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October 21, 2020

Guardian Angels Indoor Visitation Information

Indoor Visitation requires that a community has not had a positive case of COVID-19 diagnosed in a resident or staff member in the past 14 days. Testing may be conducted seven days per week, therefore visitation could be restricted suddenly at any time based on federal and state regulations. 

For your convenience we have provided the information for each community below. We encourage you to check this site immediately prior to each scheduled visit.

Guardian Angels Care Center: Indoor visitation is currently not permitted. We apologize and encourage you to reschedule your visit for a future date. We look forward to seeing you then.
Guardian Angels By The Lake: Indoor visitation is currently not permitted. We apologize and encourage you to reschedule your visit for a future date. We look forward to seeing you then.
Engel Haus: Indoor visitation is currently not permitted. We apologize and encourage you to reschedule your visit for a future date. We look forward to seeing you then.
Riverview Landing: Indoor visitation is currently not permitted. We apologize and encourage you to reschedule your visit for a future date. We look forward to seeing you then.

Please remember, for the health and safety of our residents and staff, Guardian Angels requires that you have a negative COVID-19 test result prior to visiting indoors or performing Essential Caregiver duties in our community.  Your COVID-19 test must be repeated with same frequency the community is testing staff and/or residents.

Current testing schedules is weekly for all GA communities.

Thank you,
Guardian Angels Senior Services

 

September 30, 2020

Click on this link to learn more about Covid-19 testing locations in our area: https://www.doineedacovid19test.com/
Details listed under the "Minnesota" tab.

 

July 17, 2020

Essential Caregiver Visits

On July 10, 2020 the Minnesota Department of Health provided guidance on Essential Caregiver visits to long-term care facilities (nursing homes and assisted living).  Clarifications are still being provided, but what is clear is that Essential Caregiver visits are not the same thing as ‘open to visitors’.  An example of an Essential Caregiver visit would be a family member who prior to COVID-19 visiting restrictions  had provided weekly baths for their resident, due to COVID-19 they were no longer able to do this. An essential caregiver visit would now allow that family member to come into the building weekly to provide the bath.  Consideration will be provided to the resident need and the services that were provided prior to visiting restrictions.  Consideration will also be given to changes in resident condition that have occurred during the last quarter. We are reminded by the Department of Health that outdoor visits and window visits are still an option to allow residents to get together with their family and friends.  Entrance into one of our communities brings a greater level of risk of exposure to COVID-19 to all of our residents and staff (greater numbers of interaction).  We are formulating our response to this guidance carefully and will be announcing this information early next week

Thank you,

Lynn Gerard, RN, BSN
Director of Quality Improvement, Education and Risk Management
LGerard@GA-ER.org
Guardian Angels Senior Services
508 Freeport Ave, Suite A
Elk River, MN 55330
763-635-5490

 

June 26, 2020

We are pleased to announce Guardian Angels has been able to actively participate in COVID-19 testing for both residents and staff at the Care Center and each of the assisted livings – Guardian Angels by the Lake, Engel Haus, and Riverview Landing.  Testing resources (swabs and laboratory) in Minnesota have been in short supply. Based on the favorable testing results, we are cautiously opening our doors to admissions in our communities.

If you have inquired regarding moving into one of our communities, our marketing staff will be contacting you with further information.  The COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent governmental regulations/Center for Disease Control and Prevention still requires Guardian Angels to adhere to certain levels of precautions.  This information will be provided for your consideration prior to move-in.

We look forward to welcoming you into our communities!

For additional information-please call:

Albertville-Engel Haus-763-498-4594
Elk River-Guardian Angels By The Lake-763-241-7682
Elk River-Guardian Angels Care Center-763-441-1213
Otsego-Riverview Landing-763-746-3400

 

June 12, 2020

Dear Family and Friends,
Please click here and listen to the latest update from Lynn Gerard, Director of Quality Improvement, Education and Risk Management. 
Thank you.

 

May 22, 2020

Dear Friends and Family,
As the Covid-19  pandemic continues, Guardian Angels wanted to provide an update regarding our current status.
Please click here for video

Thank you,

Dan Dixon
President/CEO

 

May 1, 2020

Click here to listen to the latest Covid-19 update from Guardian Angels CEO, Dan Dixon.

 

April 20, 2020

Click here for Coronavirus update message from Dan Dixon, CEO at Guardian Angels

 

April 20, 2020

Do you have questions and want to  connect with a staff member @ one of our communities? Please see email address below.

Guardian Angels Care Center: GACC-Family@ga-er.org

Guardian Angels By The Lake: GABTL-Family@ga-er.org

Engel Haus: EH-Family@ga-er.org

Riverview Landing: RVL-Family@ga-er.org

 

April 3, 2020

A message for our residents and their representatives:

 A new regulatory guidance was issued by the federal government (CMS) last evening.  The guidance includes significant recommendations to long-term care facilities (nursing homes and assisted livings) in an effort to  decrease the rate of transmission of COVID-19.  In addition to the facemasks currently being worn by staff from all departments, residents are now being asked to either wear a cloth facemask or to cover their mouth and nose with a tissue whenever a staff member is present in the room.  Cloth masks provide “source control” meaning that droplets expelled by you when breathing, coughing or sneezing are trapped in the mask and not expelled into the air where viruses present may be inhaled by someone in close proximity (within 6 feet).

You will also be asked to wear a mask if you are leaving one of our buildings for medical appointments or for other reasons.  While you are out you may be exposed to someone in the community with Covid-19.  The cloth mask will not offer you full protection from the virus, only social distancing and good hand washing will offer that.  The mask may provide some benefit, but equally important it will help prohibit you from spreading any virus you may have come in contact with once you return to the building.

We have requested and will be distributing cloth masks to all residents who are able to use them.  We appreciate your patience and cooperation in this endeavor.  The safety  of our residents and are staff are of paramount importance to us.  The masks can be warm to wear, but are a necessary barrier to prevent further spread of COVID-19 in our facilities, our cities and all states.

For questions please feel free to talk with your Administrator or Director of Nursing/Clinical Coordinator.  Questions can also be directed to Lynn Gerard, RN, Director of Quality Improvement, Education and Risk Management at 763-635-5490.

Thank you and stay healthy!

Lynn Gerard

 

Lynn Gerard, RN, BSN
Director of Quality Improvement, Education and Risk Management
LGerard@GA-ER.org
Guardian Angels Senior ServiceS
508 Freeport Ave, Suite A
Elk River, MN 55330
763-635-5490

 

April 3, 2020

Please see information for Elk River locations: Angel Ridge, Evans Park and Guardian Oaks Apartments

 

April 2, 2020

Attention GA Care Center Families: Stay Connected to your loved-one!

Guardian Angels Care Center Recreation Department is offering video conference with families and their resident through “Zoom”. Zoom is an online meeting through video. Recreation Staff will use their iPads with the residents and families can use their phones, iPads or computers to see each other.

Families can download the app “Zoom Cloud Meeting”

Email Sue Barthel, Recreation Director to set up a time for a meeting with your resident and Sue will give you the “Personal Meeting ID” number that you will need to enter in order to connect with the Care Center.

 Email Sue at:  sbarthel@ga-er.org

 Additional option......

Families can send a letter and a photo to their  loved-one. Recreation staff can print out the letter and deliver it to the resident and Recreation staff can then help the resident reply back to them through email.

 Send email to:  recreation @ga-er.org

 Subject line:  residents first & last name

 

April 1, 2020

A message for our Assisted Living Communities:  Engel Haus, GA By The Lake, & Riverview Landing

To help keep your loved ones safe, the health and safety of our residents and staff are our top priority.  As such, visitation to our Assisted Living  campus/grounds remains prohibited.

With the warm weather we realize it is difficult not to come and visit with your relative or friend outdoors. Unfortunately virus transmission is possible outdoors as well as indoors.
Please continue to shelter at home as directed by Gov. Walz until the COVID-19 pandemic is controlled.
 If you need to drop off an essential item for your relative or friend, we offer a “no contact” option;

 Please drop your item in the vestibule and notify our staff via your telephone.

We will pick up the item after you have left and deliver it to your loved one.
Items may be dropped between 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. on the weekends.
We request these items are limited to essential items only to not overwhelm staff.
 We look forward to celebrating the opening the building to visitors as soon as possible.

 Thank you for your understanding,
 Guardian Angels senior Services


Engel Haus: 763-498-4594
GA by the Lake: 763-241-7682
Riverview Landing: 763-746-3400

 

March 30, 2020

 

 

March 27, 2020

Based on an abundance of caution the Minnesota Department of Health and the Center for Disease Control has recommended to nursing homes and assisted livings that all staff members wear face masks throughout their shifts. This recommendation does not In any way indicate that residents or staff members are ill, but is merely an additional precautionary measure taken to protect the safety of our residents and staff. The health and wellbeing of both is of paramount importance to us.”

Thank you,

 Lynn Gerard, RN, BSN

 Director of Quality Improvement, Education and Risk Management

 

March 24, 2020

Letter to Assisted Living Families Regarding Coronavirus

VERY IMPORTANT UPDATES: PLEASE READ FULLY

Dear Guardian Angels Assisted Living Famalies:

As we continue to see a rise in the cases of COVID-19 in our local communities we are continuing to stay in contact with The Minnesota Department of Health and the Center for Disease Control. Guidelines are changing frequently and we are working to take precautions. We are committed to putting all resident’s and staff’s safety as our top priority. In stating this the number one vital instruction we are receiving is to restrict all visitors from coming into the building to reduce potential for introduction of illness or potential virus. Covid-19 transmission is increased by the fact that individuals who have not yet displayed any symptoms are capable of spreading the disease. When you enter our building you essentially may be bringing in with you virus particles from any individual you have been in contact with in the last 14 days. For this reason we are asking that you refrain from visiting entirely. We understand this is incredibly difficult for both families and residents.

The following precautions are now implemented at Engel Haus:

  • We need all residents to practice social distancing as much as possible at this time. Requirement is staying a distance of 6 feet away from other.
  • The main dining room will be closed to communal dining. We will be delivering trays for all meals to resident rooms for IL and AL residents. For Memory Care residents with monitoring needs we will increase social distancing during meal times as much as possible.
  • We will be cancelling internal group activities or practicing social distancing during smaller group activities. We are working to reassign staff to creatively encourage one to one engagement in other ways while continuing social distancing as much as possible.
  • We are requesting all residents are to stay at Assisted Living community and not leave unless for absolute necessity (IE urgent doctor appointments/Emergency that cannot be done via telemedicine.)
  • No visitors that are not providing essential direct care (healthcare workers) or visiting in case end of life- if a resident is receiving care from an outside provider or family we are asking you to look into if these services can be met by Engel Haus staff temporarily or if social distancing can be used to provide care (Example: we are no longer allowing med set up in the building- it can be set up outside and delivered to Assisted Living without visitor entrance, or assessments to be done via teleconference).
  • If you have been providing additional help to a resident on routine visits- please contact nursing to set up the services/care we may be unaware that family has been providing. We need to discuss assuming these cares for the safety of all residents.
  • Podiatry, On-call clinicians, salon, doctor appointment and other rounding services will not coming in to our Assisted Living communities at this time and will be rescheduled to later dates.
  • If your loved one is at risk while eating alone nursing will develop alternative dining plans for monitoring or assistance.
  • We are encouraging all residents to notify the front desk for assistance in ordering supplies if needed online or communicating needs to families to drop off supplies at the front desk. In some cases we may be able to purchase some supplies to the building a charge cost to the resident statement for general supplies.
  • We will be screening all assisted living and memory care resident’s temperature, respirations, and oxygen saturation twice daily and all resident’s temps upon any return from outside in the community.

We know all these steps will create a significant impact in our resident’s and families daily routines and we are working on ordering devices to help reduce social isolation by being able to use technology to connect residents with families soon. We will be able to set up appointments to help with communications using ZOOM. Please continue to send cards or gifts and to call your loved one frequently to help reduce isolation and make them feel connected.

Also a reminder to please immediately report to nursing staff if your loved one reports feeling feverish, coughing or cold symptoms. We will continue to encourage residents to use pendants as needed and practice good handwashing for at least 20 seconds. For continued information please check the Minnesota department of Health and Guardian Angels Coronavirus webpage

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation during this uncertain time. We are wishing prayers to all for safety and good health. Please contact us for questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Mindy Smith-Engel Haus Administrator-763-498-4594 (msmith@ga-er.org)
Andrea Erickson-Riverview Landing Administrator: 763-746-3400 (aerickson@ga-er.org)
Rick Huntington-GA By The Lake Administrator-763-241-7682 (ehuntington@ga-er.org)

 

March 24,2020

Letter to GA staff and team members

 

March 19, 2020

Please click here for Cornnavirus video update from Dan Dixon, CEO @ Guardian Angels Senior Services

 

March 18, 2020

Club GA Wellness Center
Due to the recent announcement from Governor Walz and because of the nature of our wellness facility, Club GA (Elk River and Otsego) will close @ 12pm on March 18, 2020. We will re-visit this decision and provide an update on or before 4/6/20.  We apologize  for any inconvenience that closing might cause, but we want to make sure to take every precaution to prevent the spread of COVID 19.           

Thank you

 

March 17, 2020

Guardian Angels Senior Services

Thank you for your patience and support in response to the Covid-19/Coronavirus outbreak.  We understand that this is difficult for everyone.

There are 60 confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Minnesota.

To maintain the health and well-being of those in our care, here are some new guidelines to follow:

  1. How to drop off items for residents:  Please call ahead to alert the staff that you will be dropping off items.  Items need to be labeled with name and apartment number.  Please place them in the vestibule at the front door.  A staff member will deliver them to your loved one.
  2. Dr appointments: We encourage you to cancel routine appointments as clinic waiting rooms are frequent sources of germs - including bacteria and viruses. If doctor visits are vital, please let us know specific appointment times in advance.  The person providing transportation must wait outside the building.
  3. All Volunteer visits have been suspended until further notice

The information below is site specific. Please contact them directly if you have questions.

Angels On Main - Adult Day services are closed until further notice. 763-746-3400

Club GA - Closed until further notice. Elk River - 763-241-4434  Otsego - 763-635-5463

The Gym 365 - Closed until March 31. For updates, check the website (thegym365.com) or call 763-441-4232

Senior Dining Site - Elk River - More information to come.

 

March 12, 2020

Guardian Angels Assisted Living Communities

In response to Covid-19 or Coronavirus, visiting restrictions will be in place at Guardian Angels by the Lake, Engel Haus, and Riverview Landing effective Friday, March 13, 2020.  Based upon newly issued recommendations by the Minnesota Department of Health we will not be allowing visitors to enter the buildings except when the family member or friend is visiting to provide an essential service, i.e., assist with dressing or bathing.  This new guidance was issued to protect the health and safety of our residents and the staff who care for them.  Covid-19 is a respiratory virus that can cause severe illness or death in the elderly population. At this point there is no treatment available for those afflicted.  Preventative measures are the only available treatment option.

The decision to halt visitation is not taken lightly. Federal guidelines recommend escalating interventions based on proximity of diagnosed individuals in the state. We have NO cases of Covid-19 in our residents or staff, however, in an adjacent county to Sherburne County there is one individual diagnosed with Covid-19 who is in critical condition. All contacts for this individual as well as other diagnosed cases are not all yet identified. Our goal is to prevent visitation by someone who may be unaware of their own exposure who might transmit the virus in the facility.

We do not know how long we will need to restrict visitation. The decision when to allow visitors to enter the building again will be based on the presence of this illness in the community surrounding us.  If a resident or staff member at Guardian Angels develops Covid-19, we will communicate this information to you. Guardian Angels would transport any resident suspected of having Covid-19 to an area provider as soon as possible where the resident can be treated in an isolation room equipped with negative air pressure.The resident apartment would be immediately sanitized.

A letter has been mailed to  all resident representatives detailing actions and telephone numbers for who to contact if questions.  We will also be placing a Q & A question section for questions related to Guardian Angels.  Specific disease questions should be referred to your medical provider, the Minnesota Department of Health, or the Center for Disease Control.

 

Q & A

How many cases of Covid-19 do we currently have in Minnesota?

As of 3/12/20 the Minnesota Department of Health is reporting 9 cases of Covid-19 in the following counties:  Hennepin, Anoka, Ramsey, Carver, Dakota, Olmstead.

What is Guardian Angels doing to ensure the safety of my loved one?

Guardian Angels is closely monitoring any resident with respiratory illness.  We are working closely with physicians to evaluate any cases and rule out other causes such as influenza, pneumonia, and the common cold.  To date (3/12/20) we have had no cases of unexplained respiratory illness that could be attributed to Covid-19

What measures are we taking to ensure the health of our staff?

All staff who are ill are encouraged to stay home.  At the start of each shift we are checking temperatures of all staff reporting to work.  We are also limiting staff from working dependent upon recent areas of travel – areas of sustained Covid-19 activity.

 

March 11, 2020

Guardian Angels Care Center

In response to Covid-19 or Coronavirus, visiting restrictions will be in place at GACC effective Friday, March 13, 2020.  Based upon newly issued federal regulations and recommendations by the Minnesota Department of Health we will not be allowing visitors to enter the building except in emergency situations.  This new guidance was issued to protect the health and safety of our residents and the staff who care for them.  Covid-19 is a respiratory virus that can cause severe illness or death in the elderly population.  At this point there is no treatment available for those afflicted.  Preventative measures are the only available treatment option.

The decision to halt visitation is not taken lightly.  Federal guidelines recommend escalating interventions based on proximity of diagnosed individuals in the state.  We have NO cases of Covid-19 in our residents or staff, however, in an adjacent county to Sherburne County there is one individual diagnosed with Covid-19 who is in critical condition.  All contacts for this individual as well as other diagnosed cases are not all yet identified. Our goal is to prevent visitation by someone who may be unaware of their own exposure who might transmit the virus in the facility.

We do not know how long we will need to restrict visitation.  The decision when to allow visitors to enter the building again will be based on the presence of this illness in the community surrounding us.  If a resident or staff member at GACC develops Covid-19, we will communicate this information to you. Guardian Angels Care Center would transport any resident suspected of having Covid-19 to an area provider as soon as possible where the resident can be treated in an isolation room equipped with negative air pressure.  The resident room would be immediately sanitized.

We will be mailing a letter to all resident representatives detailing actions and telephone numbers for who to contact if questions.  We will also be placing a Q & A question section for questions related to Guardian Angels.  Specific disease questions should be referred to your medical provider, the Minnesota Department of Health, or the Center for Disease Control.

Thank you for your patience in this trying time.

Lynn Gerard, RN, BSN

Director of Quality Improvement, Education and Risk Management
Coronavirus Update

Please see the information below for Guardian Angels Communities.
For additional information:  MN Department of Health and Center for Disease Control and Prevention