ENCOAGING NEWS ABOUTESTING. HERE IN NO >>BRUCE HAMILTON: FOR THOSE OF
US WITH PARENTS AND
GRANDPARENTS AND NURSING HOMES
AND ASSISTED
LIVING FACILITIES. THE RECORD
SPIKE IN THOSE TESTING POSITIVE
FOR THE NOVEL CORONAVIRUS IS
VERY CONCERNING WE WORRY ABOUT
THE INCREASED RISKS FOR
OUR FAMILY. A NEW SURVEY
CONDUCTED BY THE AMERICAN
HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATION AND
NATIONAL CENTER FOR ASSISTED
LIVING SHOWS A DISTURBING TREND
IN THE AMOUNT
OF TIME. IT’S TEHY LABS TO
PROCESS COVID-19 TESTS OF THE
STAFFS OF THOSE SOME OF THESE
NATIONWIDE 56% OF
NURSING HOMES AND ASSISTED
LIVING COMMUNITY SAID LAB
PROCESSING WAS THE TOP BARRIER
FOR ACCESS TO TESTING.
NEARLY 9 IN 10 87% SAID
OBTAINING TEST RESULTS BACK
FROM THE LAB COMPANIES IS
TAKING 2 DAYS OR LONGER, 63%
2 TO 4 DAYS, 24% 5 DAYS
OR MORE PROBLEM IS THE VIRUS
CAN SPREAD LIKE WILDFIRE IN
THAT TIME. IN FLORIDA, THE NEWS
IS MUCH MORE ENCOURAGING
KRISTEN KNAPP OF THE FLORIDA
HEALTH CARE ASSOCIATION JOINS
ME HERE IN THE MORNING SHOW.
SO WE CHATTED THE OTHER DAY YOU
TOLD ME THE TURNAROUND TIME
HERE IS
MUCH QUICKER. HOW QUICKLY ARE
THE TEST RESULTS BEING
DELIVERED HERE.
>> THAT’S RIGHT WELL HERE IN
FLORIDA ACTUALLY OUR STATE HAS
INVESTED IN OUR LONG-TERM CARE
CENTERS WE’VE ACTUALLY THEY
CONTRACTED WITH A PRIVATE LAB
THAT IS CONDUCTING TESTING OF
OUR LONG-TERM CARE EMPLOYEES
EVERY
2 WEEKS. AND THOSE LAB RESULTS
ARE EXPECTED TO BE ABOUT A
48 HOUR TURNAROUND. SO WE’RE
VERY ENCOURAGED BY THAT BECAUSE
LIKE YOU SAID YOU KNOW YOU CAN
BE POSITIVE WITH COMMAND AND
SHOW NO SYMPTOMS AND THAT
TESTING REALLY IS IMPORTANT
BECAUSE IT DOES GIVE US
IMPORTANT INFORMATION FOR
MAKING CLINICAL DECISIONS ABOUT
OUR RESIDENTS AND
STAFFING DECISIONS SO WE ARE
HEARD THIS IS AN INITIATIVE
THAT’S JUST GETTING UNDERWAY.
WE DID A
TESTING OF ALL OR LONG-TERM
CARE EMPLOYEES THAT WRAPPED
THROUGHOUT THE MONTH OF JULY
AND NOW WE’RE ON A EVERY 2 WEEK
TESTING INITIATIVE THAT’S
GETTING STARTED RIGHT NOW SO
WHY IS THE REST OF THE COUNTRY
HAVING A PROBLEM AND OUR.
>> WHY ARE THINGS BETTER HERE
IN FLORIDA.
>> WELL YOU KNOW I THINK
INITIALLY WHEN WE STARTED
SEEING VIRUS PROGRESS EARLY IN
MARCH WE DID HAVE OUR OWN
CHALLENGES HERE IN FLORIDA
BECAUSE THERE JUST WAS THE
JUST A SHORTAGE OF TESTING
SUPPLIES TESTING KITS LABS THAT
EVEN COULD CONDUCT THE TESTS
EARLY ON. YOU KNOW THAT OUR
STATE OFFICIALS HAVE BEEN VERY
PROACTIVE HERE WE HAVE A
LOT OF EXECUTIVE ORDERS A LOT
OF INITIATIVES AND OUR
LONG-TERM CARE GIVERS HAVE BEEN
BEEN VERY PROACTIVE IN THEIR
QUESTION PROTOCOL, SO
YOU KNOW I THINK EVERYONE HERE
IN OUR STATE HAS BEEN COMMITTED
TO THE ELDERLY BECAUSE WE KNOW
OUR POPULATION IS SO VULNERABLE
TO THIS VIRUS. SO WE
YOU KNOW WE’VE BEEN DOING
TESTING AS I SAID YOU KNOW FOR
QUITE SOME TIME
AND I THINK IN SOME STATES THEY
MAY JUST SEE THAT THE VIRUS IS
NOW STARTING TO YOU KNOW
MORE SO AND WHAT WE SAW EARLY
ON HERE IN MARCH AND WE ALL
WANT TO BE ASSURED THAT YOU
KNOW OUR LOVED ONES ARE BEING
PROTECTED SO HOW OFTEN DOES
THIS TESTING DONE.
>> SO RIGHT NOW THERE IS AN TO
TEST EMPLOYEES EVERY
2 WEEKS. IT’S SOMETHING THAT
THE STATE IS ACTUALLY PROVIDING
THEY’RE PROVIDING THROUGH A
CONTRACT AND LET THOSE TAX TEST
KITS ARE BEING SHIPPED TO THE
LONG-TERM CARE FACILITIES AND
THEY WILL TEST EVERY
2 WEEKS. IT’S AN EMPLOYEE
DOESN’T TEST AFTER JULY 10 AND
THEY’RE NOT ABLE TO ENTER THE
BUILDING SO IT’S REALLY A MEANS
TO TRY TO MAKE SURE
WE KEEP ARE RESIDENTS SAY MAKE
SURE STAFF
ARE PROTECTED. AS THE STATE
OPENS UP AND PEOPLE ARE MOVING
AROUND POLICE HE DID STILL NEED
TO BE ABLE TO TAKE CARE OF
THEIR FAMILIES GO TO THE
GROCERY STORE OR GAS IN THEIR
CARS. SO THEY’RE COMING IN AND
OUT OF
THE BUILDING. SO THAT TESTING
ALONG WITH THE SCREENING
PROTOCOLS THAT WE’RE DOING
TAKING THEIR TEMPERATURES
MAKING SURE THEY DON’T FEEL
WELL THAT THEY DO
STAY HOME. THAT TESTING IS JUST
GOING TO BE ANOTHER ELEVATED
LEVEL
OF PROTECTION.
>>BRUCE HAMILTON: AND ACTUALLY
FLORIDA FOUND A WAY TO MITIGATE
THE SPREAD AND SENIOR
COMMUNITIES BY DEDICATING
FACILITIES FOR CORONAVIRUS
PATIENTS AND THERE’S ONE RIGHT
HERE IN JACKSONVILLE.
>> THAT’S RIGHT ACTUALLY THAT
WAS THE FIRST ONE THAT OPENED
UP ON DAUPHIN THE COMPANY ARE
CLEAR CHOICES. ONE OF HER FHA
MEMBERS THEY STEPPED UP NOW
HAVE 12. COVID ISOLATION
CENTERS ACROSS THE STATE AND
REGIONAL AND
YOU KNOW IT REALLY AN
OPPORTUNITY TO MAKE SURE
YOU’RE RIGHT IT DOES HELP
MITIGATE THE SPREAD IF YOU HAVE
RESIDENTS WHO
HAVE COVID YOU CAN TRANSFER
THAT TO THE COVID ISOLATION
CENTER WHERE THEY CAN BE CARED
FOR WITH DESIGNATED STAFF
WEARING THE APPROPRIATE PPE
AGAIN YOU KNOW WE KNOW THAT
THIS VIRUS CAN SPREAD AND
RAPIDLY AND WE KNOW THAT PEOPLE
COULD HAVE THE VIRUS AND NOT
SHOW
ANY SYMPTOMS. SO YOU HAVE THESE
FACILITIES ARE AWAY, YOU KNOW,
SOMEONE’S TRANSFERRED OUT OF
THE HOSPITAL AND THEY DO HAVE
COVID AND THEY NEED TO RECOVER.
YOU KNOW WORKING HAVE SOMEONE
IN YOUR BUILDING WHO HAS COVID
IT NEEDS TO BE TRANSFERRED OUT
IT’S A WAY TO ALLEVIATE
HOSPITAL BED OVER CAPACITY.
BY EARNING THEM A PLACE IN THE
MEN INTO THESE CARE CENTERS
ACROSS STATE YEAH MY DAD’S 89
AND HE LIVES IN A SENIOR
FACILITY AND I KNOW.
>> HE WAS FRIENDS ARE SCARED SO
WHAT DO YOU SAY THEM TO ALLAY
THEIR FEARS. >> YOU KNOW IT IS SCARY FOR ALL OF US BECAUSE WE DON’T HAVE A
VACCINE AND THIS VIRUS SEEMS TO
BE CHANGING AND YOU KNOW YOU
CAN ASYMPTOMATIC AND STILL HAVE
COVID BUT YOU KNOW OR CARE OR ARE CAREGIVERS HAVE BEEN HEROIC THROUGHOUT THIS PANDEMIC I MEAN
THEY ARE WEARING MASKS EVERY
DAY IN THE BUILDING.
THEY ARE DOING YOU KNOW ALL
DIFFERENT TYPES OF INFECTION
CONTROL PROTOCOLS. I’M TAKING
ALL TYPES OF PRECAUTIONS AND
ALSO DOING THINGS TO MAKE SURE
THAT THERE HELPING TO MAKE THEIR RESIDENTS QUALITY OF LIFE MEANS YOU KNOW WE’RE NOT ABLE
TO NOW RESIDENTS CAN SEE THEIR
FAMILIES BECAUSE VISITATION IS
RESTRICTED. THEY CAN’T BE IN
GROUP SETTINGS THEY CAN HAVE
THEIR GROUP ACTIVITIES AND
THAT’S CHALLENGING FOR AN
ELDERLY PERSON WHO YOU KNOW
THIS IS THEIR HOME SO
OUR CAREGIVERS ARE REALLY
STEPPED UP TRY TO BE
CREATIVE WITH WINDOW IS IT’S
FOR FAMILY SKYPE SAY AT THIS
TECHNOLOGY HAS ALLOWED US TO
CONNECT. THEY’RE DOING ALL
SORTS OF GROUP ACTIVITIES
THROUGH YOU KNOW GO THROUGH
OVER THE OVER CUT THEIR HOME
SYSTEM. AND THEY’RE BEING VERY
VIGILANT YOU KNOW
PEOPLE THAT CARE FOR THE
THEY’RE SPECIAL PEOPLE THEY
HAVE A HEART AND A PASSION FOR
IT AND
YOU KNOW WE’RE ALL IN THIS
TOGETHER AND WE’RE WORKING HARD
AND REMAINING VIGILANT AND I
WOULD JUST SAY YOU KNOW.
YOU KNOW JUST IF YOU HAVE
QUESTIONS AS A FAMILY MEMBER
CALL YOUR FACILITY ANYWHERE
HERE WE WANT TO KEEPING YOUR
LOVED ONE SAFER, YOU KNOW AS
LONG AS WE NEED TO GET MY DAD
TOLD ME THEY HAD TO GET OFF THE
PHONE I GOT TO GO TO.
>> TRIVIA AS LIKE YOU LEARN HOW
TO DO THAT HE SAID YEAH, HEY