I am happy to inform you all that Camarillo Healthcare Center is officially out of “outbreak”. In light of this, we are getting back to communal dining, rehab in the gym, use of common spaces, communal activities, and visitation! Having said this, we are still working closely with our local health department and these guidelines can change at any time. Our current county positivity rates are declining each week, so we anticipate that this trend will continue help keep another outbreak at bay. Our staff will continue to be tested at least once per week until the foreseeable future. Read more
Protected together! With the recent introduction of the COVID-19 Vaccines, resident and staff covid cases have dropped by over 50%. Our team is honored to do our part in helping to end this year long pandemic.
We are making headway with all of the challenges surrounding our outbreak! Thank you all for your support and understanding, especially all of the needed room changes! Really, we could not have the success without it. Your loved ones have been wonderful despite the difficulties. I have not seen so many genuine smiles (even under the masks) in my nearly three years working here!
So far, we are headed in the anticipated direction, having converted most all residents into the “GREEN” zone. This means that they are now considered “COVID-recovered” and are no longer under the same quarantined restrictions as before. Read more
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This weeks’ testing results impacted the facility more than it has in the past. Our “RED” or COVID unit has needed to expand to encompass all of station 3 to accommodate the newly COVID + residents. Each of those resident families were contacted as their results came in. Besides many room changes, the only difference to the unit from last week is its size. Still there are dedicated staff, breakroom, nursing station, computers, etc for that unit. There is no cross-over from the RED unit to the rest of the building. Read more
With 2020 in the rear-view we were excited to have made it almost the entire year without a COVID outbreak; a statistic entirely unmatched in Ventura County! As you know, we have been battling the last 4 weeks with several of our staff who have tested positive. After four rounds of testing all staff and your loved ones, we were successful with having no sign of facility-based transmission.
This weeks’ testing has gone the other direction, unfortunately. There are now several residents who have tested positive while no new cases amongst the staff. Those residents/families affected have been contacted already by our nursing staff to update and to educate. Since there are no empty COVID positive beds available in the county we are required to house the positive patients here at the facility. Our process to manage this has been worked on for months with the county health department and with CDPH Licensing. There are plastic partitions from floor to ceiling separating the “RED” or positive unit from the rest of the building. This separate wing is with dedicated staff who will not be crossing over into the unaffected areas of the building during their shifts. Those staff members have their own entrance, bathroom, break room, and nursing station. All personal protective equipment (PPE) is provided to care for everyone regardless of their placement in the facility and is being utilized in accordance with CDC standards. This will reduce facility-based transmission.
We continue to take our role as your loved-ones caretakers and protectors very seriously and we appreciate the awesome support you have shown us! Please don’t hesitate to reach out to me directly via email so that I may answer any questions you have. We appreciate you!
As a preliminary matter, we want to express our continued gratitude for your ongoing support as we navigate through the COVID-19 environment. We do not take this support for granted, and are so thankful for you during this most unusual year.
Today, however, we write to you about the upcoming election and the Facility’s commitment to honoring, promoting and preserving a resident’s right to vote. We understand that citizens of this Country have this important right, and that the Federal Regulations applicable to skilled nursing facilities likewise ensure that this right is protected while prospective voters are residents in this Facility. [See, for example, 42 CFR Sections 483.10(b)(1)-(2)]. We support the rights of our residents to exercise these rights without interference, discrimination or reprisal, and are taking action to ensure that those residents who wish to vote will be able to do so (whether in person or by mail).
Specifically, we have made the following arrangements related to assisting our resident community in casting their vote(s) relative to this 2020 Election:
Anyone who has received their mail-in ballot will be assisted as needed to fill out and send in prior to the deadline.
Those who are physically able, and with an “out on pass” order from the physician, may vote in person. We will assist in coordinating transportation with family, and in some cases, to have a staff member accompany to the local precinct.
Resident council has addressed the subject of voting and no concerns were brought up. This is explained in resident Care Plan meetings as well.
Activities Department and other personnel are assisting and coordinating with residents and/or the families to obtain ballots previously sent to another location to be forwarded here. (All those reading this who fit this situation we ask that you please bring or send it to us as soon as possible.)
Please note that, in light of the COVID-19 situation, voting by mail can minimize the potential exposure associated with our residents being out in the community or members of the community being present in the Facility. While this virus remains a threat, we are committed to taking action consistent with the safety and health of our residents and staff – voting by mail is most compatible with our infection prevention and control initiatives. If our family members have received a mail-in ballot at home for the resident or have access to the resident’s mail and can make that ballot available, we would ask you to do so at your earliest convenience. Otherwise, we will secure mail-in ballots from election officials in the area for those preferring to vote in this manner. For those residents who wish to vote in person, we will follow the procedure outlined above and do our best to make that happen.
Just by way of reminder, Election Day is NOVEMBER 3, 2020. Of course, we welcome any questions you might have, and we look forward to assisting our residents in making their voices heard by exercising their right to vote!
Thank you,
Brad Willits
Administrator
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Thank you all for being so understanding and supportive throughout this COVID environment – we appreciate you! In light of the visitation guidelines given by Ventura County Health Department, we wanted to provide you all with a way to visit your loved one in person. Together as a team, and in conjunction with the county guidance, we have created an outline that enables us to have an in person visit outside the facility. We are very excited for this!! Our first scheduled date will be on Monday, Sept 14th! Read more
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This is an update on what is happening at Camarillo Healthcare Center in this fluid COVID-19 environment. While things continue to evolve, we want to make sure you are kept in the loop and have access to available information. As such, we need to update you that we had one of our employees test results show for positive COVID-19. This individual did not have any direct contact with your loved one and is not allowed back to work for the time being. They will be following the directed self-quarantine instructions as outlined by Ventura County Public Health (VCPH).
We have been in constant contact with VCPH and California Dept of Public Health (CDPH) and are continuing to provide and practice all infection control/prevention procedures to the strictest standards. So far all residents have been tested and have negative results. Most of our employees have completed their baseline testing (as informed on our most recent update) and have negative results, with this one exception.
We continue being vigilant in implementing our COVID-19 specific infection prevention interventions since the beginning of the pandemic as previously stated. These practices will continue going forward, without exception.
Thank you all for being so wonderful, supportive, and understanding amidst this unique situation. Please reach out with any specific questions you may have to the Administrator, Brad Willits, at bwillits@ensignservices.net. We appreciate you and we thank you!
We write today to update you on what is happening at Camarillo Healthcare Center in this fluid and ever-changing COVID-19 environment. As things continue to evolve, we want to make sure you are kept in the loop and have access to available information.
First of all, we have been in regular communication with the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) and the County Department of Health since early March, and continue to seek their guidance on, and follow their direction in connection with, the management of this virus on a real-time basis. As you may have heard, Governor Newsom recently ordered that 100% of residents and staff in nursing homes in the State be tested for the presence of the COVID-19 virus. He has directed CDPH to develop and implement a plan for the testing, and we are prepared to fully cooperate with this effort. Up to this point in time, our symptomatic residents have been immediately tested, and moved to a room/area away from the asymptomatic patients pending results; symptomatic staff are not permitted to work or enter the Facility, and are immediately referred for testing as well. These practices will continue going forward, without exception, in addition to what the Governor has ordered.
Consistent with what we are seeing outside the four walls of Camarillo Healthcare Center (namely, that large percentages of people are testing positive for the virus while otherwise asymptomatic), it is certainly possible that we will see the number of positive COVID cases rise inside the Facility as well as a result of this universal testing. Please know and understand that any change reflected in the total number of positive cases at Camarillo Healthcare Center is in no way reflective of a change in the way the Facility is implementing our infection prevention and control program. As we have shared with you in previous updates, we have been vigilant in implementing our COVID-19 specific infection prevention interventions since the beginning of the pandemic – we have been and remain current with the updated Guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, CDPH, and county public health, and we are fully committed to keeping our residents and staff both safe and healthy.
Again, we thank each and every one of you for the love and support you have demonstrated for our residents, and for the trust you have placed in Camarillo Healthcare Center and its dedicated team of professionals. We do not take this trust lightly, especially in these unprecedented times. Please do not hesitate to contact us directly at the Facility with any questions you might have regarding the new testing procedure or any other matter, or if we can be of assistance to you in any way.
On behalf of the entire team, we want to thank you for allowing us to care for you or your loved one. We recognize the high level of trust that you place in us, and we are committed to providing excellent care to those whom we have the privilege to serve. Read more
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