The following update was issued on July 4 by Spencer Nordfelt, administrator of Kei-Ai South Bay Healthcare Center in Gardena.
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In addition to our other efforts to keep you updated about our facility and our residents, we are providing you with this consolidated notice to ensure you have the most current information regarding COVID-19. If you have any questions about the information found here, please feel free to contact us at (310) 532-0700.
When we admit a new patient who tested negative at the hospital, the current guideline is to put them on isolation for two weeks and then retest them. That is what we have been doing. We just found out that one of those patients tested positive. This patient was asymptomatic. We have transferred this patient to an isolated section of the facility and only certain staff members will work with this patient. We will test the staff and the residents as the state guidelines require.
Below are mitigating actions implemented to prevent or reduce the risk of transmission of infectious diseases within the facility:
• Conducting screening of all patients at least twice per shift by taking vital signs, including temperature, and closely monitoring for symptoms of respiratory illness; any suspected but asymptomatic patients will be evaluated more frequently if necessary.
• Conducting employee health screenings, including temperature checks prior to the start of each work shift and every four hours after. Employees have been instructed to self-monitor for symptoms of respiratory illness while off-duty and to immediately report any signs of fever, cough, and/or shortness of breath to the infection preventionist or department supervisor. Any employees who have tested positive will return to work only when they meet CDC and public health criteria to return to work.
• All staff throughout the facility have been required to wear facemasks for the past several weeks and will continue to do so, as well as wearing other personal protective equipment (PPE) when necessary and according to current guidelines. Staff providing care to any patients who may begin to show signs of infection will wear all required PPE in accordance with CDC and public health guidelines.
• Monitoring employee compliance with use of appropriate PPE and handwashing.
• Increased frequency of general cleaning throughout the facility.
We want to thank you for keeping our residents and our staff in your thoughts as we navigate through these challenging times together.