Here’s How This Newark Nursing Home Is Keeping Coronavirus At Bay

NEWARK, NJ — Sometimes “zero” is a pretty awesome accomplishment.

According to administrators at the New Community Extended Care Facility in Newark, that’s the number of residents who have tested positive for the coronavirus since June. The 180-bed nursing home on South Orange Avenue serves seniors and disabled adults, and specializes in care for people with Alzheimer’s disease and dementia.

It’s not a huge secret as to how staff have managed to keep the virus at bay among residents, administrators say. Here’s what it takes: vaccinations, testing, screening, vigilant cleaning and following “recommended guidelines.”

“Our team at the facility sprang into action immediately once the gravity of the COVID pandemic became clear to the medical community,” CEO Richard Rohrman said. “The residents also get a large degree of credit for their cooperation and perseverance under difficult circumstances.”

Those efforts have paid off, Rohrman added – residents haven’t had a COVID-19 infection for more than eight months.

• See related article: Here’s How Coronavirus Is Affecting Newark Area Nursing Homes

SCREENING, TESTING

Over the past months, screening efforts have been ramped up at the facility.

“All staff members and service providers who enter extended care are tested every other day and residents are tested once per week,” administrators said. “A rapid test is administered and if anyone tests positive, they are immediately swabbed for the PCR test and must leave the facility.”

Results from the PCR test come back in one to two days, administrators said.

TEMPERATURES

The facility also checks the temperature of anyone entering the building with a temperature scanning station from Medline.

“Those who enter the facility just need to position their face near the mounted non-contact tablet and the device reads their temperature and detects if they’re wearing a face covering,” administrators said.

If the person has an elevated temperature or is unmasked, the device sets off an alert. A member of the extended care administration is notified and the person must leave the building.

“Having the device is beneficial because it allows for contactless screening of employees and service providers, which further reduces the risk of close contact and potential virus transmission,” administrators said. “It is also a quick process and negates the need for locating handheld thermometers, which can be misplaced.”

VACCINATIONS

COVID-19 vaccinations have been offered to residents and staff members at the New Community Extended Care Facility.

While the majority of residents and staff members have received the vaccine, prevention measures remain in place for both groups, including face masks, social distancing and ongoing screenings, administrators said.

“We continue to test so we can quickly identify and immediately isolate those who might test positive,” Extended Care Administrator Veronica Onwunaka said.

• See related article: Essex County Coronavirus Vaccine Update (How, Where To Get A Shot)

KEEPING CLEAN

“Cleaning and disinfecting are ongoing at extended care to further reduce the risk of infection and transmission,” administrators said.

The facility was also fumigated, which Onwunaka said made a difference in the fight against COVID-19.

GETTING A HELPING HAND

It isn’t just the efforts of direct care workers that’s helping to protect residents at the New Community Extended Care Facility. It’s the entire team, administrators said.

There are many unsung heroes behind the scenes, such as members of housekeeping, food services, laundry, environmental services and security, Chief Operating Officer Fred Hunter said.

The facility also got a hand from members of the New Jersey National Guard during the summer of 2020. The service members also helped with janitorial services, sanitizing common areas, making resident beds, distributing food to resident floors, encouraging residents to eat and providing limited support to certified nursing assistants.

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