Care homes in the county are focused and working hard to prevent an outbreak of COVID-19 like those seen in other areas of the country, and it appears they are succeeding.

None of the five senior-care facilities the Eagle contacted are permitting visitors, delivery people or anyone other than medical and office staff into the buildings.

All are screening employees by taking their temperatures and asking coronavirus-exposure questions when they arrive for work and their temperatures are taken again when they leave after their shift is over.

To combat the patients' loneliness and separation from loved ones, all are using Skype, Facetime and other electronic means of communication between patients and families.

Newhaven Court

Gary Renwick, executive operations officer at Newhaven Court at Clearview senior living and memory care community, said an exciting new communication method was installed at the Center Township facility Tuesday.

The “chatterbox” is a wooden and Plexiglas box measuring 6 by 4 feet where a patient can sit while visiting family members on the outside.

Renwick is not a fan of the apparatus' name, so an employee renaming contest that involves a pizza party for the winner is underway.

Families who call Newhaven and request a session with their loved one are given a time to come and sit under the chatterbox's overhang and visit.

Both the resident and family members must wear masks during the visit.

“We're super happy about it,” Renwick said of the chatterbox.

Newhaven Court employees also must wear street clothes to work and enter the changing room located in a secure area not accessible by patients after clocking in for their shift.

Street clothes are placed in a bag retrieved later after the employee shift ends and they leave the building.

All laundering of uniforms is done at Newhaven Court by staff, Renwick said, adding how every resident has two cloth masks that are regularly laundered by staff.

“It has certainly been a challenge,” Renwick said of the coronavirus pandemic. “I've been in the business 20 years and I never dreamed we would be doing something like this.”

Concordia at the Orchard

Brian Hortert, chief operating officer at Concordia Lutheran Ministries, and Natalie McKay, administrator of skilled nursing there, said the quarantine at Concordia at the Orchard is about to be lifted, as no cases of COVID-19 have been in the building since the third week of April.

Three patients recovered from the virus at the facility last month and two, who were transported to the hospital, died of COVID-19.

Hortert said in-room restrictions will be lifted Friday, but staff will keep a close eye on residents at the Orchard for the foreseeable future.

Concordia at Cabot

Staff at Concordia at Cabot, which has had no cases of COVID-19, are exercising care at home so they will not bring the virus into the building.

“Concordia is very blessed to have very committed, excellent staff who are taking to heart all of these guidelines,” Hortert said.

Visitation at the Cabot campus is prohibited, so some residents have talked to their families from their second-floor windows or balconies.

The “wave parade” held recently at Concordia provided a much-needed respite from remaining such a long distance from residents' families, McKay said.

“We had no idea how emotional that would be,” she said. “For these folks, who haven't laid eyes on their family members except through a second-floor window or on the balcony, to be able to get as close as they were while still maintaining social distancing was a beautiful thing,” McKay said.

She said clients were also happy to see their fellow residents during the parade.

While those living at the Cabot campus are not required to remain inside their rooms, communal activities like dining in the facility's restaurant-style dining room or playing bingo together have been restricted.

To keep spirits up and brains working, residents have participated in hallway bingo, silly dress-up days and other activities that conform to social distancing guidelines.

“It's been an opportunity to challenge ourselves to see how we can make sure they have fun,” McKay said.

Hortert called the entire pandemic “brutal” as it relates to elder care, but knows many have learned lessons regarding visiting family members.

“You need to ensure you're always appreciating the times you're having during normal times,” Hortert said. “You start thanking the Lord for the blessing of ordinary days.”

Sunnyview

Sunnyview Nursing and Rehabilitation Center in Butler Township also is taking all the necessary steps to prevent the spread of the virus.

Ernie Garcia, Sunnyview spokesman, said one resident became ill last week and was tested for COVID-19 at the facility.

While that initial test was negative, he was transported to Butler Memorial Hospital when his symptoms worsened. He tested positive for the virus there.

He has not returned to Sunnyview and there are no other cases or suspected cases as of Tuesday.

Beverly McCanch, whose husband is a dementia patient at Sunnyview, cannot even visit her spouse of 57 years via Skype like the other families.

“I don't want to confuse him by visiting online,” she said. “He'll wonder where I am.”

McCanch takes treats to Sunnyview's dementia unit on Saturdays for the caregivers to enjoy.

“They do such a really, really good job,” she said. “They're doing a great job keeping (the virus) away from them.”

She talks to staff on the phone when necessary if there is a recommended change in her husband's care.

Peg Wilson is organizing a window birthday party Saturday for her mother, who is a resident at Sunnyview.

“The last time I saw her was on March 14,” Wilson said. “If I'd have known (visitors would be restricted), I'd have stayed longer.”

When her mother, who also has dementia, recently fell out of bed, the staff brought her to the window so Wilson could see her.

“She doesn't understand it,” Wilson said. “I hate not being able to see her.”

Shelbourne

Shelbourne Personal Care in Penn Township has not seen any cases of the virus among staff or residents, according to Bob Ross, the facility's administrator.

“We've been blessed and lucky at the same time,” Ross said.

Ross, whose own parents live at a care facility in Apollo, Armstrong County, understands the frustration of family members who cannot visit their loved ones.

“I've got a couple family members who are relentless,” Ross said.

He said Shelbourne's activities staff videotapes and photographs residents and sends the results to family members to help ease their minds.

Shelbourne went to disposable plates and utensils when the virus first became prevalent, but has now moved back to regular dining items.

Housekeeping is using a special chemical to wipe doorknobs and other high-touch surfaces used by residents and staff, and is keeping a checklist of each time all surfaces are wiped down, Ross said.

“It's been very challenging in every which way,” he said.

Regarding patients, he said many display symptoms of depression for two days after a window visit with family members.

“They got a chance to say 'Hi,' but now they are missing them more,” Ross said. “I don't know if it's harder on the families or residents at this point.”

Packages of candy and other gifts from families are left in the doorway for an hour before being brought inside and delivered to residents.

Ross also brings goodies to his parents, where the same restrictions are in place.

“Hopefully we'll be able to get out of this curve and loosen it up a little bit and get back to some sort of normal,” he said

Autumn Grove

Many safety protocols are in place at Transitions Healthcare Autumn Grove in Harrisville, said Ron Jordan, administrator and registered nurse.

He said while there are no cases or symptoms of COVID-19 at his facility, elder-care homes nationwide are getting a bad rap because senior citizens admitted to the hospital for a stroke or other ailment can contract the virus and bring it to the nursing home upon their return.

Jordan said residents can visit each other in one of Autumn Grove's courtyards on temperate days.

“They keep six feet between them and they can enjoy the outdoors,” he said.

New admissions are placed on cautionary status in their rooms for a period of time and then tested for COVID-19. If the test is negative, they are able to carefully interact with others, Jordan said.

Family members of residents nearing the end of their lives are allowed two visitors in full personal protection equipment. They must leave the building immediately after the visit, Jordan said.

“I just hope and pray every day that a vaccine is around the corner,” he said. “We take it a day at a time to keep the virus out of the building.”

Passavant Community

Laura Roy, executive director at Lutheran Senior Life's Passavant Community in Zelienople, said residents and staff can take advantage of the grocery delivery service provided at Passavant.

The fitness staff has been holding exercise classes over the in-house television station and residents are eating in their rooms or in very small groups using social distancing.

Caregivers wear PPE while residents and office staff wear cloth masks, Roy said.

She said staff members have been very receptive and proactive in keeping the virus off campus.

“Not all heroes wear capes,” Roy said. “I couldn't be more proud of not only what the staff does, but how they are doing it.”

No cases of COVID-19 have cropped up at Passavant so far.

“We are praying it stays that way,” Roy said.

STATE ALLEGHENY BUTLER CLARIONFacilities with cases 502 35 5 1Cases among residents 10,010 311 12 1Cases among employees 1,372 99 10 1Number of deaths 2,108 87 2 0Data as of May 6, 2020 Source: Pennsylvania Department of Health