NEWS

 

(Thursday night Steve Jewell, the executive director of The Pines, released the following email to residents, staff, and family members. The News of Davidson received permission from The Pines to share his email with our readers.)

The purpose of this communication is to make you aware that a resident of the Nursing wing of The Pines at Davidson has tested positive for COVID-19. The resident has been admitted to a local hospital for treatment. The Pines has notified the Mecklenburg County Health Department, as required, and we are following the guidance provided.

The Pines is also conferring with The Pines’ Medical Director with Atrium Health, who is advising and assisting us, as needed, and we are in direct contact with the resident’s family.

We are conducting COVID-19 diagnostic testing on all Nursing and Assisted Living residents, as well as all Pines staff who have worked in these neighborhoods over the past 14 days. We understand Atrium Health’s lab may provide us with the residents’ test results within a matter of days. The process of testing The Pines staff has also commenced.

As you know, The Pines has been preparing for weeks for the possibility that COVID-19 could touch our campus. We have instituted campus-wide policies and practices recommended by federal, state and local public health agencies designed to protect the health and well-being of our residents and staff.

These precautions involve enhanced infection control protocols that include regular hand hygiene, screening of all staff and residents with a temperature check and questionnaire each time they return to campus, restricting visitation campus-wide, ending communal activities, shifting to meal delivery for in-room and in-residence dining and maintaining an adequate supply of personal protective equipment that allows for use of facemasks by all staff (at all times) and by Nursing and Assisted Living residents when they interact with staff. In addition, Nursing and Assisted Living residents are screened at least daily with a temperature check and their conditions are monitored throughout the day by staff on each shift.

We continue to follow updated guidance offered by public health agencies to keep the virus from spreading and are confident that the precautions we continue to take across The Pines campus have helped protect our community. We will continue adhering to these precautions and any updates the public health agencies advise in the days ahead.

Though in most cases of COVID-19, individuals who test positive improve after several days, The Pines resident population falls into that most vulnerable of age groups. Therefore, we continue to be especially vigilant in our adherence to the recommended safety guidelines. Even if our residents and staff do not personally experience any change in their health status, it is important that everyone who is part of The Pines community continues to practice physical distancing of at least 6 feet, regular hand hygiene and wearing a facemask when in common areas.

We also strongly encourage Pines staff and residents of Independent Living to limit time spent in the general community to a minimum and to wear a face covering and practice physical distancing when they must be among the general public.

Because the state of North Carolina now mandates that local health departments communicate the names of the facilities with confirmed cases of COVID-19, you may hear or read about The Pines’ confirmed case in local media over the next few days.

We know that this news is concerning to everyone in The Pines community, but we want to assure you that The Pines has approached this pandemic with an abundance of caution from the onset, and we are well-prepared to manage the current situation, however it might evolve. We ask for your prayers and to mentally send well wishes to the affected resident and family members, and to the dedicated healthcare professionals and caregivers providing necessary treatment and comfort.

Protecting the health and well-being of our residents and staff remains our highest priority. We are grateful for your continued support and understanding during this unprecedented public health crisis, and we will continue to provide you updated information as it becomes available.

Our mission at The Pines has never been more meaningful.

With warm regards,

Steve Jewell

Executive Director