents, and 81% of Bayview employees were vaccinated. While these numbers, in comparison to other facilities with rates below 60%, are exceptional, there are still unvaccinated people in Bayview that could ignite widespread exposure and illness to all.
- There is still a 1 in 20 chance a vaccinated person can be afflicted with COVID-19.
- .Bayview has already experienced “Break-Through” exposures where fully vaccinated people have tested positive for COVID-19.
Limit apartment visitation to no more than two (2) visitors at a time per apartment for proper social distancing.
- If the Resident is unvaccinated, one (1) visitor is vaccinated, and one (1) visitor is NOT vaccinated, the non-vaccinated visitor will NOT be allowed to visit.
Limit apartment visitation to 1 visit a day to control the facility’s overall viral exposure load.
Limit the duration of the apartment visit to one (1) hour to control the facility’s overall viral exposure load.
Although it is not encouraged or recommended, fully vaccinated Residents AND fully vaccinated visitors may relax or loosen facemask use while inside the Resident’s apartment. However, facemask use is required at all times when outside of the residents’ apartment.
Although it is not encouraged or recommended, the Resident may choose to have close contact. If chosen, the Resident and visitor should:
- wear well-fitting facemasks,
- should limit the duration of close contact as possible, and
- should sanitize hands before and after the close contact.
Visits should occur between the resident and family / visitor only and should not include other Bayview residents at the same time for the same exposure reasons listed above.

ASSISTED LIVING:

Assisted Living residents fall under the Department of Social and Health Services “Safe Start for Long-Term Care Recommendations and Requirements” guidance which differs from the Governor’s “Healthy Washington, Roadmap to Recovery” guidance.

Outside visitation is still considered “Best Practice” and should continue as previously scheduled including the 30-minute time frame, and monitors.
Current guidance allows for inside facility visits in designated areas only. In-apartment visitation will be allowed as the King County infection rate improves or in specialized, and as individualized Compassionate Care Visits (CCV) allow. For more information about CCV visitation on Assisted Living, please contact Pamela Yeo x2127 (pyeo@bayviewseattle.org or 206-281-5755).
Designated indoor visitation areas for Assisted Living are:
- The TV lounge.
- The Dining room.
Maintain indoor visitors to two (2) people at a time.
Indoor visitors do not need to be designated by the resident.
Indoor visits do not need to be monitored, but visitors and / or the Resident should know how to contact staff in the event of a concern or need.
Visitors need to be escorted to and from the designated Assisted Living visitation area to control and limit exposure to others as outlined in 1 and 2 above.
Maintain visitation to the schedule of designated areas. To schedule your indoor Assisted Living visit, please contact Pamela Yeo as listed above.
Maintain the duration of the visit to 45-minutes.
Maintain the frequency of visitation to one (1) visit per week.
Designated areas must be sanitized before and after each visit.
Residents may choose to have close contact, including touch. If chosen, the Resident and visitor must:
- Must wear well-fitting facemasks during any touching.
- Sanitize hands prior to and immediately after the close contact.
Current guidance does NOT allow for loosening of facemask use in Assisted Living. The Executive Team continuously monitors the King County rate of infection for any adjustments to this requirement.
After-hours visitation is allowed on a person-centered, individualized basis.

SKILLED NURSING RESIDENTS:

Skilled Nursing Resident (or Health Center Residents) fall under the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) “Safe Start for Long-Term Care Recommendations and Requirements” guidance which differs from the Governor’s “Healthy Washington, Roadmap to Recovery” guidance.

Visitation will resume on May 24^th, 2021 for the Skilled Nursing Unit.
The “outbreak” on the Health Center will clear on June 7^th, 2021 if there are no further noted positive exposures, or new signs or symptoms of infection.
Outside visitation is still considered “Best Practice” and should continue as previously scheduled including the 30-minute time frame, and monitors.
Current guidance allows for inside facility visits in designated areas only. In-room visitation will be allowed as the King County Infection rate improves, as resident privacy allows, or in specialized, and as individualized Compassionate Care Visits (CCV) allows. For more information on Skilled Nursing CCV visitation, please contact Janice Pate x3354 (jpate@bayviewseattle.org or 206-281-5778).
Designated indoor visitation areas for Skilled Nursing are:
- The “Fish Tank” area.
- The Dining room.
Maintain indoor visitors to two (2) people at a time.
Indoor visitors do not need to be designated by the resident.
Indoor visits do not need to be monitored, but visitors and / or the Resident should know how to contact staff in the event of a concern or need.
Visitors need to be escorted to and from the designated Skilled Nursing visitation area to control and limit exposure to others as outlined in 1 and 2 above.
Maintain visitation to the schedule of designated areas. To schedule your indoor Skilled Nursing / Health Center visit, please contact Janice Pate as listed above.
Maintain the duration of the visit to 45-minutes.
Maintain the frequency of visitation to one (1) visit per week.
Designated areas must be sanitized before and after each visit.
Residents may choose to have close contact, including touch. If chosen, the Resident and visitor must:
- Must wear well-fitting facemasks during any touching.
- Sanitize hands prior to and immediately after the close contact.
Current guidance does NOT allow for loosening of facemask use in Skilled Nursing. The Executive Team continuously monitors the King County rate of infection for any adjustments to this requirement.
After-hours visitation is allowed on a person-centered, individualized basis.

DOROTHY’S PLACE MEMORY CARE RESIDENTS:

Dorothy’s Place Memory Care Residents fall under the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) “Safe Start for Long-Term Care Recommendations and Requirements” guidance which differs from the Governor’s “Healthy Washington, Roadmap to Recovery” guidance.

Outside visitation is still considered “Best Practice” and should continue as previously scheduled including the 30-minute time frame, and monitors.
Current guidance eliminates the “Essential Support Person” and allows for inside facility visits in designated areas only. In-room visitation will be allowed as the King County Infection rate improves, as resident privacy allows, or in specialized, and as individualized Compassionate Care Visits (CCV) allows. For more information on Skilled Nursing CCV visitation, please contact Pamela Yeo x2127 (pyeo@bayviewseattle.org or 206-281-5755).
The designated indoor visitation area for Dorothy’s Place Memory Care is:
- The Living room.
Maintain indoor visitors to two (2) people at a time.
Indoor visitors do not need to be designated by the resident.
Indoor visits are monitored, but monitors should allow for as much privacy as possible.
Visitors need to be escorted to and from the designated Dorothy’s Place Memory Care visitation area to control and limit exposure to others as outlined in 1 and 2 above.
Maintain visitation to the schedule of designated areas. To schedule your indoor Dorothy’s Place Memory Care visit, please contact Pamela Yeo as listed above.
Maintain the duration of the visit to 45-minutes.
Maintain the frequency of visitation to one (1) visit per week.
Designated areas must be sanitized before and after each visit.
Vaccinated Residents may choose to have close contact, including touch. If chosen, the Resident and visitor must:
- Must wear well-fitting facemasks during any touching.
- Sanitize hands prior to and immediately after the close contact.

Visitors should continue to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including gowns, gloves, and eye protection during any touching.

Current guidance does NOT allow for loosening of facemask use in Memory Care. The Executive Team continuously monitors the King County rate of infection for any adjustments to this requirement.
After-hours visitation is allowed on a person-centered, individualized basis.

CHILDREN:

Children, considered ages two (2) through seventeen (17) are allowed to visit as one (1) of the two (2) visitors as long as the Resident is fully vaccinated AND the child can follow the core principles of infection control including:
- Proper facemask use.
- Proper social distancing.
- Proper hand hygiene.
- Controlled movement and behavior.
Infants, considered ages zero (0) to two (2) years of age, are allowed and are not counted as part of the total visitation count.
Residents must be fully vaccinated to have infant and child visitation.
Children 12 and older who are fully vaccinated may visit with residents.
Ensure strict adherence to the core principles of infection control if the fully vaccinated Resident chooses to hold the infant.

Elevator Capacity:

The Tower elevator project work has been completed. Employees are still encouraged to utilize the stairs as much as possible to reduce the elevator wait times. Remember:

Elevators pose a large threat of exposure related to:

The inability to properly social distance,
The enclosed, small space,
The limitation or lack of air flow.

For this reason, elevator capacity has not changed.

North Elevator: NO MORE THAN FOUR (4) people at 1 time. Each person should stand in one of the corners, as far away from others within the elevator car.
Small Tower Elevator: NO MORE THAN TWO (2) people at 1 time. Each person should stand on either side of the elevator car.
Large Tower Elevator: NO MORE THAN FOUR (4) people at 1 time. Each person should stand in one of the corners, as far away from others within the elevator car.
Elevator capacity limitations include ALL EMPLOYEES at Bayview.
If you witness more than the recommended capacity of employees or residents with an elevator care, please contact any supervisor, an Executive Team member, Dawn Gramstad, Director of Human Resources (dgramstad@bayviewseattle.org – x3114) or Joel Smith (jsmith@bayviewseattle.org – x3357).

As a reminder:

Residents and employees who are new to Bayview and / or did not receive or have not received the COVID-19 vaccination may now request to get vaccinated.
Mercury Pharmacy has developed plans for on-going vaccination clinics with Bayview.
In order for a clinic to occur, there must be a minimum of 10 people ready for vaccination to occur on-site, at Bayview.
A facility vaccination van trip to Mercury Pharmacy is scheduled to occur on May 28^th, 2021, departing Bayview at 9:00am. Please contact Janice Pate x3354 (jpate@bayviewseattle.org or 206-281-5778) at your earliest convenience to be placed on our vaccination waiting list. Groups of less than 10 unvaccinated people may travel to Mercury Pharmacy to receive vaccination.

With the recent outbreak on the Health Center, we are reminded of the dangers of COVID-19 exposure and we are not out of the woods yet.

Let’s remove any confusion for ourselves regarding source control.

Let’s remain steadfast in our resolve to mitigate the risk of exposure.

Let’s all be proud of the work we have accomplished and continue to achieve to reduce our risk of exposure as much as possible.

Let’s all look forward to a better day when COVID-19 becomes an after-thought.

Sincerely,

Joel G. Smith, Health Services Administrator
ext. 3357 | 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

May 10, 2021

COVID-19 Update:

After our initial case in the Health Center, we began testing every other day as a precaution and to quickly identify any further cases from exposure. In our routine testing today, we have been made aware that another Health Center resident has tested positive for COVID-19 on May 10, 2021. This brings our total positive cases to four (4) – three (3) Health Center residents and one (1) Assisted Living staff. Please note the non-clinical Assisted Living staff last worked April 27^th and will be cleared May 12^th.

We have taken the following steps to mitigate the spread of infection:

The resident has been moved to the containment zone to be cared for by the dedicated COVID-19 staff.
Residents and staff will continue to be frequently screened and tested to monitor for further exposure.
Visitation will continue to be suspended on the Health Center until further notice.
The Department of Health and the Department of Social and Health Services have been notified. The Health Center is following all guidance and recommendations from these agencies.
This exposure resets the quarantine and outbreak clock. The Health Center will remain in quarantine through May 24th, 2021. The outbreak on the Health Center will clear on June 7th, 2021 barring any further signs or symptoms of COVID19, or any further positive test results.

As a reminder, for Independent Living residents, our current visitation and activity protocols allow up to two (2) visitors per day in an IL apartment, and up to ten (10) residents in a group activity. The Assisted Living area has been off quarantine since May 5^th and scheduled visitation and small group, socially distanced activities have resumed.

Liberalizing the opportunities to visit increases our individual and collective responsibility to adhere to high standards of infection control practices. Your continued support and vigilance are more important than ever. Thank you for your understanding as we continue to manage this journey of protecting our residents, staff, families, and greater community. Feel free to reach out to me with any questions.

Janice Pate, Director of Nursing
Office: 206-281-5778 or Ext. 3354
jpate@bayviewseattle.org

May 5, 2021

COVID-19 Update:

The Health Center has just become aware of another COVID-19 positive resident on May 5, 2021 at 2:15pm.

The resident has been moved to the containment zone to be cared for by the dedicated COVID-19 staff.
Residents and staff will continue to be frequently screened and tested to monitor for further exposure.
Visitation will continue to be suspended on the Health Center until further notice.
The Department of Health and the Department of Social and Health Services have been notified. The Health Center is following all guidance and recommendations from these agencies.
This exposure resets the quarantine and outbreak clock. The Health Center will remain in quarantine through May 18^th, 2021.
The outbreak on the Health Center will clear on June 1^st, 2021 barring any further signs or symptoms of COVID-19, or any further positive test results.

We can assure you the Health Center staff are working hard and doing everything possible to contain this outbreak. As we have seen from other facilities in the past, this is a daunting task, but we will overcome this obstacle in short order.

Other Updates:

Governor Inslee released a statement on Tuesday, May 4, 2021 announcing a two (2) week pause on the Roadmap to Recovery phase movement. This means Bayview will continue our current Independent Living visitation and activity protocols: up to two (2) visitors per day are allowed in an IL apartment, and up to ten (10) residents can meet in a group.

Updates from Last Week:

Some of you may have noticed new signage within the facility concerning our quarantine status. Over the past weekend, of May 1^st, and 2^nd, 2021, some visitors attempted to enter into the Assisted Living portion of the facility to see loved ones. Even though the visitors were knowledgeable about our current quarantine status, the visitors believed they had received prior “approval to visit” over a month ago, and this quarantine would not affect their visitation status. Unfortunately, this is not the case.

Residents, families, and staff should be aware of the current situations at any given time within the facility to make the appropriate decisions when approaching Assisted Living, Memory Care, or Skilled Nursing. Quarantine is just that, a quarantine. Only essential employees or compassionate care visitors are allowed in the area at this time. Hopefully, the signage now reflects these directives. Signage will be removed once it is determined the quarantine is no longer in effect.

The follow up PCR test results for both cases reported last week returned positive for COVID-19. Our contact tracing has led us to believe the positive cases were acquired through the community and were not contracted from Bayview staff or residents.

Assisted Living has completed the final rounds of testing. With no further positive cases, or with no current signs or symptoms of infection, the Assisted Living area is off quarantine beginning May 5, 2021.

Scheduled visitation will resume.
At risk dining will resume.
Small group (four (4) or less), socially distanced activities will resume.

If you have questions, comments, or concerns, please contact Joel Smith at jsmith@bayviewseattle.org or ext. 3357.

Sincerely,

Joel G. Smith
Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

April 28, 2021: Positive Cases

COVID-19 Update: Positive Cases

Once again, I am writing to inform our Bayview family of two positive cases discovered today (04/28/21). Here is what we know:

A non-clinical, Assisted Living employee who last worked on April 27^th, 2021, tested positive twice, using the facility’s rapid antigen testing equipment.
A resident on the Health Center tested positive twice, using the facility’s rapid antigen testing equipment.
The employee and the resident were immediately administered a PCR test to confirm the antigen test results. The test was sent to the laboratory, with results pending within the next 48-hours.
IF PCR testing confirms the positive cases, this will be Bayview’s first two “Break-Through” case, as both people were fully vaccinated.
The employee was immediately sent home after testing.
The resident is isolated, and in quarantine.
A containment tent has been erected containing the isolated resident room to prevent the risk of exposure.
Specific staff members are designated to care for the resident during the quarantine period.
Emergency PPE has been distributed to the appropriate staff.
The employee and resident were completely asymptomatic and did not shown any signs or symptoms of illness.
The employee did not have any direct contact with any resident at Bayview.
Contact tracing is being conducted. Employees and residents noted with potential contact will be notified and tested.
The King County Department of Health (LHJ), and the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) have been notified of the exposure, and Bayview is following all recommended guidance.
This situation classifies Bayview in an “Outbreak” status in accordance with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC)’s definition.
- Visitation on the Health Center, 2^nd and 3^rd floor Assisted Living is temporarily stopped until further notice.
- Activities on the Health Center, 2^nd and 3^rd floor Assisted Living are temporarily suspended.
- Residents on the Health Center, 2^nd and 3^rd floor are strongly encouraged to remain in their apartments until further testing can be completed.
- Employees are strongly encouraged, and schedules have been adjusted, to reduce / limit travel between the Health Center and Assisted Living Unit to other floors of the facility.
- The quarantine does not affect:
  - The Memory Care Unit
  - Independent Living
- Health Center and Assisted Living Residents and staff on the 2^nd and 3^rd floor will be tested every-other-day for, at least, the next five (5)-days to determine the extent of the potential exposure.
- Depending upon the extent of the exposure, the self-quarantine is anticipated to last at least seven (7) days.

Surface Testing Update:

The latest surface tests returned late yesterday (04/27/21) and showed low and medium viral loads in three (3) of the five (5) testing zones. The areas that were in these three zones include:

Common areas on each floor of the tower.
The reception area on 2^nd
The waiting area on the 1^st
The Maintenance Shop.
The main kitchen door.
The Health Center.

These areas are being deeply sanitized over the next 72-hours to mitigate the spread of infection. As stated in earlier memo’s, surface exposure means there are people actively “shedding” the virus. If viral loads continue to climb, a deeper dive into the specific testing locations will be conducted to further identify and mitigate exposure risks.

Even though the CDC has issued new sweeping guidance that liberalizes infection control practices throughout the nation, the Executive team has determined to maintain our current vigilance and high standards of infection control practice. Here’s why:

The infection rate per 100,000 people in King County continues to climb. As of this writing the infection rate is: 229.3 which equals:
- 5,274 people EACH DAY with a new positive COVID-19 exposure case in King County alone.
- This level of community exposure is the highest since early January 2021 and is higher than the initial peak in April 2020.
Governor Inslee is scheduled to potentially roll-back the “Roadmap-to-Recovery” phase to Phase II.
Bayview has experienced a new positive case.
Bayview has positive surface testing exposure.

If the Governor reduces the County’s phase to Phase II, more information will be distributed to all explaining how this will affect our activities at Bayview. Some anticipated changes are:

Independent Living in apartment visitation would be suspended.
Reduced limited seating for dining.
Reduced class sizes for activities and the fitness center.
Employee “to-go” meals provided only upon advanced request.

For now, your continued support and vigilance is more important than ever. More holidays are just around the corner and our resolve is being tested, as this pandemic is NOT over. Utilize the core principles of infection control.

Constant and consistent use of Facemasks when in public.
Consisted use of hand sanitizers.
Frequent sanitation of your surroundings.
Plan for safe OUTDOOR activities.
Always practice social distancing when in public.

We have made it this far into the pandemic with a great track record of infection control and limited exposure because of everyone’s efforts to stay safe and healthy. It has not been easy. We understand our sacrifices are not just for ourselves, but for our neighbors, our friends and family, and ultimately our community. We will continue to push forward and together we will see a brighter day ahead.

For any questions or concerns, please contact me at your convenience (3357).

Sincerely,

Joel G. Smith
Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

April 15, 2021: Positive Case

March 26, 2021: Visitation Update

COVID-19 Update: Visitations

I want to thank each and everyone of you for your continued support and patience as we navigate our way through the most recent state and federal changes surrounding visitation. As the dust has somewhat settled from the flurry of changes, the Executive team has outlined our new guidance and recommendations accordingly. Bayview’s guidance is subject to change as state and federal guidance continues to evolve.

All visitation relies upon Residents and Visitors following key elements of the core principles of infection control while in Bayview AND while at home: These elements include:

Wear a well-fitting facemask.
Practice good hand hygiene by frequently using Alcohol Based Hand Rub.
Practice six (6) foot social distancing.
Comprehensive and truthful screening practices.

In accordance with the Governor’s proclamation, Bayview reserves the right to refuse visitation for any people who cannot meet visitation criteria, including the core principles of infection control. People with a medical exemption for facemask use should contact Joel Smith (x3357 | 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org) prior to any visit to Bayview.

DEFINITION:

Fully vaccinated Resident / Individual:

A fully vaccinated Resident / Individual is a person who has received the recommended doses of COVID-19 vaccine (two shot series for Pfizer or Moderna, one shot series for Johnson & Johnson), and 14-days have past since the last recommended dose of COVID-19 vaccination.
A Resident / Individual is NOT fully vaccinated prior to the 14-day post final vaccination period, or with only one dose of a two-dose series received.

OUTDOOR VISITATION:

It is “BEST PRACTICE” to conduct any visitation outdoors.
There are no changes to Bayview’s outdoor guidance.
Please continue to schedule outdoor visitation with the appropriate Director / Manager of each type of care level:
- Assisted Living/Memory Care – Pamela Yeo x2127 (pyeo@bayviewseattle.org or 206-281-5755)
- Health Center – Janice Pate x3354 (jpate@bayviewseattle.org or 206-281-5778)

INDOOR VISITATION:

Bayview indoor visitation will begin with the following guidance starting March 29^th, 2021. Bayview Visiting hours are from 8:00am to 8:00pm, Sunday through Saturday.

Employees have been notified the visitor parking lot will be closed to employees and open for visitors beginning Monday, March 29^th, 2021.
Please note there are parking lot exceptions for specific staff made on a case-by-case scenario and with supervisor approval.
Nightshift staff can still park in the visitor lot between 5 pm to 7 am.

In accordance with the Governor’s proclamation, the Center’s for Disease Control (CDC), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), the Department of Health (LHJ), and the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS):

Current guidance relies upon vaccination as a main factor when considering indoor visitation. The following describes when indoor visitation is allowed:

A fully vaccinated resident may visit with a fully vaccinated visitor.
A fully vaccinated resident may visit with an unvaccinated visitor.
An unvaccinated resident may visit with a fully vaccinated visitor.
An unvaccinated resident may visit with an unvaccinated visitor ONLY for compassionate care reasons as assessed on an individual basis.

The following describes when indoor visitation is NOT allowed:

An unvaccinated resident may NOT visit with any unvaccinated visitor.
It is the responsibility of the Resident to inform visitors of the resident’s vaccination status. Facility staff is unable to give this information directly to visitors as divulging Resident medical information is a violation of HIPAA regulations.

QUARANTINE:

There have been changes made to the need to quarantine. The following is a brief description:

Fully vaccinated people, who are asymptomatic and have not been exposed to COVID-19 do NOT need to quarantine for 14-days upon admittance to Bayview.
A new risk assessment has been created which accounts for vaccination. Please refer to the new Risk Assessment form dated March 19^th, 2021 to assess your risk of exposure for essential and non-essential trips outside of Bayview.
It is the Resident’s responsibility to notify a supervisor, or Executive team member if you believe you assessed your risk of exposure to be categorized as “high”.

FACILITY ENTRANCE SCREENING:

All visitors must screen at Reception at the Aloha Street Main Entrance. Visitors are not allowed entrance to the facility from any other entrance.
All employees must screen at the front lobby at the Aloha Street Main Entrance.
- Once the initial employee screening is complete, employees may enter from other facility entrances throughout the facility.
- Employees must show the current daily security sticker to the camera in order to gain entrance from other locations.
- If the employee has lost their daily security sticker, the employee must re-enter from the Aloha Street Main Entrance AND rescreen to obtain a new security sticker.
It is the responsibility of the visitor and employee to answer screening questions truthfully and honestly.
If a visitor / employee is not feeling well, the visitor/employee should stay home.
If a visitor does not know the vaccination status of the resident they have come to see and have not been fully vaccinated themselves, the visitor should stay home.

TRAVEL:

In accordance with the Governor’s proclamation regarding travel to Washington State:

Visitors who have traveled from out of state are required to quarantine for seven (7) days post travel and test negative three (3) to five (5) days post arrival PRIOR to entry into Bayview OR;
Visitors who have traveled from out of state are required to quarantine for ten (10) days post travel without testing PRIOR to entry into Bayview.
Visitors will be denied entry to Bayview if they do not meet the screening criteria.

The following visitation stipulations are implemented for each care area:

INDEPENDENT LIVING:

Independent Living residents fall under the Governor’s “Healthy Washington, Roadmap to Recovery” guidance.

In-apartment visitation is allowed; however, we continue to strongly encourage outdoor visitation.
Visitation in common areas inside Bayview is NOT allowed. Visitors must move directly from the screening area to the resident’s apartment. Once visitation is over, the visitor must leave out the nearest exit.
Reasons for no common area visits:
- 96% of Bayview Residents, and 81% of Bayview employees were vaccinated. While these numbers, in comparison to other facilities with rates below 60%, are exceptional, there are still unvaccinated people in Bayview that could ignite widespread exposure and illness to all.
- There is still a 1 in 20 chance a vaccinated person can be afflicted with COVID-19.
Limit apartment visitation to no more than two (2) visitors at a time for proper social distancing.
- If the Resident is unvaccinated, one (1) visitor is vaccinated, and one (1) visitor is NOT vaccinated, the non-vaccinated visitor will NOT be allowed to visit.
Limit apartment visitation to 1 visit a day to control the facilities overall viral exposure load.
Although it is not encouraged or recommended, fully vaccinated Residents AND fully vaccinated visitors may relax or loosen facemask use while inside the Resident’s apartment. However, facemask use is required at all times when outside of the residents’ apartment.
Although it is not encouraged or recommended, the Resident may choose to have close contact. If chosen, the Resident and visitor should:
- wear well-fitting facemasks,
- should limit the duration of close contact as possible, and
- should sanitize hands before and after the close contact.
Visits should occur between the resident and family / visitor only and should not include other Bayview residents at the same time for the same exposure reasons listed above.

ASSISTED LIVING:

Assisted Living residents fall under the Department of Social and Health Services “Safe Start for Long-Term Care Recommendations and Requirements” guidance which differs from the Governor’s “Healthy Washington, Roadmap to Recovery” guidance.

Outside visitation is still considered “Best Practice” and should continue as previously scheduled including the 30-minute time frame, and monitors.
Current Phase 1 guidance eliminates the “Essential Support Person” and allows for inside facility visits in designated areas only. In-apartment visitation will be allowed as the King County infection rate improves or in specialized, and as individualized Compassionate Care Visits (CCV) allow. For more information about CCV visitation on Assisted Living, please contact Pamela Yeo x2127 (pyeo@bayviewseattle.org or 206-281-5755).
Designated indoor visitation areas for Assisted Living are:
- The TV lounge.
- The Dining room.
Increase indoor visitors to two (2) people at a time.
Indoor visitors do not need to be designated by the resident.
Indoor visits do not need to be monitored, but visitors and / or the Resident should know how to contact staff in the event of a concern or need.
Visitors need to be escorted to and from the designated Assisted Living visitation area to control and limit exposure to others as outlined in 1 and 2 above.
Limit visitation to the schedule of designated areas. To schedule your indoor Assisted Living visit, please contact Pamela Yeo as listed above.
Increase the duration of the visit to 45-minutes.
Increase the frequency of visitation to one (1) visit per week.
Designated areas must be sanitized before and after each visit.
Residents may choose to have close contact, including touch. If chosen, the Resident and visitor must:
- Must wear well-fitting facemasks during any touching.
- Sanitize hands prior to and immediately after the close contact.
Current Phase 1 guidance does NOT allow for loosening of facemask use in Assisted Living. The Executive Team continuously monitors the King County rate of infection for any adjustments to this requirement.
After-hours visitation is allowed on a person-centered, individualized basis.

SKILLED NURSING RESIDENTS:

Skilled Nursing Residents (or Health Center Residents) fall under the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) “Safe Start for Long-Term Care Recommendations and Requirements” guidance which differs from the Governor’s “Healthy Washington, Roadmap to Recovery” guidance.

Outside visitation is still considered “Best Practice” and should continue as previously scheduled including the 30-minute time frame, and monitors.
Current Phase 1 guidance eliminates the “Essential Support Person” and allows for inside facility visits in designated areas only. In-room visitation will be allowed as the King County Infection rate improves, as resident privacy allows, or in specialized, and as individualized Compassionate Care Visits (CCV) allows. For more information on Skilled Nursing CCV visitation, please contact Janice Pate x3354 (jpate@bayviewseattle.org or 206-281-5778).
Designated indoor visitation areas for Skilled Nursing are:
- The “Fish Tank” area.
- The Dining room.
Increase indoor visitors to two (2) people at a time.
Indoor visitors do not need to be designated by the resident.
Indoor visits do not need to be monitored, but visitors and / or the Resident should know how to contact staff in the event of a concern or need.
Visitors need to be escorted to and from the designated Skilled Nursing visitation area to control and limit exposure to others as outlined in 1 and 2 above.
Limit visitation to the schedule of designated areas. To schedule your indoor Skilled Nursing / Health Center visit, please contact Janice Pate as listed above.
Increase the duration of the visit to 45-minutes.
Increase the frequency of visitation to one (1) visit per week.
Designated areas must be sanitized before and after each visit.
Residents may choose to have close contact, including touch. If chosen, the Resident and visitor must:
- Must wear well-fitting facemasks during any touching.
- Sanitize hands prior to and immediately after the close contact.
Current Phase 1 guidance does NOT allow for loosening of facemask use in Skilled Nursing. The Executive Team continuously monitors the King County rate of infection for any adjustments to this requirement.
After-hours visitation is allowed on a person-centered, individualized basis.

DOROTHY’S PLACE MEMORY CARE RESIDENTS:

Dorothy’s Place Memory Care Residents fall under the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) “Safe Start for Long-Term Care Recommendations and Requirements” guidance which differs from the Governor’s “Healthy Washington, Roadmap to Recovery” guidance.

Outside visitation is still considered “Best Practice” and should continue as previously scheduled including the 30-minute time frame, and monitors.
Current Phase 1 guidance eliminates the “Essential Support Person” and allows for inside facility visits in designated areas only. In-room visitation will be allowed as the King County Infection rate improves, as resident privacy allows, or in specialized, and as individualized Compassionate Care Visits (CCV) allows. For more information on Skilled Nursing CCV visitation, please contact Pamela Yeo x2127 (pyeo@bayviewseattle.org or 206-281-5755).
The designated indoor visitation area for Dorothy’s Place Memory Care is:
- The Living room.
Increase indoor visitors to two (2) people at a time.
Indoor visitors do not need to be designated by the resident.
Indoor visits are monitored, but monitors should allow for as much privacy as possible.
Visitors need to be escorted to and from the designated Dorothy’s Place Memory Care visitation area to control and limit exposure to others as outlined in 1 and 2 above.
Limit visitation to the schedule of designated areas. To schedule your indoor Dorothy’s Place Memory Care visit, please contact Pamela Yeo as listed above.
Increase the duration of the visit to 45-minutes.
Increase the frequency of visitation to one (1) visit per week.
Designated areas must be sanitized before and after each visit.
Vaccinated Residents may choose to have close contact, including touch. If chosen, the Resident and visitor must:
- Must wear well-fitting facemasks during any touching.
- Sanitize hands prior to and immediately after the close contact.
- Visitors should continue to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including gowns, gloves, and eye protection during any touching.
Current Phase 1 guidance does NOT allow for loosening of facemask use in Memory Care. The Executive Team continuously monitors the King County rate of infection for any adjustments to this requirement.
After-hours visitation is allowed on a person-centered, individualized basis.

CHILDREN:

Children, considered ages two (2) through seventeen (17) are allowed to visit as one (1) of the two (2) visitors as long as the Resident is fully vaccinated AND the child can follow the core principles of infection control including:
- Proper facemask use.
- Proper social distancing.
- Proper hand hygiene.
- Controlled movement and behavior.
Infants, considered ages zero (0) to two (2) years of age, are allowed and are not counted as part of the total visitation count.
Residents must be fully vaccinated to have infant and child visitation.
Ensure strict adherence to the core principles of infection control if the fully vaccinated Resident chooses to hold the infant.

ESSENTIAL CONTRACTORS:

Essential Contractors, such as the elevator crew, or salon workers:

Are not required to be vaccinated.
Must adhere to the core principles of infection control including personal protective equipment (PPE) usage.
Must screen Residents prior to providing services, as applicable.
Must sanitize the space before and after each service.
Must follow the Governor’s “Healthy Washington, Roadmap to Recovery” guidance.

COMINGLING:

Comingling in general is not encouraged, however, will now be allowed on a limited basis and sometimes individualized basis. Core principles of infection control must be maintained as appropriate.

Examples of what is allowed:

A vaccinated Assisted Living (AL) or Skilled Nursing (HC) Resident would like to participate in the Independent Living (IL) knitting club. Please contact Heather Smith x2313 (hsmith@bayviewseattle.org or 206-281-5759).
A vaccinated AL or HC Resident would like to visit an IL Resident’s apartment. This type of “visit” is treated as such and the AL or HC Resident must coordinate with the IL Resident to ensure daily visitation limits are not exceeded.
An IL Resident may visit with AL or HC Residents through the scheduled visitation process. Please contact the appropriate care level manager to schedule Inter-facility visitation on AL, MC, or HC.
- AL/MC – Pamela Yeo x2127 (pyeo@bayviewseattle.org or 206-281-5755)
- HC- Janice Pate x3354 (jpate@bayviewseattle.org or 206-281-5778)
An IL Resident may meet an AL or HC resident outside on the outdoor Terrace Level during walking times (before noon, and between 2PM-4PM). These are not scheduled visits.

Examples of what is NOT allowed:

An IL resident may not pick up an AL resident in Assisted Living to assist or escort outside of the Assisted Living Unit.
AL or HC Residents are not allowed to dine in the main dining room related to current “Safe Start for Long-Term Care Recommendations and Requirements” guidance.

DINING ROOM:

Visitors will not currently be allowed to eat with Residents in the Dining room or any other location within Bayview.
Again, Independent Living visitors are only allowed in the specific Resident apartment, and not in public locations yet. Other care area visitors are allowed ONLY in designated areas within Bayview.
This may change in the near future dependent upon State and Federal guidance, and the decline of King County rates of infection.
Dan Galvin, Director of Culinary Services, will have additional information regarding dining questions and concerns in addition to this memo.

ELEVATOR CAPACITY:

Elevators pose a large threat of exposure related to:

The inability to properly social distance,
The enclosed, small space,
The limitation or lack of air flow.

For this reason, elevator capacity has not changed.

North Elevator: NO MORE THAN FOUR (4) people at 1 time. Each person should stand in one of the corners, as far away from others within the elevator car.
Tower Elevator: NO MORE THAN TWO (2) people at 1 time. Each person should stand on either side of the elevator car.
Bayview employees have been educated to utilize the stairs whenever possible. However, there are some tasks and medical circumstances that requires or allows some staff to utilize the elevators.
Elevator capacity limitations includes ALL EMPLOYEES at Bayview. If you witness more than the recommended capacity of employees within an elevator car, please contact any supervisor, an Executive Team member, Dawn Gramstad, Director of Human Resources at dgramstad@bayviewseattle.org or x3114, or me at jsmith@bayviewseattle.org or x3357.

FUTURE VACCINATIONS:

Residents and employees who are new to Bayview and / or did not receive or have not received the COVID-19 vaccination may now request to get vaccinated.
Mercury Pharmacy has developed plans for on-going vaccination clinics with Bayview.
In order for a clinic to occur, there must be a minimum of 20 people ready for vaccination. Please contact Janice Pate x3354 (jpate@bayviewseattle.org or 206-281-5778) at your earliest convenience to be placed on our vaccination waiting list.

There is a lot of information to absorb and there will be an array of many “What-if” scenarios. If you have any questions, please contact me at your earliest convenience. Again, thank you for your continued vigilance and support through this process.

Sincerely,

Joel G. Smith
Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

March 19, 2021: Visitation Update

COVID-19 Update: Visitations

There have been so many changes over the past 12 days regarding visitation. It has been more than difficult to keep up. Here is a breakdown of these changes from both the state and federal level guiding our visitation policies:

March 8^th, 2021 – The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) published their guidance on visitation, which we then began using to shape and execute our visitation policies.
March 9^th, 2021 – The King County Department of Health clarified the CDC guidance issuing statements that the CDC guidance pertained to the “general population” only and was not applicable to “Healthcare Settings”. This meant that it could be applicable to our Independent Living Residents, but not our Assisted Living or Skilled Nursing Residents.
March 11^th, 2021 – The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) published their guidance on visitation, which was different than the CDC guidance.
March 12^th, 2021 – The Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) issued a statement instructing “Healthcare Facilities” to ignore the CMS guidance as the February 1^st, 2021 “DSHS Safe Start for Long-Term care” guidance was more restrictive than the CMS guidance. The “DSHS Safe Start for Long-Term care” guidance was revised and updated.
March 17^th, 2021 – Governor Inslee publicly announced that all Healthcare facilities must open visitation immediately but provided no details of how to open visitation safely, or how to follow current DSHS restrictions at the same time.
March 18^th, 2021 – DSHS issued a statement asking Healthcare providers to wait for new guidance to be released “soon.”
March 19^th, 2021 – DSHS released another updated version of the “DSHS Safe Start for Long-Term Care” guidance, outlining new visitation rules and restrictions.

With each and every “update,” many tasks must occur across the entirety of Bayview, including but not limited to:

Obtaining a clear understanding of the changes.
Balancing the understood changes with the current policy in place.
Revising the policy to meet the most current regulations.
Drafting, editing, and finalizing proper communication to Residents, employees, families, and the public.
Implement signage, and screening device changes.
Teach and train staff of guidance and regulatory changes.
Implement physical environmental changes for successful compliance.

There is a tremendous amount of excitement regarding the prospects of reopening Bayview to visitation. In order to accomplish this task, the Executive team must take a controlled and measured approach to ensure our environment does not dimmish into chaos. The Executive team recognizes the pressure to open visitation, but also is compelled to ensure the safety of our Residents. Unfortunately, the pandemic is not over. People (unvaccinated AND vaccinated) are still being infected. People are still dying. Exposure rates, although have diminished, are still high. Variants of COVID-19 exist and are on the rise across the state and country.

For this, the Executive team has decided to postpone visitation for one (1) week. We believed we were going to open Monday March 22^nd, but unfortunately due to the flurry of changes, we need to make sure proper protocols are in place. We know how disappointing this must be, but for the safety of our community, we beg for your patience as we make appropriate plans to open as safely as possible. Hopefully, state agencies will stop “updating” regulations and guidance and allow facilities such as Bayview to update policies and implement procedures in a safe manner, ensuring a healthy opportunity for everyone to enjoy visitation with our loved one.

Bayview plans to implement indoor visitation by March 29^th, 2021. More communication will follow early next week outlining the changes and new processes to our visitation practices.

Sincerely,

Joel G. Smith
Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

March 11, 2021: Positive Case

COVID-19 update: Positive case

I regret to report that Bayview has experienced another positive COVID-19 case. Here is what we know:

A non-clinical, healthcare employee who last worked on Saturday, March 6^th, 2021 tested positive for COVID-19 from an outside testing site.
The employee is asymptomatic and does not show any signs or symptoms of illness.
The employee has not been in the facility since March 6^th, 2021 and did not have any direct contact with any resident at Bayview.
The Health Center is now considered to be in an Outbreak status.
Health Center small group activities, visitation and new admissions are temporarily suspended through March 24^th, 2021.
Health Center residents, staff, and other employees associated with the Health Center will be immediately tested to determine the exposure potential.
Contact tracing reveals exposure occurred off-site, NOT at Bayview.
This positive case does not count towards Bayview’s infection rates.

This information came to light during today’s Executive team meeting in which we discussed the loosening of restrictions within Bayview. The restrictions in consideration were:

The reopening of the Terrace Garden Food Court. Please note we are postponing the reopening to Wednesday, 3/17/21.
Ability to gather in private areas with other fully vaccinated residents.
Allowance of Independent Living co-mingling.
Opening the Fitness Center 7 days a week and with increased capacity.
Larger outdoor fitness groups (weather dependent).
The return of Vespers in a limited fashion in Albertson Center.
Childcare children with limited outdoor Terrace level access.

This exposure comes as a stark reminder of the dangers of COVID-19. This pandemic is not over. Even with the new guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the Center’s for Medicare Services (CMS) which loosen regulatory guidance and restrictions, we must remain vigilant, honoring the core principles of infection control – Universal Source Control (face mask usage), Hand Hygiene, and Social Distancing.

The Executive team has decided while we sift through the process of obtaining more information about this outbreak, we will take a cautious approach to the loosening of restrictions and wait to implement new Bayview recommendations and guidance. Make no doubt, we still have our sight on a hopeful path forward. Future memos will detail specific information of what is to come. If you have any further questions or concern, please contact me at 3357 at your convenience.

Sincerely,

Joel G. Smith
Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

March 5, 2021: Post vaccination update

Post vaccination update:

This week marks a pivotal week in Washington. In the course of one (1) year, over 5,000 Washingtonians have perished as a result of COVID-19. Countless of people, that we know of and love, have been touched in one way or another, by the devastating effects of exposure. In a year that has seen an unparalleled amount of turbulence, this sobering milestone highlights the frailty, yet resilience of our community.

With our final vaccination clinic under our belt and enough time for our vaccinations to take full effect, the Executive team is fielding more and more questions from residents and staff alike of “What Comes Next?”

At this point, the Governor, and the State Department of Health have “doubled down” on their COVID-19 prevention efforts. With full vaccination and an efficacy rate of 95%, 1 in every 20 fully vaccinated people can still be afflicted with COVID-19. This calculation does not consider the new variants of COVID-19 that have been found in Washington State. State agencies equate the time we are in right now to the “Seventh Inning Stretch” of a baseball game. The game is almost over, but this time serves as a pivotal point of “finishing” the game or needing to go into “Extra Innings”.

It is important to know we still need to maintain a strong resolve to see this Pandemic through the end. We must remain vigilant in our core principles of infection control, which includes Universal Source Control (proper use of facemasks), maintaining social distancing, practicing excellent hand hygiene, and avoiding crowded space and areas with poor ventilation.

State agencies have developed two different plans to follow. The Department of Social and Health Services’ (DSHS) “Safe Start for Long-Term Care Plan,” which applies to Bayview’s licensed care areas, and the Governor’s “Roadmap to Recovery” plan, which applies to Independent Living.

Of course, the two plans are not consistent, and do not match. Therefore, the Executive Team has been working diligently to blend the two plans together. Here are some examples of changes the Executive Team is implementing:

Quarantine Policy

1. Will the quarantine restrictions of 14 days change, or be eliminated if we are fully vaccinated?

As of this writing, NO but with exceptions below. Vaccinations are known to protect the vaccinated individual but not known to prevent the transmissibility of the virus. Coupled with new variants of COVID-19, state agencies continue to strongly recommend a quarantining process of 14 days.

For Independent Living residents, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has stated fully vaccinated people do NOT need to quarantine after known or potential exposure to COVID-19 if they meet all of the following criteria:

Are fully vaccinated (>2 weeks following receipt of the second dose in a 2-dose series, or >2 weeks following the receipt of one (1) dose of a single-dose vaccine).
Have remained asymptomatic since the current potential exposure.
Are within 3 months following the receipt of the last dose.Examples of how this guidance may apply at Bayview:

An Independent Living Resident that meets the criteria and goes to the Emergency Room and returns to Bayview will not need to quarantine for 14-days upon return.
An Independent Living Resident that meets the criteria and goes to the hospital overnight will not need to quarantine for 14-days upon return to their apartment.Examples of where the CDC guidance may NOT apply at Bayview:

An Independent Living Resident that meets the criteria and travels out of state and returns should quarantine for 14-days upon return in accordance with the Governor’s Proclamation 20-83.1.
An Independent Living Resident that meets the criteria and goes to the hospital and returns to a licensed part of the Bayview such as Skilled Nursing or Assisted Living will still need to quarantine for 14-days upon return.
New move ins and new admissions to Bayview that meets the criteria will still need to quarantine for 14 days upon arrival to the facility.Travel Policy

2. Do I need to quarantine if I travel outside of the state?

In accordance with the Governor’s proclamation 20-83.1, if you travel outside of Washington State and return to Washington, Independent Living residents should quarantine for 14-days. It is recommended for Independent Living residents that leave Bayview and return to conduct a self-assessment utilizing the Department of Health’s “Risk Assessment Template” to determine the risk of exposure and need for quarantine.

For residents that live in Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Skilled Nursing, the facility is required to implement the Department of Health’s “Risk Assessment Template.”

We understand how confusing this process is as there are many more “What If” scenarios. If you have specific questions, please email, or contact Joel Smith (ext. 3357 or206.281.5747) or Janice Pate (3354 or206-281-5778) to conduct a risk assessment to determine the risk level of exposure.

Dining Protocols

3. When will we be able to eat in the dining room again?

The Executive Team is taking a measured and controlled response to the Governor’s Roadmap to Recovery plan. We are pleased to announce a planned reopening of the Terrace Garden Food Court on Monday March 15th. More information from Dan Galvin, Director of Culinary Services, will follow in future correspondence.

Residents residing in licensed areas must follow the DSHS’ Safe Start for Long-Term Care Plan and at this time, are not able to participate in Terrace level dining activities. Communal dining for regulated areas is slated to begin in Phase 3 of the DSHS plan.

Visitation Policies

4. When will we be able to have people come into the facility and visit me in my apartment?

The Executive team is currently working on policies and procedures governing indoor visitation. Although indoor visitation is technically not allowed in the current COVID-19 environment, government agencies have designed specialized provisions for “limited” indoor facility access. These provisions include the “Essential Support Person (ESP)” and “Compassionate Care Visits (CCV)”.

An Essential Support Person (ESP) is a loved one, caretaker, or advocate for a resident of long-term care. In LTC Phases 1 and 2 of the Safe Start for Long-Term Care Plan, ESPs may visit a resident of long-term care indoors. Even though Independent Living Residents are not considered “long-term care” residents, living in a Life Plan Community qualifies all residents of the community eligible for ESP assessment.

Compassionate Care Visits (CCVs) have already been occurring at Bayview; however, new guidance has further defined the CCVs. Compassionate care visits primarily included “End-of- Life” visitation but now allow for necessary support to residents facing serious health or emotional crises.

The difference between ESP and CCV is CCV visits may qualify for in room visitation whereas ESP visits are conducted in designated indoor spaces within the building.

In order for you to participate in the ESP/CCV visitation program, all residents must be assessed to determine their ESP or CCV qualifications. There are certain restrictions and requirements governing each type of visitation. If you are interested in ESP or CCV visitation:

Independent Living Residents: Contact Heather Smith – ext. 2313 (206-281-5759) Assisted Living & Memory Care Residents: Contact Pamela Yeo –2127 (206-281-5755) or Jamie Hart – 2107 (206-301-4393)
Health Center Residents: Joel Smith – 3357, Janice Pate – 3357.

In reflection, please know, ALL efforts to prevent the spread of exposure and infection have been key to our success and know that we truly appreciate all the efforts and sacrifices you have made over the past year.

Sincerely,

Joel G. Smith
Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

February 10, 2021: Vaccination Process Part II

VACCINATION PROCESS PART II

Our second vaccination day held on January 25^th, 2021 was a resounding success! The lessons we learned from our first vaccination day on January 4^th, 2021 were applied to make the second clinic an amazing experience for a historic Bayview moment!

We aim to have our last vaccination day be just as successful. As promised, I want to communicate our basic vaccination plan on February 15^th, 2021. Another round of consent forms are necessary to complete. CVS has all of the insurance information on file from the last clinic, therefore, you will only be required to complete the personal information and consent sections of the form. No insurance copies are necessary. If you have not completed your consent forms, please do so as soon as possible. For IL Residents, consent forms have already been generated and will be provided to you in line when you are sent down for your second shot. For staff, please see your manager for a copy of the consent form. The following list are the people who will be vaccinated on Monday February 15^th, 2021:

Independent Living Residents – Second vaccination
Assisted Living Residents – Second vaccination
Memory Care Residents – Second vaccination
Non-Clinical Staff – Second vaccinations only
Clinical Staff – Second vaccinations only
Stragglers – Second vaccinations only

There will be four (4) different clinic sites within Bayview. The location of the vaccination sites are:

First floor – Kinnear room / Albertson Hall – Independent Living Residents.
First floor – Studio and dining area – Staff for second vaccinations.
Second Floor – TV room – Second floor Assisted Living residents, Assisted Living clinical staff.
Third floor – Home care office – Third floor Assisted Living residents.
Dorothy’s Place Quiet area – Memory Care residents.

The following times will be scheduled for vaccination. There will be Vaccination Ambassadors to assist in directing the location and times for you to arrive:

Independent Living Residents: Kinnear room / Albertson Hall

3^rd floor 10:30am
4^th floor 11:30am
5^th floor 12:30pm
6^th floor 1:30pm
7^th floor 2:30pm
8^th floor 3:30pm
9^th floor 4:30pm
Stragglers 5:00pm

Assisted Living Residents and Staff:

Second (2^nd) floor

10:00am

ALU Residents first.
Non-Scheduled ALU clinical staff.
Scheduled ALU clinical staff.
Return SNF residents.

Memory Care – Dorothy’s Place

11:30am

ALU DP Residents first.
ALU DP Clinical staff.

Third (3^rd) floor

12:30pm

Non-Clinical Staff: First floor Studio and Dining room

10:30am Administration / Clinical Staff
11:00am Facilities
12:30pm Environmental Services
2:00pm Dietary Staff
3:30pm Stragglers

For clarity:

THIS CLINIC WILL ONLY CONDUCT SECOND SHOTS ONLY.

This clinic is actually the third (3^rd) and final CVS contracted clinic to be provided for Bayview. It was an extremely arduous process to ensure all residents (IL, AL, MC, SNF) and staff (including our Child Development staff) received the opportunity to become vaccinated and we are pleased with the outcome of our efforts. The Executive team will continue to explore future opportunities for Bayview, including the exploration of renewing the CVS partnership for future clinics, partnering with our current in-house pharmacy; Mercury Pharmacy, partnering with future retail pharmacy sites, and working with other facilities that may serve as potential sources of “over-flow” vaccines. In the meantime, if you missed your opportunity for vaccination at Bayview, we strongly encourage you to speak with your Primary Care Provider (PCP) to find and schedule your vaccination at a vaccination site.

DURING THE BAVYVIEW CLINIC, BE FLEXIBLE AND REMAIN CALM.

Even with the best laid plans, it will be inevitable that something will happen, and scheduled times may be delayed, expedited, or moved to accommodate unforeseen changes and events throughout the day.

MAKE FEBRUARY 15^TH, 2021 “VACCINATION DAY – PART II”!

Unless you have a medical emergency or a pre-planned medical appointment, plan on accomplishing only one (1) task on Monday – Your Vaccination booster shot!

DO NOT PLAN ON ATTENDING MAJOR EVENTS ON FEBRUARY 16^TH, 2021.

Side effects from the booster shot have been documented to be stronger than the first vaccination. Please plan a day around the apartment “just-in-case” the vaccination adversely affects you. Contact your PCP if you experience adverse effects for further guidance, direction, and support.

VACCINATION AMBASSADORS WILL BE PRESENT DURING THE CLINIC TO ASSIST YOU.

Much like the previous vaccination day, many employees will be readily available to guide you through the vaccination process. If you need assistance, just ask!

DO NOT USE THE TOWER ELEVATOR UNLESS PROMPTED BY AN EMPLOYEE.

Staff and residents alike should not use the Tower Elevator, at all, unless guided by a Vaccination Ambassador to expedite the smooth flow and process of vaccinations. The Ambassador will be directing 4 residents at a time during the vaccinations. We are moving to 4 people in the elevator ONLY on vaccination day to expedite the process.

If you must use an elevator (to walk your dog, go to an appointment, etc.), please utilize the North Elevator on this day.

DO NOT LEAVE YOUR APARTMENT WITHOUT PROPERLY WEARING YOUR FACEMASK

It is essential that proper infection control procedures are adhered to during the entire vaccination process.

STRAGGLERS:

Stragglers are defined as people who had a pre-planned medical appointment, a medical emergency, or missed their scheduled time for some unforeseen reason. Please contact Heather Smith at extension 2313 to plan arrangements.

MORE DETAILED INFORMATION TO FOLLOW

Be on the lookout for more detailed information on the flow of the vaccination process in this weeks’ edition of the Bayview Weekly.

The question on everyone’s mind is: Once we have received our second shot, is it safe to socialize with others without a mask or social distancing?

Often, we think of vaccines as working by preventing the transmission of a disease. This is not necessarily the case. The short answer to the above is “NO”. Like so many questions surrounding COVID-19, there just is not enough data yet to say whether this vaccine can stop the virus from spreading. Clinical trials of COVID-19 vaccines have primarily focused on the prevention of symptoms and the severity of being infected with COVID-19, rather than evaluating the acquisition of the virus and the potential transmission to others.

People who have been vaccinated can still contract COVID-19 and pass it to others. The Pfizer vaccine has an effective rate of 95%, which means there is still a segment of “unprotected” people. Also, being protected from symptoms of a disease is not the same as being free from infection. Asymptomatic people, including those who have been vaccinated, may still act as carriers to spread the infection through actions such as coughing or sneezing. Unprotected people, vaccinated or not, may suffer from this exposure. So, while infection rates remain high as they are now in our county, it is important to stick to public health recommendations such as social distancing and universal source control. Wear your mask, stay six feet apart, and wash your hands. Thank you for your continued support!

Sincerely,

Joel G. Smith
Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

February 2, 2021 Limited Re-opening Guidelines

COVID-19 Updates: Bayview Limited Re-Opening Guidelines

As Bayview welcomes February in, we are still on track for a limited reopening of certain services and amenities as we clear our outbreak. Thank you for everyone’s incredibly hard work to quarantine during the past four (4) weeks. It has been tough, but together we made it! The below applies to Memory Care, Independent and Assisted Living Residents only. Skilled Nursing / Health Center residents remain in a quarantine status as the Health Center will clear their outbreak on February 21^st, 2021.

Below is a description of services that will “reopen” beginning February 3^rd, 2021:

Assisted Living (AL) and Memory Care (MC) outdoor, scheduled visitation.

The visitation schedule will generally be the same as before.

AL visitation will occur in the main parking lot tent. The AL visitation schedule will be Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday, and Sunday at 10:15am, 1:15pm, 2:15pm, and 3:15pm. Visits are limited to 30 minutes each with only 1 visitor at this time (due to social distancing requirements).
The MC visitation schedule will be Monday and Thursday at 10:15am, 1:15pm or 2:15pm. Details regarding the location of MC visitations will be shared in greater detail when scheduling your visitation.
As always, all visits must maintain proper social distancing at all times, must utilize strict universal source control (proper use of facemasks), and meet all screening requirements prior to visitation.
Foul weather may cancel scheduled visits.

Please schedule your AL and / or MC outdoor visits with Pamela Yeo at ext. 2127, 206-281-5755 or pyeo@bayviewseattle.org.

Indoor visitation will not occur until the county reaches phase IV of the Long-Term Care Safe Start Guidance which primarily depends upon the county’s COVID-19 infection rate. More information will follow as infection rates decline.

Staff Working Multiple Care Levels.

Staff may work between floors and care levels beginning February 3^rd, 2021.

Screening and Testing.

IL screening will return to one (1) time per week. IL residents are reminded and encouraged to report any signs or symptoms of illness to Heather Smith – 2313, or Jamie Hart – 2107 immediately for monitoring and tracking. IL residents are also strongly encouraged to immediately contact their Primary Care Physician (PCP) if they are exhibiting abnormal signs or symptoms of illness.
AL Resident testing will resume in accordance with regulated guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the King County Department of Health (LHJ), and Aging and Long-Term Support Administration (ALTSA).
AL staff testing will resume in accordance with regulated guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the King County Department of Health (LHJ), and Aging and Long-Term Support Administration (ALTSA). Staff working two (2) jobs will continue testing each shift.
Screening and tracking logs will continue to be maintained for staff members entering the facility.

Small Group Activities.

Small groups of five (5) or less, including staff, are permitted, as long as proper social distancing can be maintained. Any group must comply with universal source control at all times, social distancing and utilize proper hand hygiene and infection control practices.
Vaccination does NOT reduce the requirement for facemask use. Facemasks must be worn at all times while out of resident’s apartments.

Salon.

By appointment only.
Only one resident permitted in the Salon at a time.
Please refrain from coming down before your appointment. The salon worker will need enough time to properly sanitize and clean the area in between appointments. They will contact you when they are ready for you to come down for your appointment.

Fitness Center.

Sign-up for gym sessions is on a weekly basis. Sign-up sheets will be put out at 8 am on Wednesday mornings for the following week.
Limit two sessions per week per resident.
Please use the sign-up sheet for gym use only. If you need to schedule an orientation or discuss programming, contact Nahleen – 3115, for a separate time.
If you are unable to make your scheduled time, please let Nahleen know as soon as possible so that someone else can take the spot.
Please refrain from coming down early for your session and arrive at your designated time.

Spiritual Services.

Spiritual Services may follow the guidance for “Small Group Activities” listed above.
Scheduled spiritual care may also be made on an individualized basis. If you are interested in receiving spiritual services, please contact Juliana Bateman at 2119.

Once again, I want to pause to express my gratitude to our entire Bayview community. Today and every day, we are so thankful for all that you do in keeping everyone safe, healthy, and connected. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions. We will continue to keep you informed with any updates.

Sincerely,

Joel G. Smith
Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

January 29, 2021

COVID-19 Updates

RESOUNDING SUCCESS!
Thank you to all personnel involved for making “Vaccination Day” a resounding success. In all, we vaccinated 384 people on Monday January 25^th, 2021. Not only did this take detailed planning, but it also took precise coordination and implementation from many, many team members who performed flawlessly. Our partner Pharmacists at CVS were very professional and impressed with our coordination, stating “it made our (the Pharmacist’s) job easier. Everyone should take a bow or pat a “virtual” back for a job well done!

VACCINATION DAY – PART TWO
For everyone who received their first vaccination shot on January 25^th, 2021 – please reserve February 15^th, 2021 for “Vaccination Day – Part Two”! If at all possible, schedule all other events around this day and dedicate February 15^th, 2021 as the day to receive a second shot. It is imperative to receive a second vaccination or “Booster Shot” to obtain the full effectiveness of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccination.

Without the booster shot, Pfizer estimates the efficacy of the vaccination to be 50-55% effective at preventing COVID-19. With the booster shot, Pfizer estimates the efficacy of the vaccination to be 95% effective at preventing COVID-19.

February 15^th, 2021 will be the last clinic date available to receive the vaccination at Bayview. No “first dose” vaccinations will be given at the February 15^th, 2021 clinic date, only booster shots.

Pfizer and CVS recommend receiving a booster shot after 21-days of receiving your initial shot, but no later than 28-days after receiving your initial shot. Pfizer suggests, even if a person is unable to receive the second vaccination within the recommended time frame of 21-28 days, to still receive the second vaccination as soon as possible thereafter. Pfizer does not know the efficacy of vaccination as there is not enough data yet to determine specific COVID-19 prevention results.

POST VACCINATIONS
There have been many questions about what life will look like post vaccination and how quickly can we return to “normal”. The Governor has changed plans from the “Safe-Start” plan, to the “Roadmap to Recovery” plan. The Governor’s plan specifically outlines requirements for “Regions” of the state to reopen services and amenities.

The regulating agency for Long-Term Care, the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) has created a plan, in part in conjunction with the Governor’s Roadmap to Recovery plan for reopening services and amenities called the Long-Term Care Safe-Start plan. For the first time since the inception of the pandemic, DSHS has included Life Plan Communities in their guidance. DSHS has decided to deviate from the Governor’s plan by outlining requirements for Long-Term Care settings by “County” instead of “regions”.

Over the course of the upcoming days and weeks, you will receive more information from the Executive team on what Bayview’s reopening will consist of and look like. We are slated to reopen limited activities (Beauty Salon, scheduled outdoor visitation for Assisted Living & Memory Care, Fitness Center, Small group activities) on Wednesday, February 3^rd. Scheduled outdoor visitation for Skilled Nursing families is slated to re-open on February 15^th. Please be on the lookout for another memo with greater details early next week. For now, the important concept to remember is:

Even with vaccination, universal source control, social distancing and proper infection control hygiene must be maintained at all times inside and outside of Bayview’s walls.

Essentially, nothing has changed. According to the Center’s for Disease Control (CDC) and Pfizer, there is not enough data or evidence to support if vaccine prevents vaccinated people from carrying the virus. In other words, even though you may have been vaccinated, you may still carry the COVID-19 virus to others that have not received the vaccination, thus infecting others around you.

Instead, reopening relies upon Infection cases per 100,000 people over a 14-day period. The COVID-19 Risk Assessment Dashboard (www.coronavirus.wa.gov/what-you-need-know/roadmap-recovery-metrics) shows this rate which is updated almost daily. The good news is, as more people get vaccinated, the infection rate will decrease, which, in turn, will increase the services and amenities we will be able to return to and enjoy.

Sincerely,

Joel G. Smith
Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

January 25, 2021

January 21, 2021: Vaccination Process

VACCINATION PROCESS:

As promised, I want to communicate our basic vaccination plan on January 25^th, 2021. If you have not completed your consent forms, please do so as soon as possible. For Independent Living Residents, please contact Heather Smith at 2313 and for staff, please contact your supervisor for any assistance. The following list are the people who will be vaccinated on Monday January 25^th, 2021:

Independent Living Residents – First vaccination
Assisted Living Residents – First vaccination
Memory Care Residents – First vaccination
Skilled Nursing Facility Resident – First and second vaccinations
Discharged Skilled Nursing Facility Residents – Second vaccinations
Non-Clinical Staff – First and second vaccinations
Clinical Staff – First and second vaccinations

There will be six (6) different clinic sites within Bayview. The location of the vaccination sites are:

First floor – Kinnear room / Albertson Hall – Independent Living Residents.
First floor – Studio and dining area – Non-clinical staff first and second vaccinations.
Second Floor -TV room – Second floor Assisted Living residents, and Assisted Living clinical staff.
Third floor – Home care office – Third floor Assisted Living residents.
Dorothy’s Place Living Room – Memory Care residents.
Skilled Nursing Unit – Skilled Nursing residents and Skilled Nursing clinical staff.

The following times will be scheduled for vaccination. There will be Vaccination Ambassadors to assist in directing the location and times for you to arrive:

Independent Living Residents: Kinnear room / Albertson Hall

9^th floor 10:30am
8^th floor 11:30am
7^th floor 12:30pm
6^th floor 1:30pm
5^th floor 2:30pm
4^th floor 3:30pm
3^rd floor 4:30pm
Stragglers 5:00pm

Assisted Living Residents and Staff:

Second (2^nd) floor

10:00am

Residents first
Non-Scheduled clinical staff
Scheduled clinical staff

Third (3^rd) floor

11:30am

Memory Care – Dorothy’s Place

12:30pm
1. Residents first
2. Clinical staff

Skilled Nursing Residents and Staff:

1:30pm

Off going clinical staff first
Discharged residents for second shot
Residents
Non-Scheduled clinical staff
Scheduled clinical staff

Non-Clinical Staff: First floor Studio and Dining room

10:30am Administration (Resident Services, ICC, Finance, Marketing, etc.)
11:30am Facilities
12:30pm Environmental Services
2:00pm Dietary Staff
4:30pm Stragglers

(Staff who have already received their first vaccinations, please bring your vaccination card to expedite your second booster shot. Please reach out to your supervisor with any questions.)

For clarity:

BE FLEXIBLE.

Even with the best laid plans, it will be inevitable that something will happen, and scheduled times may be delayed, expedited, or moved to accommodate unforeseen changes and events.

MAKE JANUARY 25^TH, 2021 “VACCINATION DAY”!

Unless you have a medical emergency or a pre-planned medical appointment, plan on accomplishing only one (1) task on Monday – Your Vaccination!

VACCINATION AMBASSADORS WILL BE PRESENT TO ASSIST YOU.

Many employees will be readily available to guide you through the vaccination process. If you need assistance, just ask!

DO NOT USE THE NORTH OR TOWER EVEVATOR UNLESS PROMPTED BY AN EMPLOYEE.

Staff and residents alike should not use the elevators, at all, unless guided by a Vaccination Ambassador to expedite the smooth flow and process of vaccinations.

DO NOT LEAVE YOUR APARTMENT WITHOUT PROPERLY WEARING YOUR FACEMASK

It is essential that proper infection control procedures are adhered to during the entire vaccination process.

STRAGGLERS:

Stragglers are defined as people who had a pre-planned medical appointment, a medical emergency, or missed their scheduled time for some unforeseen reason.

MORE DETAILED INFORMATION TO FOLLOW

Be on the lookout for more detailed information on the flow of the vaccination process in this weeks’ edition of the Bayview Weekly.

PEOPLE WITH IMMUNO-SUPPRESSANT MEDICATIONS OR OTHER COMORBITITIES

There are presently no indications preventing people taking immuno-suppressant medications or people with several comorbidities preventing people to receive the COVID-19 vaccination. If you have specific questions about your particular medical condition(s), please consult your Primary Care Physician for more information.

ALLERGIES TO PREVIOIUS VACCINATIONS

According to the first clinic held on January 4^th, 2021, CVS would NOT administer the COVID-19 vaccination to people who have previously experienced allergic reactions to any other vaccinations. If you want to obtain COVID-19 vaccination and have experienced allergic reactions to any other vaccination in your past, please consult your Primary Care Physician (PCP) before Monday, January 25^th, 2021. It will be necessary to obtain a written order from your PCP allowing vaccination. Present this order to the CVS pharmacist upon your scheduled vaccination time.

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Attached to this memo are Frequently Asked Questions from CVS about the COVID-19 vaccination.

I would like to thank all of you that have been so patient with the Executive team on obtaining information about our impending vaccination clinics. We are all anxious to return to some semblance of normalcy, and the vaccine is the light that begins to shine at the end of the tunnel. Communication with CVS has been less than desirable, and as we see other communities receive vaccinations, read, or hear the media highlight other communities, and hear from the Governor how vaccinations will be accelerated, it is easy to become extremely frustrated with our Bayview journey towards vaccination. Vaccinations are here. We have finally made it!

SURFACE TESTING:

More results were obtained from surface tests this past week that shows an improvement of infection containment. However, there are still some inconclusive results that we are in the process of interpreting.

I would like to extend a hearty “Thank You” to all residents on the sixth (6^th) floor that allowed surface testing to be conducted inside their apartment. We had a 100% participation rate, which shows our collective effort to route out this virus for the health and safety of all at Bayview. Test results should be obtained no later than Monday, January 25^th, 2021 and will be shared at that time.

Sincerely,

Joel G. Smith
Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

January 14, 2021: Surface Testing Update

Surface Testing Update

I wanted to give a brief update of the surface testing as we have just received specific results locating the source of surface exposure.

First, a quick summary of Enviral Tech’s surface testing procedure:

5 surface testing kits are received each week to test 5 different “zones” within all of Bayview. Each kit contains 8 vials to place test swabs inside. Each vial represents a different surface within each zone to be tested. A total of 40 different “high-touch” surfaces throughout Bayview are tested each week.
After sending our weekly kits into the lab, results are reported back to Bayview in zones. Zones 1 through 5 are either negative or positive for the presence of COVID-19 exposure.
If a zone tests positive, each vial within that positive zone is further tested to determine the exact location of the positive surface.

A brief recap of the past surface testing events:

During our weekly, routine surface testing, there were two zones that showed the presence of COVID-19 – the zone including floor common areas and the zone including A-Level/10^th Please note in our previous memo, we omitted the important detail that the zone that includes A-level also includes the 10^th floor. A-Level and 10^th floor are both part of the same zone.
Through a series of further re-testing, the individual vial testing results returned and revealed specific location of each positive surface: the 6^th floor common space and the 10^th

The detailed results are as follows:

Zone including Floor Common Areas:

Floors 3 – 5, 7-9 common space = NEGATIVE
6^th floor common space = POSITIVE

Zone including A-Level and 10^th floor:

Board room – Doorknobs, computer keyboard and mouse = NEGATIVE
Conference Room A – Doorknobs, computer keyboard, and mouse = NEGATIVE
Childcare – Reception desk, thermometer, keyboards, and mouse = NEGATIVE
Childcare – Kitchen, refrigerator door handle, freezer door handle, microwave buttons = NEGATIVE
Main Employee Breakroom – Microwave buttons, countertop, and refrigerator / freezer handles = NEGATIVE
A-Level public restroom – changing area, sink, doorknobs, faucet handles = NEGATIVE
Conference room B – Doorknobs, computer keyboard, mouse, and vending machine = NEGATIVE
10^th floor: Sky Club / Lounge – Tabletops, microwave buttons, and chair arm rests = POSITIVE

Bayview strongly recommends the following actions:

Bayview housekeeping staff have immediately begun deep sanitation efforts on the 10^th
Bayview housekeeping staff will continue thorough sanitation efforts throughout the facility with special emphasis on the 6^th and 10^th
Employees have been notified to contact their supervisors if they have spent more than 15 cumulative minutes on any day between January 5^th, through January 13^th, 2021 on the 6^th, or 10^th floors for contact tracing purposes.
Bayview has strongly encouraged everyone to consider being in a “lockdown” situation since January 6^th, however, if you have attended informal gatherings on the 10^th floor for more than 15 minutes, without the use of a facemask (universal source control) at any time during the gathering, between the dates of January 5^th, 2021 through January 13^th, 2021, we strongly encourage you to quarantine until January 25^th, 2021. Please notify your Primary Care Physician (PCP) to determine your need for testing. Please contact Heather Smith (2313) or Jamie Hart (2107) to arrange safe movement within Bayview to obtain testing outside of Bayview.
1. The additional tightening of restrictions and protocols across Independent living is due to the active presence of COVID-19 shedding in predominantly Independent living spaces – 6^th floor and 10^th We are grateful for your patience and understanding.

Differentiation between Quarantine and Outbreak dates:

In our previous memos, two dates have been mentioned: on January 19th, the Assisted Living and Health Center units will be cleared from “quarantine” and on February 2nd, Bayview will be cleared of an “outbreak” contingent upon no further positive cases of COVID. The Department of Health (DOH) requires 14 days for individuals with a positive case of COVID to clear from a quarantine. However, because Bayview had 2 or more positive cases of COVID and met Centers for Disease Control’s definition of an outbreak, another 14 days is required to be cleared of an outbreak. February 2^nd is the day in which we will re-evaluate the safe and limited reopening of activities and amenities. As always, we assess our reopening date in conjunction with the Governor’s new safe start plan and multiple local and state health agencies.

As I write this memo, I can’t help but reflect on the year that was defined by heartbreak and heroism in 2020. Much was sacrificed in what seemed to be a muted year of evolving COVID restrictions and protocols. We are two weeks into the new year, King County infection rates are on the rise again and we are still relentlessly fighting the pandemic. I still firmly believe the new year will bring new hope. Your courage, wisdom, strength, and most importantly, compassion is what keeps this community going – for both residents and staff alike.

I want to, once again, thank everyone for their continued support and vigilance to fight the spread of exposure and infection. More information will follow next week about our prospects for vaccination. We have been working diligently and daily on all-things vaccine. Hang in there, we will get through this together!

Sincerely,
Joel G. Smith
Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

January 13, 2021: COVID-19 Update

COVID-19 update:

On January 6^th, we reported a total of 4 positive cases of COVID in our Assisted Living (AL) residence – 3 residents and 1 staff and 2 positive cases in our Health Center (HC) – 1 resident and 1 staff, bringing a total of 6 cases. The positive cases in Health Center are now considered old, as the employee has returned to work and the resident is out of quarantine. We also wanted to share with you that 3 out of the 4 cases in Assisted Living were confirmed false positives. As of Wednesday, January 13, this brings our total count of positive cases of COVID to *1 resident in Assisted Living.

Here is a further breakdown of Bayview’s COVID-19 status:

Assisted Living Cases:

*1 AL resident tested negative utilizing an antigen test at Bayview but was later sent on the same day to the Emergency room where the resident tested positive using a PCR lab test. PCR tests are far more accurate than rapid antigen tests and are used as the standard for COVID-19 test results. The resident is still in the hospital and is doing well.
2 AL residents that initially tested positive for COVID-19 utilizing an antigen test had 2 PCR tests conducted. Both PCR tests returned negative, meaning these AL residents experienced false positives and were never exposed to COVID-19. We are saddened to report that 1 of the residents subsequently passed away related to Non-COVID-19 issues as the resident was on hospice services. Our sincere condolences to family and friends of this beloved resident. The other resident currently remains on the Health Center for a temporary basis for rehabilitative ‘tune up’ before the resident can return to the apartment on the Assisted Living.
The 1 staff member who tested positive utilizing an antigen test, received 2 PCR tests, both of which returned negative, meaning the staff member experienced a “false positive” and was never exposed to COVID-19.

Health Center Cases:

1 HC resident is currently out of quarantine and feeling well.
1 staff member has returned to work following the Department of Health’s (DOH’s) return-to-work guidelines.

Enviral Tech Update:

During our weekly, routine surface testing, there were two areas that showed the presence of COVID-19. Upon further testing, it was noted:

There were LOW positive results on the 6^th floor common area,
Inconclusive results on the Bistro and Maintenance shop areas, and
There were MEDIUM positive results on the A-level area.
The following Key is a description of the levels of exposure:

LOW Positive = Between 220 – 440 viral particles

MED Positive = Between 440 – 2500 viral particles

HIGH Positive = More than 2500 viral particles

Inconclusive = RT – PCR reaction was adversely affected by chemicals from the environmental surface that interfered with the detection – OR A very low signal was seen but was below the detection limit of the assay (below 220 viral particles).

We are conducting further testing on A-level to determine the specific location(s) of potential exposure.
Facilities and Environmental services are emphasizing sanitation efforts throughout Bayview, with a specific focus on the 6^th, Bistro / Maintenance shop, and A-level areas.
Enhanced Independent Level screening: Effective immediately and through January 19^th, we will be conducting daily health screenings on all floors. In order to make this process efficient and least disruptive, a staff member will come by each respective apartment and will record both temperature and responses to the screening questions at the time of their visit. Thank you for your collaboration on this proactive preventative measure.

In Summary:

Since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020 – to date, Bayview has experienced:
- 3 employees with confirmed COVID-19. The cases are old and the employees have since returned to work.
- 2 residents with confirmed COVID-19. 1 case is out of quarantine, and the other case is still in the hospital but recovering well.
- The facility is currently in an “Outbreak” through February 2^nd, 2021 if there are no other signs or symptoms of COVID-19 or confirmed cases of COVID-19.

We know it is a challenge to keep up with the changing numbers. Bayview’s current COVID status is 1 COVID positive case. Please note this resident is still in the hospital and is doing well.

With ever changing protocols and the constant stream of memos, COVID fatigue is real. We have to fight it and keep the good faith. Thank you for your unending resiliency. Please reach out with any questions at any time.

Sincerely,
Joel G. Smith
Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

January 6, 2021: COVID-19 Update

COVID-19 Update

Dear Bayview Community,

We wanted to give you an update on where we stand with the presence of COVID-19 at Bayview. We want to assure you once again, our staff has been preparing for a situation like this for the better part of 2020 and is fully prepared to meet this challenge head on.

Here is our current situation:

Bayview has met the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC’s) conditions of a COVID-19 outbreak.
There are a total of 6 positive cases of COVID-19 at Bayview:
- 1 Health Center resident – who remains asymptomatic and feeling well.
- 1 Health Center, non-caregiver, employee – who is asymptomatic and has not returned to work.
- 3 Assisted Living residents (non-memory care) –
  - 1 resident who was transported to the hospital
  - 1 resident who is exhibiting signs of illness NON-COVID-19 related
  - 1 resident who is now exhibiting signs of illness related to COVID-19 exposure
- 1 Assisted Living, caregiver employee – who remains asymptomatic and was immediately sent home to verify the results through PCR testing.
  - There were two (2) other employees that tested positive outside of Bayview in October 2020, as previously reported. These results did not count towards Bayview’s current infection rate and total numbers.
The facility is in the process of working collaboratively with the families and physicians of the affected residents to consolidate and cohort the affected residents to a dedicated area on the Health Center. This will assist to reduce the chance of further exposure. This process will be completed no later than January 6^th, 2021.
A temporary containment field has been erected around the rooms of the affected residents on the Health Center (HC). Windows are cracked open and fans are circulating air within the rooms to reduce the potential exposure risk.
Dedicated staff have been reassigned to solely care for the affected residents. The dedicated staff will only care for the affected residents and no others.
Dedicated staff utilize different entry and screening points in and out of the facility to minimize the risk of exposure.
Dedicated staff utilize dedicated and quarantined areas, away from the rest of the employees for breaks and lunches.
Dedicated staff have been fit-tested with N-95 respirators and emergency Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).
Emergency PPE has been distributed among the AL and HC units for all staff to utilize following the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC’s) emergency guidelines for optimizing PPE supplies.
Employees are not working between AL and HC until further notice.
Even though exposed residents have been moved to the Health Center, the Assisted Living Unit remains an “Outbreak” area and therefore is under strict quarantine.
Our testing strategy is as follows:
- Employees working with exposed residents are tested daily.
- Employees working with exposed residents are screened four (4) times per shift.
- Employees not working with exposed residents are tested every-other-day.
- Employees working in the AL or HC units and who work two (2) jobs (one at Bayview and one off-site), are tested each time they are in the facility (or daily).
- Residents and employees identified through contact tracing as a risk for exposure are tested daily.
- Employees with positive results have been immediately sent home to follow the CDC Return-to-Work guidelines.
Contract tracing is complete and the employees and residents at risk have been identified, contacted, and tested. Tests results remain negative.
All scheduled, outdoor visitation for Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Skilled Nursing have been ceased until further notice. Life Enrichment staff are assisting with virtual visits as able.
Home care has been temporarily stopped and will resume when staff are available to work Home Care schedules without the risk of cross contamination from the AL unit to other areas of the facility.
The Executive team is reviewing current staffing levels to determine who and how often staff may be able to work from home to limit the amount of exposure into the facility.
The King County Department of Health (LHJ) and the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) have been informed of our situation and is providing guidance as needed and necessary.
Beginning today, January 6, 2021, if there are no further positive cases of COVID-19, the Assisted Living and Health Center units will clear from quarantine on January 20^th, 2021.
After January 20^th, 2021, if there continues to be no further positive cases of COVID-19, the Assisted Living and Health Center units will clear the Outbreak on February 3^rd, 2021.

What we do not know:

Our investigation of how the virus entered the Health Center is not clearly understood. Through contact tracing and testing strategies, we are unable to determine how the virus entered the Health Center. We can make assumptions about how it may have entered, but the data and investigation do not support a clear route of exposure.
Our investigation of how the virus entered the Assisted Living is still under investigation but is also not showing one (1) clear path of exposure. Bayview is working diligently with the Department of Health to determine if there is more definitive information to review to determine the virus’s path to infection.

In accordance with our Threat Level Grid, Bayview has moved to the highest level of Threat Level V. Here are the things you can do to help contain this outbreak:

DO NOT LEAVE YOUR APARTMENT FOR THE NEXT 14-DAYS:

Unless there is a critical emergency, you should not have to leave your apartment, at all, for the next 14-days. 14-days is one (1) complete COVID-19 virus incubation cycle. We strongly encourage you to consider Bayview being in a “Lockdown” situation. If you have upcoming medical appointments, you should call your provider and tell them of our outbreak situation and try to reschedule for a telehealth or phone visit instead. Facilities and Environmental Services will continue to transport packages from the front area to your door if you order items on-line. Your newspaper will be delivered to your front door in the morning.

DO NOT ENGAGE OR VISIT WITH STAFF AS ITEMS (SUCH AS MEALS) ARE DELIVERED TO YOUR DOOR:

As much as our staff understands the threat and dangers of COVID-19, and attempts to remain safe and healthy, employees still pose the largest exposure risk to our residents living at Bayview. Employees want to give the utmost respect to our Bayview residents. It is respectful to limit contact as much as possible to reduce your risk of exposure keeping you safe and healthy too.

DO NOT UTILIZE THE ASSISTED LIVING THROUGHWAY AS PASSAGE TO OTHER PARTS OF THE FACILITY:

If it is absolutely necessary for you to leave your apartment, do not enter second (2^nd) floor for elevator use, or use the stairwell to the second (2^nd) floor Assisted Living area. ASSISTED LIVING is under quarantine until further notice and entry is restricted.

PHONES OFF THE HOOK, BATHROOM PULL CORDS, AND TOGGLE CALLS: These will be handled by the Facilities department. Clinical issues will be addressed by the appropriate staff on an individualized basis.

It goes without saying, but we must continue to stay vigilant. Our experience these past nine months has shown us that while the virus is relentless, so are we. We will continue to update you as any new information comes our way.

Sincerely,
Joel G. Smith
Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

December 30, 2020: COVID-19 Update

COVID-19 Update

As part of our routine COVID-19 surveillance testing for Health Center residents, we wanted to share with you that one resident has tested positive today for COVID-19 in the Health Center. The initial test was conducted with the BinexNow antigen test kit with positive results. We confirmed the BinexNow test with a second positive test. We then conducted a third test to confirm the first 2 tests with the BD Veriator antigen test kit. The result was positive. This brings a total of two positive cases at Bayview – 1 staff and 1 resident.

Our staff have trained all year for this very situation and are fully prepared to meet this challenge. Here are the steps we are taking to mitigate further spread of infection:

We have conducted a PCR test to confirm all antigen tests. The PCR test was sent to the University of Washington Laboratory, and we should know the results of the PCR test within the next 48-72 hours. The PCR test is the recognized type of test to confirm the active presence of COVID-19.
We immediately tested all other residents – There were no more positive cases.
We immediately tested all other staff members – There were no positive cases.
We are continuing to conduct testing for the evening and night shift.
We have conducted contract tracing of staff over the past 10 days and have tested all staff with potential exposure. All results returned negative.
We are awaiting the results of our surface testing conducted yesterday (Tuesday 12/29/20).
We have contacted the Department of Health (LHJ) and the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).
The resident with confirmed COVID-19 is asymptomatic and shows no signs of illness.
The resident with confirmed COVID-19 is located in a room with no roommate.
We have activated our emergency procedures for a viral outbreak.
We have constructed an isolation area around the room to mitigate the spread of infection.
Staff have been issued approved PPE including N-95 respirators and instructed on its use.
2 staff members have been identified to care only for the positive resident. Stringent and meticulous steps have been implemented to ensure the safety of the 2 staff members, the resident they are caring for, and the staff and residents around them.
Testing will continue on a daily basis, at the direction of the LHJ and DSHS.
Admissions to the Health Center have been stopped until further notice. Hospitals and Discharge Planners have been notified.
Transfers from the Health Center to other locations of the facility have ceased until further notice.
All scheduled, outdoor Health Center visitations have been cancelled until further notice.

In a previous memo, we were slated to re-evaluate reopening of current Bayview restrictions on Monday, January 4^th. However, Governor Inslee issued today a one-week extension of the statewide restrictions that will go through January 11, 2021. In addition, with the two confirmed cases of COVID-19, Bayview met the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC’s) criteria for an outbreak. In accordance with CDC guidance, two (2) incubation periods of COVID-19 must past from the last known COVID-19 infection, or last signs or symptoms of COVID-19 in order to “clear” a COVID-19 outbreak. Bayview will follow this guidance in conjunction with LHJ and DSHS recommendations and requirements, when considering the reopening of certain, limited activities such as the fitness center, small groups, the beauty shop, and visitation for Skilled Nursing families. The projected date for reopening will be January 13th, 2021. Again, this is contingent upon no further exposures or signs or symptoms of infections from residents or staff.

Vaccine Update

As we mentioned in the latest CEO video message, we recently received dates and times for our on-site vaccination clinics for the COVID-19 vaccine. CVS will be administering the vaccine to residents in our Health Center and Assisted Living and all staff beginning Monday, January 4^th. The leadership team has quickly moved forward with providing additional details and consent forms to residents, family members, and staff. It is our hope that the COVID-19 vaccine will soon be available to all residents at Bayview.

This is a tiring and often painful road to travel. Yet we are fighting the good fight. Thank you for your enduring patience and we will continue to update you on any new information.

Sincerely,
Joel G. Smith
Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

December 18, 2020

COVID-19 Updates: Vaccines

Dear Bayview Community,

We have all sacrificed so much this past year, fighting COVID-19 bravely and tirelessly. While we continue our herculean efforts, we are now getting ready for the next steps. Vaccination is a vital initiative and another step in our journey.

The question on everyone’s mind is who is eligible for a vaccine in the federal response for Phase 1A of vaccine administration. We are grateful that the initial phase has prioritized residents in long-term care facilities and health care personnel. However, we discovered that while residents in skilled nursing, assisted living, and memory care will receive the vaccine, residents in independent living will not be eligible until a later phase. Here at Bayview, we are strong advocates for all our residents to be vaccinated in the initial phase and we find it disturbing that half our community will remain unvaccinated, assuming those that are eligible opt to be vaccinated. Bayview, LeadingAge Washington, and LeadingAge National have addressed this gap but to no avail. Rest assured, the group encompassing all adults 65+ will make its way into the phased sequence for vaccinations. We will continue to update you as we receive more information.

Here’s a snapshot on what we know, and don’t know about vaccinations:

What we know:

Bayview has contracted with CVS who is the fifth (5^th) largest pharmacy in the United States to conduct our vaccination process.
The vaccine we will be given is the Pfizer vaccine.
CVS has reached out to us to determine the number of vaccinations we will need for the people that fall within “Phase 1A” of the national vaccination distribution plan.
People that fall within “Phase 1A” are:
1. All Bayview employees.
2. Residents of the Skilled Nursing Unit.
3. Residents of the Assisted Living Unit.
4. Residents of the Memory Care unit.
Vaccinations are NOT mandatory. However, it is strongly encouraged you receive your vaccination. Our goal is to filter accurate and reliable information to you at all times. Attached is a helpful fact sheet to help better identify accurate information regarding the COVID-19 vaccine.
Written consent will not be necessary for residents to fill out; however, the facility will be required to document “informed consent” in the resident’s medical record about the risks and benefits of receiving the vaccine.
Employees will complete a consent form indicating if the employee wants to be inoculated or not.
Vaccinations will be given at the facility. A more detailed plan of how the clinic will function will be disseminated at a later date.
The vaccine is a two (2) step process. An initial vaccine will be given, then a “booster” vaccine will be given 21-days later.
Because the vaccine is a two (2) step process, CVS will hold three (3) clinic dates at Bayview to conduct the vaccination process. Each clinic date will be 21 days apart.
Employees and residents will be vaccinated in phases.
1. One-half of the employees and residents will be designated as “Group 1” and will vaccinated on the first clinic day.
2. The second half of the employees and residents will be designated as “Group 2” and will receive their first vaccination on the second clinic day.
3. Group 1 people will receive their second vaccination on the second clinic day.
4. Group 2 people will receive their second vaccination on the third clinic day.
Side effects to the vaccine are mild. Any side effects experienced within three (3) days after inoculation means your body is reacting to the vaccine in a positive way to begin the process of building your immunity.
1. According to the FDA, most common reactions include infection site reactions (84.1%), fatigue (62.9%), headache (55.1%), muscle pain (38.3%), chills (31.9%) joint pain (23.6%), fever (14.2%).
The Pfizer vaccine does not contain a “Live” virus. You will not be able to get COVID-19 from the vaccine.
All current COVID-19 restrictions will still remain in place after vaccination. The positivity rate must decline before a de-escalation of restrictions can occur.
Vaccinated people can still spread COVID-19. Vaccinated people could carry the actual virus and spread it after vaccination. The vaccinated body or person will not react to the actual virus but may still expose others who have not been vaccinated.

What we do not know:

We still have not received notification of Bayview’s exact vaccination dates.
We do not know when Independent Living residents will be scheduled for vaccination.
We do not know the long-term side effects of the vaccine.
It is not known what effects the vaccine may present to pregnant or nursing mothers. It is recommended to consult the person’s Primary Care Physician prior to receiving the COVID-19 vaccination.

We are starting to see a light at the end of the pandemic tunnel. We will continue to update you as we receive more information. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions.

Sincerely,
Joel G. Smith
Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

December 9, 2020: COVID-19 Update for Residential Living Residents

December 9, 2020: COVID-19 Update for Resident Families in Assisted Living, Memory Care, Skilled Nursing

November 17, 2020: COVID-19 Update for Resident Families in Assisted Living, Memory Care, Skilled Nursing

November 17, 2020

Dear Bayview families,

Governor Inslee announced a four-week statewide set of restrictions in response to the recent rapid spread of COVID-19 virus in Washington and across the county. In light of these new restrictions and with the holidays upon us, we believe strongly that the time is now to take extra measures in safeguarding resident health and well-being.

In accordance with the Governor’s proclamation, effective Tuesday, November 17 and until further notice, indoor visitation for Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Skilled Nursing are prohibited.

Outdoor visits are permitted. As we shift visitation to outdoors, we encourage families to bundle up and dress appropriately during your scheduled visits. Please note foul weather may cancel scheduled visits. Bayview management is working diligently behind the scenes to construct a designated outdoor setting that is protected from harsh or cold weather. In the meantime, please contact Pamela Yeo at 206-281-5755 or pyeo@bayviewseattle.org for residents in AL/MC and please contact Janice Pate at 206-281-5778 or jpate@bayviewseattle.org for residents in SNF.

• Assisted Living (AL) and Skilled Nursing (SNF) visitation times are:
o Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at 10:15 am, 1:15 pm, 2:15 pm or 3:15 pm.

• Memory Care (MC) visitation times are:
o MondayandThursdayat10:15am,1:15pmor2:15pm.

Lastly, and most importantly, the most prudent thing that we all can do this holiday season is choose not to gather in person. The governor’s proclamation also includes the prohibition of indoor social gatherings with people from outside your household. Therefore, we are pleading with residents, staff, families, and the greater community to be cautious of the risk of exposure to COVID-19 during your outside travels. COVID-19 is opportunistic and will not take the “day off” during the seasonal holidays.

The postponement of any activity or life event is heartbreaking. But while everything may look a little different this year, take heart. We are on this journey together – residents, staff, and families.

Thank you for your continued trust and patience you have placed in us to help keep everyone safe throughout the holiday season. Please don’t hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
Joel G. Smith
Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

November 5, 2020: COVID-19 Update

COVID-19 Updates:

Dear residents, families, and staff heroes,

Bayview is pleased to inform you that we will be reopening on Monday, November 9^th. The reopening of limited activities includes the fitness center and pool, the beauty shop, small groups and visitation for Assisted Living, Memory Care and Skilled Nursing families.

Socially distanced visits will be in the following areas:

Assisted Living will have visits in an alcove just off of the W Aloha Street reception area.
Memory Care will have visits in the living room of Dorothy’s Place with the doors closed for privacy.
Skilled Nursing will have visits in the HUB area outside of our child care.

All visits are “No Contact” visits, meaning visitors and residents shall not touch one another during the visit and will remain socially distanced (at least 6 feet between the visitor and resident) during the entire visit.

Only 1 external essential family caregiver is allowed for each visit. Visitors are still required to complete the pre-visit assessment. Face masks will be worn by visitors and residents and visits will be monitored by staff. Memory Care visitors are asked to wear cloth gowns due to the uncertainty of our residents keeping socially distanced.

Frequency and duration of visits have not changed and remains at twice a month for 30-minute visits. We continue to ask that each family designate a specific family representative that will visit the resident at Bayview for both of the visits within a month.

Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing visitation times are:

Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday at 10:15 am, 1:15 pm, 2:15 pm or 3:15 pm.

Memory Care visitation times are:

Monday and Thursday at 10:15 am, 1:15 pm or 2:15 pm.

Only scheduled visits will be allowed. Please contact Pamela Yeo at 206-281-5755 or email: pyeo@bayviewseattle.org to schedule a visit with residents from Assisted Living and Memory Care. Janice Pate is the contact for Skilled Nursing at 206-281-5778 or email: jpate@bayviewseattle.org.

Throughout this pandemic we are continually reviewing the guidance provided by DOH, ALTSA, DSHS and CDC. There is a growing push to increase visitation with residents in the regulated areas of Assisted Living, Memory Care and Skilled Nursing even as county and state infection rates continue to rise. Bayview is acutely aware of the need for residents and families to be able to visit as always but especially as we come into the holiday season.

Thank you for your ongoing understanding that guidelines are subject to change at any time.

Sincerely,
Joel G. Smith
Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

October 21, 2020

COVID-19 Updates:

Dear residents, families, and staff heroes,

With our efforts to keep you informed of the latest information regarding our unrelated, two staff exposures: Both employees are recovering well and continue to follow the Department of Health’s (DOH’s) return-to-work guidance. All residents and staff have been tested on the Health Center. All results have returned as negative. There are currently no active signs or symptoms of COVID-19 infection at Bayview.

With the two confirmed cases of COVID-19, Bayview met the Centers for Disease Control’s (CDC’s) criteria for an outbreak as defined below:

COVID-19 outbreak definition:

a) One resident or Healthcare Person (HCP) with confirmed COVID-19. OR
b) One resident with severe respiratory infection resulting in hospitalization or death. OR
c) Two (2) or more residents or HCP’s with new-onset respiratory symptoms consistent with COVID-19 within 72-hours of each other.

In accordance with CDC guidance, two (2) incubation periods of COVID-19 must past from the last known COVID-19 infection, or last signs or symptoms of COVID-19 in order to “clear” a COVID-19 outbreak. Bayview will follow this guidance when considering the reopening of certain, limited activities such as the food court, the fitness center, small groups, the beauty shop, and visitation for Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Skilled Nursing families.

The projected date for reopening will be November 9^th, 2020. Again, this is contingent upon no further exposures or signs or symptoms of infections from residents or staff. Social connection during the pandemic has been a challenging mission and we thank you for your continued and steadfast commitment to keeping our community safe and healthy.

Lastly, cases of COVID-19 are on the rise again in King County. The number has continued to climb over the past 4 weeks. This shows a very large risk of exposure occurring outside the walls of Bayview. It’s time to renew our commitment to fighting the spread of the virus in our community.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me with any further questions or concerns.

Sincerely,
Joel G. Smith
Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

October 16, 2020

COVID-19 Updates:

To our residents, family members, and staff heroes,

Bayview leadership became aware today of a Health Center employee who has tested positive for COVID-19, bringing a total of two confirmed positive cases at Bayview. Since our last communication, we want to thank you for your continued understanding of the extraordinary circumstances that surrounds us all. Due to confidentiality considerations, we are limited in the amount of information we can share, but we want to be as transparent as possible with this update.

We believe this exposure is unrelated to the previous known exposure at Bayview, as there does not appear to have been any contact between these two individuals.

The Health Center team has notified the Department of Health and the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) as required for any licensed areas within Bayview. We will implement the next steps in our policy to mitigate the spread of potential infection. To date, no other employee or resident in the Health Center has exhibited outward signs or symptoms of exposure or infection. Health Center residents were tested on October 15th, 2020 in accordance with routine surveillance testing and we will await these results for further action. Health Center staff have also undergone testing. Thus far, results have come back negative.

As a reminder, residents who do not live in the Health Center are restricted from entering the Health Center per our current and ongoing protocol. Only staff who work in the Health Center or who have essential business are permitted.

We are acutely aware of the challenges we face in the coming weeks and months. The fight against COVID-19 is far from over and the journey demands vigilance and discipline for all of us. Your messages of support and gratitude have, now more than ever, been especially encouraging. Together, we will continue to move forward in the fight against the spread of COVID-19.

We will continue to update you as we receive more information.

Sincerely,
Joel G. Smith
Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

August 21, 2020: Assisted Living, Skilled Nursing Visitation Memo

Dear residents and family members,

The staff at Bayview recognize the importance of visitations between residents and those that are essential family caregivers. We are pleased to be able to extend the outdoor visit opportunities to now include Saturday and Sunday starting August 29th. These visitations are on a scheduled and limited basis. Essential family caregivers are defined by Bayview as “the spouse or significant partner of a resident, next of kin and/or Durable Power of Attorney.”

Our visitation plan is in accordance with Washington Department of Health’s Safe Start Plan for Long-term Care settings. Our priority is to keep residents, staff, family members, and the greater community as safe as possible. We are grateful for your help in ensuring safety standards are adhered to during your visit with your loved one.

I have included the brief outline of our measured approach. Please understand that the following guidelines are subject to change at any time:

Only scheduled visits will be allowed. Please contact the following staff to schedule a visit:
- AL please contact Pamela Yeo at 206-281-5755 or email: pyeo@bayviewseattle.org
- HC please contact Janice Pate at 206-281-5778 or email: jpate@bayviewseattle.org.
Visits are limited to 1 visit each week per resident as the schedule permits. We are currently scheduling visits at the following times and days:
- Tuesday, Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday
  - 10:15 am
  - 1:15 pm
  - 2:15 pm
  - 3:15 pm
Staff must be present to assist with outdoor transition of residents, assist with disinfection of visitation area and maintain visual observation providing as much distance as necessary to allow privacy for the resident and visitor.
Select outdoor visitation spaces must be accessible without having visitors walk through the facility. Currently all visitation is outside of the W Aloha Street entrance on the red benches. Foul weather may cancel scheduled visits.
All visits will require residents and the essential family caregiver to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including, but not limited to gloves and facemask. Snacks and drinks are not allowed during the visit.
All visits will require essential family caregivers to be screened outside near the red bench prior to the visit.
Visitation will be no more than 30 minutes maximum and may be reduced at any time.
All visits are “No Contact” visits, meaning visitors and residents shall not touch one another during the visit and will remain socially distanced (at least 6 feet between the visitor and resident) during the entire visit.

We have contacted DSHS and are awaiting a response to a proposed plan of action to allow visits for Memory Care residents and their essential caregivers in an appropriate setting. I know these are challenging times for everyone, we appreciate your cooperation and understanding during this time.

Sincerely,
Joel G. Smith
Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

July 24, 2020: Quarantine process, Facemasks and Visitation

Quarantine Process:

There has been a little confusion over the quarantine process. To help clarify, the following is broken down into three categories: 1) Hospital and Emergency Room stays, 2) Overnight visits, and 3) Quarantine differences between residents and staff.

Hospital stays and Emergency Room (ER) visits:

If you visit an Emergency Room (ER) or if you stay overnight in a hospital, you will be placed on a 14-day quarantine. In order to prevent the potential spread of infection including COVID-19 this is required.

Bayview has also implemented a “Test Based” strategy. If you are tested at the hospital or ER for the presence of COVID-19, your quarantine time may be reduced to 72-hours after your results are determined AND the results are negative. Positive results will be addressed on an individual basis. If the hospital is unable to test you, contact your Primary Care Physician to obtain orders for a test. If you are still unable to obtain an order, contact Jamie Hart, Janice Pate, or myself (Joel Smith) for further instructions.

Overnight visits outside of Bayview and Travel:

If you want to go on a trip and stay overnight outside of this community, upon your return, you will be quarantined for 14-days.

Again, Bayview has implemented a “Test Based” strategy. Your quarantine time may be reduced, if you are able to obtain a COVID-19 test upon your return to Bayview, to 72-hours after your results are determined AND the results are negative. Positive results will be addressed on an individual basis. Prior to leaving, please make arrangements with your Primary Care Physician to obtain orders for a test for when you return. If you are unable to obtain an order, contact Jamie Hart, Janice Pate, or myself (Joel Smith) for further instructions.

Please remember, the Governor’s “Stay Home, Stay Safe” proclamation is still in effect. Therefore, people should leave their apartments only for essential business and minor exercise. At this point, COVID-19 cases have increased to the highest levels in Washington State since the inception of the pandemic. Now is not the time to be planning overnight, non-essential trips. Stay Home, and Stay Safe please.

Differences between Residents and staff:

There has been a trending question regarding the difference of staff members who leave the building, go to the grocery store, go out in public, and go home then return to Bayview and do not have to be quarantined versus Residents who do essentially the same activities yet have to endure a quarantine.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Department of Health (DOH) and the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) have divided people in senior living communities into two categories: a) Professional Staff and b) Residents.

For Staff: It is REQUIRED that any staff member who feels or exhibits signs or symptoms of ANY illness stay at home. They are NOT allowed to enter the building. Any staff member who develops signs or symptoms of illness while at work are REQUIRED to leave the community immediately, and to quarantine in their house or apartment until three days after the last signs or symptoms of illness. If their illness is symptomatic of COVID-19, Bayview requires a negative test result in order to return to work. Daily employee screening, prior to working, is REQUIRED. Employees may only enter at one location in the building.
For Residents: If a Resident becomes sick, there is no place outside of the community for the resident to quarantine. The illness stays within the walls of the community and the potential for exposure to others is enormous. Staff isolate at home whereas, residents isolate at Bayview. This is the major difference.

If you have further questions about this, please contact me (Joel Smith) at your convenience.

Facemasks:

The Governor has mandated the use of facemasks in public. This is no longer a debate in Washington State.

Every time you open your apartment door to answer the door, or leave, you MUST properly wear your facemask

Universal Source Control (the consistent and proper use of facemasks) is the key to preventing the spread of most infections or illnesses including COVID-19. Bayview is living proof of this as we have implemented Universal Source Control early in the pandemic and have stayed COVID-19 free to date. We want to keep it this way!

We have the power to protect ourselves.
We have the power to consistently utilize proper infection control procedures.
We have the power to utilize proper Universal Source Control when we open our apartment door and leave for essential business.
We have the power to offer assistance but give grace when unaccepted.
We have the power to choose what people we associate with.
We have the power to temper our behavior and control our actions towards those who frustrate us.

Bayview’s Executive Leadership will continue:

To enforce and respond to infractions of our infection control policies as we are able and notified.
To remind community members of their social responsibility of Universal Source Control and proper infection control practices.
To respond to emails and phone regarding the pandemic as quickly as possible.
To find new ways of navigating safely through COVID-19 and will continue to keep you up-to-date as things change and evolve.

Visitation:

Our visitation plan is designed to keep our community members, residents, staff, and family members as safe as possible while being allowed to visit loved ones. This plan will include a series of steps that will allow for graduated levels of visitation. Here is a brief outline of our measured approach.

Step 1: Scheduled Internal Visitation for Spouses and Next of Kin living in different care levels at Bayview:

Beginning Monday, July 27^th, 2020, Bayview will open, on a scheduled and limited basis, internal visitation between residents with a spouse or next of kin living in Independent Living (IL), Assisted Living (AL), Memory Care (MC), and Skilled Nursing (Health Center of HC).

The following guidelines below are subject to change at any time:

Only scheduled visits will be allowed. If you have a spouse or next of kin living in a different level of care, please contact the following staff to schedule a visit on:
- AL or MC, please contact Pamela Yeo at 2127.
- HC, please contact Janice Pate at 3354.
All visits will require residents to wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) including, but not limited to:
- Gloves
- Facemask
- Gown
- Eye Protection (if necessary)
All visits will require residents to be screened prior to the visit.
There are limits of two (2) visits allowed each week or as the schedule permits. This is to ensure staff monitors are available.
Visits will occur outdoors at designated locations and are weather dependent. Foul weather may cancel scheduled visits. Visit locations will be explained during the scheduling process.
Visitation will be no more than 30 minutes maximum and may be reduced at any time.
All visits are “No Contact” visits, meaning community members shall not touch one-another during the visit and will remain socially distanced during the entire visit.
Visit locations will be sanitized after each visit.

The remaining visitation steps are outlined below. The full, detailed visitation policy will be available soon.

Step 2: Scheduled, Limited Group, Internal Visitation for Residents (not limited to spouse or next of kin) living in different care levels of Bayview.

This includes:

Your resident friend living at Bayview who is on a different level of care

Step 3: Scheduled, Limited Group Visitation with Outside, Immediate family members.

Immediate family members include:

Spouse
Sibling
Durable Power of Attorney
Adult children over the age of 18
Immediate next of kin

Step 4: Scheduled, Limited Group Visitation with Outside Friends and extended family.

All visitation procedures noted above are dependent upon the community’s ability to remain COVID-19 free. If Bayview acquires a single COVID-19 positive case, visitation will immediately cease and be allowed only for end-of-life procedures only.

With the rising cases of COVID-19, and the opportunity for limited visitation, now, more than ever, is the time to be vigilant against the spread of COVID-19. Stay Home and Stay Safe. Practice excellent infection control practices. Consistently and properly utilize Universal Source Control and keep healthy and happy.

Sincerely,
Joel G. Smith
Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

July 3, 2020: Terrace Garden Food Court Update

June 26, 2020

COVID-19 Updates:

This past week showed once again Bayview’s progressiveness in the prevention of COVID-19. Governor Inslee announced earlier this week of the Statewide requirement to wear facemasks in public. Bayview initiated this requirement for our residents in mid-March; three and one-half (3-1/2) months earlier than the State requirement. As I have stated before in previous writings, Universal Source Control is one of the main contributing factors for our continued success in preventing COVID-19 at Bayview. It is unfortunate it took this long for the State to catch on.

We have all seen, at one point or another, the debate raging on about the use of facemasks and whether Universal Source Control is actually effective and necessary. Bayview stands as a model for the state that proper, and consistent use of facemasks (Universal Source Control) is truly effective in the prevention and spread of COVID-19.

In our everlasting efforts to strive for infection control prevention perfection, the Executive team conducted Universal Source Control audits over the past week, and what we found was encouraging, however, showed there is certainly room for improvement with the compliance of facemask use. Therefore, for a limited and undisclosed timeframe, Bayview will have a Universal Source Control Ambassador traversing the hallways of each floor, conducting “on-the-spot” education to our residents about the proper and consistent use of facemasks.

Please remember the “No-Fault” discussion I referred to in last week’s memo. The Ambassador is not to point out faults, make a person feel bad, or to pick on any one individual. This is generalized training for all to ensure we are all properly educated to do our part to keep us safe and healthy. We have heard it before: “We are all in this together”. As we move towards loosening some of our restrictions, Universal Source Control becomes more important than ever.

Sincerely,

Joel Smith, Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

June 22, 2020: Thrive Fitness Center Safe Reopening Plan & Guidelines (*Bayview residents only)

Thrive Fitness Center
Safe Reopening Plan & Guidelines

Effective Monday, June 22, 2020, Bayview’s Thrive Fitness will be open in the Gym side only and will include extensive physical distancing and enhanced cleaning in the initial phase. The pool is currently closed and there are no group classes at this time. This document applies to Bayview residents only. Bayview’s Thrive Fitness Center is currently not open to outside community members.

Due to the amount of cleaning between each session, we would like to reiterate that right now we can only safely open up the gym side.
You must sign a new form of agreement and commitment to the new policies before entering.
You will need to keep your face mask on while using the fitness center, covering both your mouth and nose.
Please maintain a physical distance of 6 ft. from another person.
Temperature checks will be taken before entering the fitness center. *Temp checks will ONLY be for residents who are entering the gym for their designated session.

Sign-ups required

The sign-up sheet will be on a table located next to the fitness center doors. *The sign-up sheets will be out on Wednesday mornings by 8 am on a weekly basis.
You can sign up for a maximum amount of 3 times per week.
Two residents will be allowed in the fitness center per time slot.
Starting at the top of the hour, you will get 40 minutes for your session.
The remaining 20 minutes of the hour will be reserved for cleaning and transition to the next session.
Session start times: 8a; 9a; 10a; 11a; 1p; 2p; 3p

You cannot sign up or enter if:

You have been diagnosed with COVID-19
Are currently in quarantine
Have had symptoms of COVID-19 within the last 24 hours
Have had any contact with a person suspected to have COVID-19 within the last 14 days

Sanitization

You will be required to wash your hands before entering the gym.
Hand sanitizer will be provided.
You will need to use the gym wipes after each exercise machine you use.
There will be a bin designated for weights you have used so that they may be cleaned at the end of the session, you will not have to wipe the weights.

Equipment

There will be limited equipment available for use.
- No mats
- No bands
- No balance pads
Some exercise machines will be moved around to allow for more space.

Please email Nahleen Salvador, Director of Wellness at nsalvador@bayviewseattle.org with any questions or if you would like to make an appointment for an orientation to the Fitness Center.

June 19, 2020: A New Beginning

COVID-19 Updates: A new beginning:

As we begin to navigate through reopening phases of the state, we have been diligently working on reopening plans at Bayview. We have updated our Pandemic Threat Level Grid and you will begin to see a measured and slow approach to opening. We are still in “Modified Threat Level IV”. All of our reopening measures are in consideration of current recommendations and standards of the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), Department of Health (DOH), Centers for Medicare Services (CMS), and Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS).

As restrictions scale back, there is always the possibility of needing to increase restrictions again in the future depending upon future rates of infection and / or regulatory requirements. As stated, many times before; the virus has not changed. COVID-19 still infects and kills many people and there is no approved vaccine as of yet. Therefore, we need to remain even more vigilant of infection control practices and universal source control as areas and services of the city and of Bayview reopen. Rest assured, we will continuously monitor our status to determine the best course of action to keep our residents healthy and safe.

Changes to our process beginning Monday June 22nd, 2020 include:

Quarantine process:
We are moving to a “Test-Based” strategy. If you visit an Emergency Room or have a hospital stay, you may take an anti-viral COVID19 test within 24-hours of returning back to Bayview. With a negative result, you will only be placed in quarantine for 72 hours instead of 14 days. If you decide not to be tested, you will be placed in quarantine for 14 days as is the current practice. Tests received prior to 24-hours of admission will not be accepted for reduced quarantine purposes. Specialized precautions and measures must be made for people who did not receive testing prior to admission and wish to be tested while in the middle of a 14- day quarantine.Independent residents who need a test to avoid the lengthy quarantine process may speak with their Primary Care Physician for testing options or may find a drive-thru testing site in Seattle that conducts rapid result testing. Test results need to be shared with Janice Pate, Director of Nursing Services in the Health Center to initiate the shortened quarantine process. All test results will be kept confidential.
Employees working two (2) jobs:
Again, we are moving to a “Test-Based” strategy. Employees that currently work on the Assisted Living Unit, Memory Care Unit, and Health Center have been specifically asked to work only one job since the beginning of the pandemic. This has placed a financial hardship on several employees, but have done so willingly as they understood the dangers of cross contamination when working at two locations. This was a temporary measure the facility enacted to keep Bayview free of COVID-19.The time has come to scale this back through “surveillance testing”. Employees that work two jobs will be able to return as long as they are tested for the presence of COVID-19 every 14-days. The incubation timeframe for COVID-19 is 14-days. Therefore, to test for the presence of the virus within this time frame will ensure the continued absence of the virus while working at Bayview. If the employee is found positive, they will follow the current “Return-toWork” guidelines from the CDC.
COVID-19 Screening:
We have re-evaluated the need to screen Independent level residents on a daily basis. Beginning Monday, we will screen residents three times a week. (Skilled Nursing, Assisted Living, and Memory Care will continue daily screenings). Of course, if you are not feeling well, or if you feel you have a change in your health, please notify the Assisted Living Unit nurse and we will screen you as needed and make recommendations for further action including, but not limited to contacting your Primary Care Physician. Any resident not feeling well should self-isolate in their apartment until the symptoms of illness dissipate.

Sincerely,

Joel Smith, Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

May 29, 2020

This past week saw the testing of Skilled Nursing Employees. So far, out of a total of 67 eligible employees, 24 employees have been tested, 23 employees have declined, and we are still waiting to hear from the 20 remaining employees. Test results have not returned yet from the completed tests, however, we have high hopes. As of this correspondence, Bayview proudly continues to be COVID-19 free.

Lately, I feel like I am more of an Insurance Adjuster than a Nursing Home Administrator! Insurance companies are always looking at ways to mitigate risk. What action or scenario will have the least amount of risk to the person? The lower the risk, the lower the cost to that person. Elements of risk are inherent in everything we are and do. For example, a 20-yearold, male driver has a higher car insurance premium than a 50-year-old female driver. Why?
Statistical data shows age and gender are risk factors that are consistent among large groups of people. In this case data shows, young, male drivers experience more accidents than older, female drivers.

With COVID-19, we must constantly weigh risk factors with all we do. My feelings of being the Insurance Adjuster come from the increased frequency of questions I am receiving of the desire to conduct activity outside of the Governor’s “Stay Home, Stay Healthy” program combined with balancing the “Safe-Start” initiative. The ramifications and consequences of our individual choices and actions could remove any choice others may have and could
ultimately destroy all of the efforts we have collectively endured together so far. Statistical data shows any movement outside of our homes inherently increases our risk of exposure. Risk incrementally increases with each choice we make while outside of our home. This is why, among other restrictions, movement has been limited to essential business only. Consistent enforcement of restrictions is necessary to protect life.

Consistency is the key to the equal treatment of all. Individual assessments or allowances to circumvent or “bend the rules, just this once” harbors a toxic undertone of favoritism, mistrust, and poor or weak leadership. Understand, any action we take outside of the restrictions is an elevation of risk. As Bayview continues to remain COVID-19 free, the threat of a false sense of security or a feeling of invincibility weaves into the fabric of our daily lives.
We must remember, choices we make to increase our personal risk is not about us, but about those whom we will affect. Shielding yourself from risk helps in the protection your neighbor.

Joel Smith, Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

May 15, 2020

Bayview was put to the test – literally! As enumerated last Friday, the Department of Health (DOH) tested the Skilled Nursing Facility residents for the presence of COVID-19 on May 5th, 2020. During the rest of the week, we all anxiously awaited, on pins-and-needles, for the results. The results finally arrived in the afternoon of Saturday, May 9th, 2020.

The results were very anti-climatic to say the least. Out of 33 tests conducted, three (3) results came back negative for the presence of COVID-19. The laboratory stated, the rest of the tests, 30 results, did not contain enough sample to conduct an accurate test. These samples were obtained by the DOH, not by Bayview staff. Knowing these samples were obtained by trained and qualified experts, our Clinical and Executive leadership teams were highly disappointed. We knew, as outlined last week, of the problematic nature of COVID-19 testing. Little did we know it would be this troublesome. On one hand, the results are NOT positive for the presence of COVID-19, which is great, and the results we did obtain are negative, which is even better. On the other hand, the high number of inconclusive and ambiguous results leave many more unanswered questions such as; what happened? Why did this happen? What do we do now?

Earlier this past week, the White House stated all Nursing Home residents and employees will be required to test for COVID-19 nationwide. Specifics of this edict have not been outlined from the Centers for Medicare Services, the Centers for Disease Control, or the Department of Social and Health Services. We are keeping up with the latest information and will continue to inform you of any requirements as they come.

I relay this information to you as supportive evidence of Bayview’s progressive and proactive approach to COVID -19. Bayview stays ahead of the curve, implementing programs and policies before they are required or even recommended by government agencies. Our next steps in testing include obtaining clarifying information and answers to our questions from the Department of Health, and re-testing of residents whom have given consent for such testing. Then, we will begin obtaining scheduling information to screen our employees who work in the Skilled Nursing Facility. Please remember, the requirements are mandates from the White House, the Centers for Disease Control, the Centers for Medicare Services, the Department of Social and Health Services, and the King County Department of Health, and require Skilled Nursing Facilities to conduct COVID-19 testing. Skilled Nursing Facility participation is not optional. Employee consent to testing IS optional. As always, we will keep you posted on the latest results and information as it becomes available.

Trending Questions:

“Now that non-essential appointments such as eye or dental appointments are available for scheduling, can I use this appointment to visit with my loved one?”

This question has identified a clearly dangerous problem with the Governor’s “Safe-Start” program. When drafting his plan, the Governor failed to remember the effects of his plan on Senior Living Communities such as Bayview. Senior Living Communities continue to be viewed as an after-thought in governmental policy. Hospitals are the “Hero” and Skilled Nursing Facilities are the “Petri Dishes” of society. Senior Living Communities appear to fall somewhere in between, but are still forgotten when it comes to funding, support, and policy. As a result, Senior Living Communities are now place at a grave risk of exposure as some families and / or residents view this subject as a perfect way to circumvent visitor restriction mandates through the guise of “Resident Appointments”.

I don’t know if I have stated for the record that I abhor these restrictions myself; especially visitor restrictions. I see the potential negative effects these restrictions have on all of us and it bothers me. Restrictions are not fun for any of us, and as time marches on, the restrictions grow tiresome, and burdensome. However, I continue to preach the adherence of the restrictions to save human life. We must not grow weary! State COVID-19 rates of exposure have not leveled off. People are still being exposed at alarming rates, and many people are still dying from this unrelenting virus.

For us, nothing has changed with the “Stay-at-Home” restrictions. Therefore, we must continue to remain vigilant in minimizing our risk of exposure. This includes non-essential appointments. Bayview has gone through great efforts to initiate our Telehealth program. I am proud to say, a few residents of the Skilled Nursing Facility conducted their first Telehealth appointments this past week with resounding success! I look forward to more residents enjoying the benefits of our Telehealth program. It is truly a unique and amazing experience!

Let’s stay strong in our resolve together! If it is necessary that an appointment must occur outside of Bayview and you are unable to use Bayview transportation, please inform Jamie Hart, Heather Smith, Pamela Yeo, Janice Pate, or myself prior to the appointment. We will make every effort to mitigate your risk of exposure while you are out at the appointment. Thank you for your understanding. Thank you for your commitment in minimizing the risk of exposure. Thank you for your vigilance. Thank you for your patience. Thank you.

Joel Smith, Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

May 1, 2020

As information about COVID-19 continues to evolve, one issue continues to remain at the forefront of national concern: Testing.

Our Executive Team attributes much of our success to stave off COVID-19 by “staying ahead of the curve” and implementing policy and procedures ahead of projected recommendations by state agencies. For example, Bayview implemented what is now called “Universal Source Control” at least four (4) weeks prior to recommendations and now requirements from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Department of Health (DOH), and the Centers for Medicare Services (CMS). Universal Source Control is the consistent and constant use of face masks for all employees. We have further strengthened Universal Source Control in the facility by providing and requiring the consistent use of face masks to all Bayview residents while outside of their apartment. We continue to fine tune our efforts as evidenced by new elevator occupancy restrictions and the floor common area restrictions.

As the media continues to villainize nursing homes throughout the United States as the “Petri dishes of COVID-19”, there is mounting pressure for COVID-19 testing of all nursing homes across the country. Bayview has decided to once again partner with the King County Department of Health and conduct COVID-19 testing for the residents of the Health Center prior to any mandates, recommendations, or requirements. This decision is designed to identify if the most vulnerable residents in our facility have the COVID-19 virus present in their bodies BEFORE the onset of acute symptoms. With this information, the facility could implement strict contingency plans to avoid a localized outbreak and ultimately, death. The idea is to stay ahead of the virus instead of chasing it.

This decision was not made lightly. There are many “pros” and “cons” to testing. For example, one problem is we will not be able to test ALL residents. This testing is only for the residents of the Skilled Nursing Facility portion of Bayview. Residents from independent, and assisted living, memory care and child development are not included in this event. Another problem is this testing is just a “snap-shot” in time. Testing today does not mean someone is immune to contracting the virus tomorrow. Problems also remain in the testing itself. COVID-19 tests are still in development, and in the infancy of use. There is not enough data to show the true accuracy or error rates of the tests.

Ultimately, the paramount benefit of testing is: testing may save lives. For this reason alone, the Executive Team feels testing is “the right thing to do”. We anticipate skilled nursing resident testing to begin as early as next Tuesday, May 5th, 2020. Results of testing should be known by Friday, May 8th, 2020.

This is the challenge of the decade for Bayview. We are standing toe-to-toe with the devil and taking this threat to task, head-on. We will not fear test results. Through all of it, we will rise to the occasion, be measured and calculated in our process, and we will be stronger than ever in the end. Thank you for your continued support and prayers! Be safe and stay healthy.

Trending questions of the week: “Will we be notified if there is a positive case of COVID-19?”

The short answer: Yes. The long answer is Bayview is committed to transparency of all our COVID-19 efforts. The more communication, the better. If there is a positive case, we will inform Residents and Employees of the current situation, and what our plans will be moving forward. CMS has enacted new, mandated, notification requirements for residents of skilled nursing facilities. Much like many of the preemptive decisions made surrounding COVID-19 at Bayview, the Executive Team contends clear and transparent notification has always been the “right thing to do” and will continue this practice.

“Will employees be tested for COVID-19?”

The short answer: Not initially. The long answer requires a little more detail. As with the residents, only employees that work on the skilled nursing unit would be eligible for testing. The DOH has stated since skilled nursing employees have utilized Universal Source Control measures for over a month, (the constant use of face masks), employee testing will only occur if a resident on the skilled nursing unit tests positive for COVID-19. Skilled nursing employees will have the choice to participate in COVID-19 testing. There is no reprisal for employees that opt out of COVID-19 testing. In other words, they will be allowed to continue to work under the current guidelines and restrictions already in place even if the employee chooses not to participate in COVID-19 testing.

“Is it okay for residents to go into other resident’s apartments?”

The short answer: No. The long answer: The Governor issued a “Stay-at-Home” order. We are able to leave our home only for essential business such as mild exercise or to pick up something that can’t be delivered to us that is necessary to sustain your life. Even though Bayview is considered our home, Bayview is actually a “Senior Living Community”. Our individual apartment is actually our “home”. Utilizing universal source control (constant and consistent use of face masks) and strict adherence to proper infection prevention measures (such as hand hygiene) could reduce the risk of exposure, however, until the Governor removes the stay-at-home order for Senior Living Communities (the final phase of the governor’s plan, as outlined last week’s memo) we should refrain from entering other resident apartments. Non-essential business should be conducted by phone, or by video conferencing (via your phone or tablet) only until further notice.

Sincerely,

Joel Smith, Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

April 24, 2020

As we approach the 60th day since the first reports (02/27/20) of Corona Virus were initially reported in Kirkland, so much has transpired in such a relatively short period of time. If you are like me, you are probably exhausted of hearing about “social distancing” and “COVID-19”. Last week, the Governor released initial plans and phases to reopen the state to stave off the growing public unrest and apparent unwillingness to follow a sustained stay-at-home protection order. Media reports seemingly fuel this unrest as mounting death tolls and ever-increasing exposure rates are no longer “breaking” news. Closer to home, Bayview tightened policies this week to ensure the safety and well-being of our COVID19 free facility. As I’ve stated before, each week that passes without a case of COVID-19 at Bayview is a true blessing. The latest reports from the Department of Health (DOH) stated there were 201 facilities with known exposure of COVID-19 in Washington State. There are only 213 total nursing homes in Washington State. Bayview is 1 of only 12 other facilities in the entire state that have not been touched with COVID-19. This incredible feat can only be accomplished with the continued vigilance and sustained effort of each and every one of us. Thank you for your continued support and hard work to be well and stay healthy.

Trending question of the week:

Now that Governor Inslee is making plans to reopen the state, when will we be able to get back to “normal”? The Governor’s plan consisted of three phases and operates on the premise to reopen the state in the reverse order of the steps that were taken when the state initially progressed through the pandemic. The Executive team has reviewed the Governor’s plan and understands Bayview is not included as part of the Governor’s reopening until the last phase (phase 3) of the plan. Essentially, Senior living communities, Assisted Living, Memory Care, and Skilled Nursing Facilities house and care for the most vulnerable and at-risk population to be adversely affected by COVID-19.

With this in mind, the Executive team is in the process of reviewing our threat level grid, and developing a plan, in conjunction with the Governor’s plan, to reverse our steps over time. Bear in mind, the considered time frame is “months”, not weeks or days. We must remember, this is a marathon, not a sprint. As much as we want our lives to return to the way things were, COVID-19 is opportunistic. Any loosening of restrictions could allow COVID-19 to strike at Bayview and destroy all of our efforts to keep our community free of this horrible virus. Our reverse process must be systematic and measured, allowing for time to observe the potential effects of policy changes not only at Bayview, but throughout Washington State and the country. We must realize and be prepared to understand our day-to-day life will never be as it was before. A “new normal” will be established, and we will collectively, as a group, and as a society, will be stronger than ever before.

Sincerely,

Joel Smith, Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

April 17, 2020

As of this writing, Bayview remains one of the few senior living communities that remain COVID-19 free, due in large part to the vigilance of residents and staff in following infection control guidelines and the measures we’ve put in place. The longer we are in “lockdown,” the harder it becomes to remain vigilant, but it is more important than ever.

Yes, we hear that Washington is “flattening the curve.” But make no mistake, the virus continues to spread, though it appears to be spreading at a slower rate. The virus is opportunistic: as people let down their guards, maybe ignore social distancing here and there, maybe not wear masks here and there, maybe not hand sanitize here and there, people will start getting sick again. And we’re seeing at other retirement communities when one person gets sick with COVID-19, it rarely stays with that one person because of the highly contagious nature of this virus. It spreads. Quickly. And remember, transmission can occur when people are asymptomatic. This is the devious part of the virus.

DO NOT ease up on infection control measures. Continue to abide by the measures we’ve put in place as well as the Governor’s order. I was just on a call with health officials from Seattle King County Department of Health, Department of Social and Health Services, and other state health care agencies. They stressed that the governor’s intent with his Stay Home Stay Safe proclamation was not to gather as long as we’re 6 feet apart – it was not to gather. Period. If you have to, make sure you’re at least 6 feet apart.

At the same time, we know that this too shall pass, and at some point we’re going to go back to “normal” life here at Bayview. We are planning for that as well, and our plan will probably look similar to the Governor’s plan of easing out of restrictions in phases. Stay tuned on that front. As always, our number one priority is your safety and well-being.

I continue to be honored and humbled to be part of such an amazing community. Stay safe, stay well. Your smiling eyes (above your masks) lighten all of our hearts. Have a great weekend, everyone.

With love and gratitude,

Nancy Weinbeck, CEO

COVID-19 Update

As another week passes, Bayview continues to be COVID-19 free. It is hard to describe what an incredibly large accomplishment this is. Through all of this, we each continue to struggle to find a new “normal”. We are being forced to develop new routines, and patterns of behavior, many of which we don’t like, all in hopes that this new routine is temporary.

As time passes, some of us are finding this “new era” of “social distancing” or “social isolation” difficult to adapt to. These times are challenging to all of us. Globally, from the leaders of nations, to locally, Governors of states, and even closer to home, the Executive Team and front-line leaders are being challenged every day to meet the normal standards, expectations and even regulations while the entire world around us changes, day-by-day, and sometimes hour-by-hour. Individual perception of what is “right” and what is “wrong” is being tested more than ever, and finding the strength within of patience, forgiveness, and understanding for not only others, but for ourselves is proving to test the limits of our human nature as a collective group.

It is easy to get caught up in the finer details of right and wrong, and with high stress and anxiety, these details may appear to us as “failures”. I want us all to keep the perspective and realize the accomplishment we have all made, together to remain COVID-19 free. We MUST keep this knowledge in the forefront of our minds. We are NOT failing. We ARE succeeding! Together we must all keep adapting, remaining vigilant, and keep fighting the urge to “bend the rules”. Do not waiver in our resolve. Only together can we keep safe. Only together can we stay healthy.

More trending questions:

1. “I have seen other people not following CDC or facility guidelines, and it scares me. What should I do, or what can be done to make these ‘other’ people utilize proper infection control procedures?”

Our frustration at the above issue stems from the loss of control of our own environment. COVID-19 has turned our lives upside-down. At this point, none of us want to be “told” what to do, or how to behave. However, as we have seen life around us dramatically change, coupled with fear about the seriousness of our current situation, we have this innate drive to control everything around us in order to stay safe and stay alive.

Quite simply, we cannot control the actions and behaviors of others. We can politely remind people of our collective social responsibility to utilize proper infection control practices, however, when reminders fall upon “deaf ears”, we need to make the choice to stay in control of our own actions. We should choose to socially distance ourselves away from those people. Please continue to utilize proper infection control procedures including proper hand hygiene. Continue to inform the executive leadership of situations that you feel are unsafe, or against our current policy. Continue to ask for clarification of our processes, and our leadership team will continue to educate and work with the small segment of people that have a more difficult time following proper guidance. We will also continue our sanitation rounds. Together, we will make a difference.

2. “Will I be forced to move out of my apartment if I contract COVID-19?”

Our top priority is the safety of all our residents at Bayview. Our leadership team has developed contingency plans if people contract COVID-19. There are measures in place to quarantine, consolidate (move people of like illness in the same area of the facility) and to cohort (move people of like illness in the same room) within areas of Bayview, including but not limited to, the Health Center. Our preference is Bayview people stay in Bayview. Please keep in mind, if Bayview acquires a COVID-19 positive case, the King County Department of Health (DOH), and the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) will be notified. DOH will notify the Washington State Department of Health, who will then notify the Federal Centers for Disease Control (CDC). These four (4) agencies will descend upon Bayview and temporarily direct our COVID-19 operations. It will be the executive team’s responsibility to work collaboratively and in conjunction with these agencies to ensure the safety of all of our residents. Even with our current contingency plans, if the State and Federal agencies recommend moving infected residents to other locations such as hospitals or acute care settings, we will follow their guidance and notify the appropriate responsible parties at that time. Bayview residents who have fully recovered from COVID-19 will not lose their apartment. I want to reiterate, Bayview remains COVID-19 free as of this writing.

Sincerely,

Joel Smith, Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

April 3, 2020

Heroes in our midst – A message from our CEO

The number of senior living communities that have residents and/or staff testing positive for COVID-19 is growing larger and larger (per a Seattle Times article, at least 90 facilities in the state had confirmed coronavirus outbreaks as of Tuesday). At this point Bayview is in a rather small pool of unaffected communities, as far as we know as of this writing. We know coronavirus is all around Seattle. All we can do is continue to follow the protocols we’ve put in place and trust in our residents and staff to follow all guidelines so that we all stay safe.

On Monday March 23rd, we started a new protocol with staff – every staff person must wear a mask from the time they enter the building until the time they leave. While these are cotton filtered masks, not medical grade masks, they will protect others from transmission because the mask will catch any sneeze or cough droplets. They will also protect staff by helping them to keep their hands away from their faces, which is how the virus enters the body. We are now requiring any outside visitors (only essential visitors are allowed) to wear masks. They must provide their own masks, as we do not have excess supplies. The guidance on masks continues to change and we will notify residents as we change any protocols.

Every resident that follows guidelines is a hero, by keeping themselves safe and keeping others safe. We are so grateful and thank you beyond words. But I also wanted to call attention to our amazing staff, who put themselves on the front lines every day to make sure that our residents are receiving the services they need to stay safe and healthy. I frequently write and share with the Board how our residents inspire all of us every day. And that continues to be true. But it is also true of our staff. I am inspired each and every day by our staff that come to work, day in, day out, to make sure our residents and the entirety of Bayview survives and thrives as we continue to work our way through this unprecedented challenge.

As we come upon Passover, Easter, and holidays of your tradition during this season, I wish you all the blessings in the world so that you and your loved ones stay safe and well as we get through this together (socially distanced).

With love and gratitude,

Nancy Weinbeck, CEO

COVID-19 Update

As I sit here working from home writing this message, I am astonished at the sweeping and rapid changes in American culture. It has been five short weeks since the first deaths occurred at the Life Care of Kirkland facility, and we find ourselves in the midst of a “virtual” revolution in the way we conduct our daily lives. From work, to social life, to daily routines of eating, greeting, and cleaning; everything has changed in monumental ways. Almost all of these changes will have lasting repercussions as how we “human beings” conduct our lives from here on out. With this being stated, never have I been prouder to be a part of the Bayview family. As of this writing I am so pleased and humbled to inform that Bayview is still COVID-19 free. This could not be possible without the sustained and consistent vigilance for adherence to the Governor’s “Stay-at-Home” proclamation, and our commitment to excellent infection control practices and the enforcement of the safety protocols and policies by our residents and staff alike. All of us should be very proud of the efforts we have accomplished and the sacrifices we have made to keep us all safe and healthy.

In understanding our situation, it may become easier to believe or feel the threat of COVID-19 is not real, and the precautions we are taking are too extreme. The thought of “COVID-19 won’t happen to me” may begin to surface in our mind. We must discourage this attitude. I can assure you, every day, members of the executive team are saddened by the growing list of communities that are affected by this virus. Every day, we all see the reports of the numbers of people infected locally, regionally and globally on the television; and the death toll keeps rising. NOW IS NOT THE TIME FOR COMPLACENCY! We must rise to this occasion and continue our perseverance of remaining free of this virus. It can be done!

The past week has seen lots of movement taken by Congress to pass many needed relief measures for the American people, and the healthcare industry as a whole. Executive team members attend daily conference calls with State and National agencies to stay apprised of the latest information and regulations surrounding COVID-19. Our team is tirelessly working to stay informed and make the necessary changes and adjustments to our operations and policy to keep up with the swiftly evolving information coming from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), the Department of Health (DOH) and from the Centers for Medicare Services (CMS). We are continually planning for the possibilities of the future. In our efforts to stay informed, we are doing our best to keep you informed of any changes or information that comes our way. Please continue to call or email, and we will answer any questions you may have as quickly as we can. Common questions that are frequently asked are:

1. When will COVID-19 testing be available to the public? The CDC and the DOH continues to maintain that only people who are symptomatic of COVID-19 should be tested at the request of a physician. There is a growing movement within government agencies to push for testing of all residents and healthcare workers in facilities with known COVID-19 positive cases, but this has not been made official, and as of this writing, does not apply to Bayview.

2. Will Bayview require all residents to wear facemasks? The CDC is conducting studies to determine whether a change in policy will occur recommending the general public wear face masks at all times when out of the home on essential business. If and when this change occurs, Bayview will determine the next course of action to assist our population in meeting this recommendation.

As other common questions arise, I will address those concerns in future Weekly Newsletters. Thank you for your continued support and observance to the safety measures in place. Even though the “American way of life” may have permanently changed, the strict measures in place at Bayview today are temporary until a new “normal” is found. Stay safe and be healthy!

Sincerely,

Joel Smith, Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

March 23, 2020

As you are aware, a resident met the criteria for testing for COVID-19 last Friday. Bayview is pleased to announce today that negative results were returned. We are grateful for the resident who demonstrated proactive action as well as the compassion and vigilance exhibited by the individual and the entire Bayview community. As of Monday, March 23, there is still no confirmed case of COVID-19 at Bayview.

While we are grateful the individual does not have COVID-19, we must continue to take current protocols and prevention efforts seriously. We are continuing to ask everyone to stay on precautionary self-isolation.

Precautionary self-isolation includes eliminating nonessential needs and tasks as much as possible. We understand there are certain essential functions that are necessary and may include taking out your garbage, relieving your animal, or getting essential shopping done. Walking out in Bayview’s Terrace Lawn is considered essential as it is beneficial in mind and spirit to get fresh air but please do so by maintaining social distancing of 6 feet or greater. If you see more than 10 people then please refrain from going out and try again at another time. We recognize that there will be many questions on what is considered safe and what is not. Ultimately, we ask that any non-essential needs be reduced as much as possible, if not eliminated.

In the event you must head out to purchase essential items, several chains have established special shopping hours to help those 60 and over safely get groceries. Here are the dedicated opening hours for seniors. Please call ahead as times are subjected to change.

• Safeway/Albertsons: Tuesdays and Thursdays from 7:00 am-9:00 am
• Metropolitan Market: Monday through Friday, 7:00 am – 8:00 am
• Whole Foods: Daily, 7:00 am – 8:00 am
• Target: Every Wednesdays, 7:00-8:00 am
• Walmart: Every Tuesday, one hour before stores open to general public. March 24 – April 28.

A friendly reminder: Bartell’s is continuing to deliver. Please reach them at 206-284-1353. Safeway, Metropolitan Market, Amazon Fresh and other grocery chains have delivery solutions as well.

We truly thank everyone for taking critical steps to ensure we remain COVID-free.

Joel Smith, Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

March 16, 2020

Effective Monday, March 16, King County Executive Dow Constantine and Dr. Jeff Duchin announced the following:

Restaurants, bars, dance halls, clubs, theaters, health and fitness clubs, and other similar indoor social or recreational venues must cease operations until March 31, 2020.
Restaurants and food service establishments may remain open only for drivethrough, delivery, and pick-up only, until March 31, 2020.
All other retail such as groceries, pharmacies, banks, gas stations, hardware stores, shopping centers, etc. may remain open provided they meet Public Health directives in the previous Local Health Order.

Governor Jay Inslee has also urged that anyone over 70 years old to self-isolate immediately.

We are asking Bayview residents to remain in their apartments and isolate themselves, especially during meals, and try not to leave any more than you have to in an effort to continue to keep Bayview free from COVID-19. We will be delivering memos with meals, as well as checking temperatures in your apartments. Check your mail a few times a week instead of everyday. Our population is the most at-risk, and isolation like this may save your life and your neighbor’s life.

Furthermore, in an effort to minimize your exposure and mitigate risk, we are taking steps to limit resident contact with staff. Non-essential and high-risk staff will be working from home or have limited hours at Bayview.

Some of you may be volunteering your time with those less fortunate outside Bayview. Considering these circumstances, you are putting yourself and your fellow residents and staff at risk.

We are looking at opportunities to accommodate needs – this includes food delivery, programming, Skype and livestreaming, and more. We realize the importance of social connection and are doing our best to find ways to provide this without putting anyone at risk.

Thank you for your continued patience and understanding with these changes.

Joel Smith, Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

March 13, 2020

As a reminder, no one at Bayview has shown any signs or symptoms of COVID-19. According to the King County Department of Health, the best way of determining if someone has an infection is by taking the individual’s temperature. 100.4 degrees is the threshold specifically recommended by the Department of Health and a reading of 100.4 degrees or above means you should not enter if you are a staff member, and should self-isolate or be placed on “contact precautions” as a resident. Staff members sent home will not be allowed into the building until 14 days after discovery. If staff are sent home, we recommend the staff member consult with their physician about testing if their symptoms continue to grow and are consistent with COVID-19 symptoms. With staff screening and temperature readings already in place, we have recently learned as of Friday 3/13, new Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommendations:

The CDC has recommended we take the temperature of all residents at Bayview. Starting Monday 3/16, we will be providing daily temperature readings of all Independent Living residents. In order to carry out this measure and be as least disruptive to your schedule as possible, we will conduct temperature screenings starting around 9:30 am. Those unavailable at that time will have their temperature taken in the afternoon following lunch. While this is voluntary, we strongly recommend your participation to ensure Bayview remains free from COVID-19. Residents in independent living who have a result of 100.4 or higher will be recommended to isolate to their apartments and contact their primary care provider for further guidance.

As an additional note: To date, the CDC and the Department of Health have not mandated testing for COVID-19 for the public. Testing only occurs when indications of COVID-19 symptoms are prevalent, and when ordered by a physician. Due to HIPAA rights, we are not at liberty to say if people have been tested or not at Bayview.

We thank all of you – residents and staff – for continuing to remain vigilant at this time. Please continue to practice good handwashing techniques and follow the recommended guidelines in place by Bayview, the CDC and the State of Washington.

Joel Smith, Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

March 10, 2020

Gov. Jay Inslee announced new rules today for nursing homes and assisted living facilities that focus on increased protection for older adults – a population more likely to be hit by COVID-19. The rules go into effect today, March 10th, and will remain in effect until midnight on April 9, 2020 in accordance with Gov. Inslee’s proclamation. While Bayview has enforced many of the protocols already, we would like to share two new measures:

1) Congregate dining will be closing in all three venues (Cloud Room, Bistro, Terrace View Main Dining). We will officially begin room service for dinner Wednesday, March 11th . Beginning Thursday, March 12th, all three meals (breakfast, lunch, dinner) will be room service only until further notice. We will be delivering during the following hours.

Breakfast: 7:30am-9:00am
Lunch: 11:30am-1:00pm
Dinner: 4:45:6:30pm

We will be offering a choice when we arrive to your door. If you know you will not be available during these mealtimes, please inform food services (ext. 2131). Special diets will be accommodated as always.

For Assisted Living residents, room and tray delivery service will also be in effect. For Skilled Nursing residents, a modified dining schema will accommodate the 6’ social distance requirement.

2) All employees must be screened for COVID-19 symptoms at the start of each shift. There will be one point of entry at the front desk located on the second-floor entrance in which staff will fill out a questionnaire. While Bayview has been screening staff already, we are now implementing more frequent documentation.

As of this writing, ten senior communities have confirmed cases of COVID-19. We are continually sending our thoughts and prayers to all those impacted. Extraordinary circumstances call for extraordinary measures. These are the measures we are implementing to reduce your risk of exposure.

Thank you for your unending patience and understanding with these changes.

Joel Smith, Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

March 4, 2020

We are vigilantly monitoring guidance from Public Health agencies regarding COVID-19 and updating our protocols accordingly.

From Public Health Seattle and King County: “State and local officials announced today new recommendations to King County residents aimed at reducing their risk of exposure to COVID-19. We understand these actions will have a tremendous impact on the lives of people in our community. We are making these recommendations in consultation with CDC based on the best information we have currently to protect the public’s health. This is a critical moment in the growing outbreak of COVID-19 in King County and these measures can potentially impact the spread of the disease.”

It is our responsibility to leverage further Bayview-wide initiatives to ensure the health of our residents.

Effective immediately:

We strongly discourage nonessential visitors from visiting our building including but not limited to instructors, entertainers, family and friends, volunteers, etc.
We strongly discourage residents and guests from visiting Skilled Nursing & Rehabilitation.
Screening of all people entering the building with the following:
- Do you have symptoms of illness or have been in close contact with someone with symptoms of illness, including fever, cough, and shortness of breath?
- Have you recently visited or come into close contact with someone who has visited the Life Care Center of Kirkland or visited Evergreen Hospital in Kirkland within the last 14-days?
- Have you recently visited or been in close contact with anyone diagnosed or treated with COVID-19?
- Have you recently returned from travel to any country with a CDC-issued Level II or Level III travel advisory (China, South Korea, Italy, Iran, and Japan)? If any of the above criteria apply, they will be required to postpone their visit.
All van trips other than medical appointments are cancelled.
No classes by outside instructors for Fitness, Resident Services, Pastoral services.

At this time, we are not prohibiting internal activities or congregate dining. Should guidance change, we will make necessary adjustments.

Thank you again for your continued patience and understanding as we work together in protecting the community.

Joel Smith, Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

March 3, 2020

Dear Bayview Community,

As you may have heard, additional cases of coronavirus disease (COVID-19) have been confirmed in King and Snohomish County, including six deaths. Our heartfelt sympathies go out to all those who have been affected by these losses and to anyone directly impacted by this outbreak.

We recognize that media and rapidly evolving conditions related to COVID-19 create fear, uncertainty and anxiety. It is important to emphasize that while the number of cases are increasing, the vast majority of the illnesses around the world are mild, with fever and cough and the immediate health risk for the general public is still relatively low.

Currently, no members of the Bayview community have been diagnosed with COVID19. We want to share with you information, resources, and examples of proactive steps Bayview is taking to help safeguard and protect the health of our community.

What is Bayview doing to proactively keep our community as healthy as possible? Bayview continues to adhere to universal precautions of infection control such as practicing good hygiene. We are also increasing our disinfection and sterilization daily routine on all “high-touch” surfaces. These are measures and techniques we employ already, every day. However, as a precautionary measure, we are making the same types of preparations that we would normally make for any potentially disruptive situation, such as an outbreak of pandemic flu. This includes working with management and senior leadership to maintain our operations and services in the event of a disruption. We are also working in consultation with King County and State Department of Health agencies, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), and Infection Control Preventionists to monitor conditions and follow the most current recommendations. We are also taking preventative measures to minimize exposure by limiting events and activities involving the outside community. Even if these measures prove to be unnecessary, they will protect our community now and moving forward.

What can we do as a community to help prevent the spread of illnesses like flu and coronavirus? The best way to prevent illness is to avoid being exposed to this virus. However, as a reminder, CDC always recommends everyday preventive actions to help prevent the spread of respiratory diseases, including:

Wash hands often with soap and water. Use hand sanitizer if water is not available.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth with unwashed hands.
Avoid contact with people who are sick.
Stay home while you are sick and avoid close contact with others.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.

Considerations for Overseas travel: We strongly advise that anyone planning personal travel overseas consult current CDC Travel Notices before departing. Because the situation is changing daily, it is possible that the CDC will add more countries to the list.

Stay informed: Information is changing frequently. We recommend the following resources for ongoing updates:

Public Health Seattle & King County Coronavirus webpage: www.kingcounty.gov/COVID

WA State Dept. of Health Coronavirus webpage: www.doh.wa.gov/Emergencies/Coronavirus

Centers for Disease Control: http://www.cdc.gov/covid19

Remain calm and show compassion: This virus poses a global challenge – compassion, empathy, and sense of togetherness is required in these extraordinary times.

Where should questions be directed?
Joel Smith, Bayview Health Services Administrator
Office: 206.281.5747 | jsmith@bayviewseattle.org

Janice Pate, Bayview Director of Nursing
Office: 206.281.5778 | jpate@bayviewseattle.org

We will continue to monitor COVID-19 updates closely and will share new information or details as they become available. Remember, continue to follow daily personal hygiene best practices!

Sincerely,

Joel Smith, Health Services Administrator

Covid-19 Update