Committed to Safety of our Residents, Team Members, and Families
Our highest priority is the safety and well-being of our residents, team members, and families. We recognize that while we’ve prohibited visitation over the last six months, our team members are the biggest variable in the lives of our residents. We have prioritized their safety so that we can keep our residents safe. We have done this by working diligently to provide all of the personal protective equipment they need to protect themselves from transmitting any symptoms to our residents.
When our team members enter the facility, they are first asked to sanitize their hands; then there is a station with surgical and/or N-95 masks for them to don. Once they have done that, they are then screened for any symptoms and their temperature is taken. If a team member has experienced any symptoms, or has a temperature greater than 100.4 degrees, they are not permitted to work in accordance with Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Ohio Department of Health (ODH) guidelines.
Since mid-April, we have had the ability to test team members and residents for COVID-19 using a nasal swab. Through our partnership with University of Cincinnati Medical Center, we are able to receive results in 24-48 hours. We use the information to determine if we need to quarantine or isolate our residents, and if we need to keep team members off of work following CDC guidelines.
Since July, our team members have been participating in bi-weekly testing. I’m proud to report that our positivity rate has been about 1%, and in almost all of the cases, the team member has been asymptomatic.
In July, we started visitation, and we’ve adopted a similar process for screening our families and we have spaced people out six feet apart and, in many cases, we’ve used a plexiglass screen to separate people.
We share this with you because we believe that our facilities are some of the safest places for our residents, team members, and families. We are proud of the job we have done managing our residents and team members throughout the first six months of COVID, and we expect to continue making every effort to maintain the highest level of infection control practices.
We invite you to complete the contact us form located on each facility web page if you’re interested in more information.
Thank you.
Chase M. Kohn
Chief Operating Officer
To the entire Western Hills Staff and Administration,
From the time my father, Jack moved into the Independent Living area in October 2012, until his passing in November 2018, in the Nursing and Rehab Unit, my dad considered the Western Hills complex his home.
He enjoyed his time in independent living. Making many friends, enjoying the meals, activities, etc. He always commented to me on the friendliness, willingness to help, and professionalism of the staff. His time in independent living was a time of great enjoyment in his life.
He moved into Nursing and Rehab in February, 2017. The level of care he received while a resident there was excellent. The interaction with the staff was a highlight for him. The level of care and attention he received was largely responsible for the quality and length of his life. It meant a lot to me, as my time with him was precious. Your caring, professional, and loving attitude was a real blessing for us both.
All of you were fantastic. It was more than a job for so many of you. It’s a calling. I saw this fact every day. Not just the care of my father and others, but the assistance and cooperation I personally received. The special things you did for both of us made it so much easier. This applies to every department in the facility. I owe all of you a debt which I can never repay.
I’m really stuck for something that conveys my feelings. I can only express my profound gratitude by saying, ” Thanks” from my heart, to each and every one of you. I will never forget what you’ve done for us.
May God bless you all for your efforts.
Thank you again
Son of resident, Jack