fbpx

To our Residents and their Family Members:

We want you to know how much we appreciate your patience throughout the COVID-19 ordeal that will unfortunately continue for the foreseeable future.

We realize your frustration of not being able to be with and touch your loved ones. We realize how hard it is on you – and them.

Chris Brown/CEO
Shirkey Health Services

Please understand our policies are rooted in the health and safety of our residents. These policies also apply to staff members, who take precautions to guard against COVID-19 exposure outside of work. Ultimately, we are following the laws, regulations and mandates for long-term care facilities under this pandemic.

Our facility continues to follow prevention measures, including strict hand-washing and sanitization procedures. Our staff wears gowns, gloves, masks and shields when interacting with residents who are sick, being monitored or quarantined. We wear masks in all resident interactions, and residents wear masks outside of their rooms, as they are capable.

At this time, we remain under federal mandate not to allow visitors into our facilities. Loved ones who show no respiratory symptoms (cough, shortness of breath) or fever can be with loved ones who are in the active stages of dying.

Some measures have eased. Residents have been allowed to go out and enjoy the outdoors. Bingo with social distancing has started in our dining rooms once again in smaller groups for fellowship. We will continue to open up social opportunities, when we feel it is safe and is within the guidelines we must follow.

Connecting with your family member is incredibly important. Window visits, phone calls, Facebook messenger, texts, emails, iPhone Facetime and Android Skype are good ways to reach out to loved ones. Schedule outdoor face-to-face visits from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m. on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. Social distancing of six feet between you and your loved one is required. Non-perishable packaged food and drinks, and personal care items can be dropped off at the front office from 9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday-Friday (except holidays) to be sanitized and later taken to your family member. No homemade or fast food is allowed at this time.

There’s so much information – and misinformation – about COVID-19,. We continue to stay up-to-date with federal CDC recommendations, as science-based information and data evolves. In addition, we remain in close contact with local and state health departments to follow their guidance.

Because we are a healthcare facility, our timeframe of reopening to the public will lag behind other entities to safeguard our people. To keep you informed, I will keep the Shirkey Health Services website updated with relevant information as to where we are in this process. You can also contact the front office to speak with us about our COVID-19 policies.

Be assured, if any resident or staff member is diagnosed with the coronavirus, you will be notified. Again, feel free to contact us at 816-776-5403 and ask for myself, the D.O.N or the Infection Control Nurse Monday-Friday, or speak with a nurse on duty.

For more information, please visit the CDC’s coronavirus page by clicking here.

Chris Brown CEO, Shirkey Health Services

Shirkey Nursing & Rehabilitation • Oak Ridge Assisted Living & Memory Care • Shirkey Hospice • Shirkey Premier Therapy