Updated all-in-one mitigation guidance for residential care facilities

 

To: Residential care facilities (Nursing Homes, Assisted Living Facilities, Group Homes, and Intermediate Care Facilities) From: CDPHE Residential Care Strike Team and Infection Prevention and Control Unit   The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has an updated all-in-one mitigation guidance for residential care facilities, including nursing homes, assisted living facilities, group homes, and intermediate care facilities. The changes include general mitigation updates and recent recommendations from Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).    Updates include (download the .pdf guidance for clickable section/table of contents links):   Reorganized and created new section titles to align with CDC’s current guidance.  Updated the link to the Eighth Amended PHO 20-20. Updated language in the definition of Close Contact. Added “Voter Assistance Personnel” to the Essential Health Care Service Providers definition.   Added links to training resources in several sections throughout the document. Added a definition of cloth mask. Updated guidance with a link to the CDC Data Tracker.  Added clarifying language to the Outbreak Testing section. Added “unknown vaccination status” to the Unvaccinated, Partially Vaccinated, and Individuals With an Unknown Vaccination Status section.    Outlined requirements for the individual responsible for the Infection Prevention Program.  Added a link to the CDPHE Respiratory Protection toolkit. Added a Source Control and Physical Distancing table. Added a comprehensive testing table. Updated clarifying language in the LTC Testing Decision Tree. Added an option for the CDPHE Infection Prevention Team to complete a facility risk-assessment and allow for contact tracing and unit-based approach to outbreak investigation in certain situations.    The Residential Care Strike Team and Infection Prevention unit will continue to provide outreach and information through Colorado Health Facilities Interactive (CoHFI), and the biweekly long-term care facility call. Infection prevention-specific questions can always be submitted through this form.   For questions about the updated guidance, please contact:   residentialcarestriketeam@state.co.us. cdphe_infectionprevention@state.co.us.    Wednesday, Nov. 17 Long-Term Care Facility Call   We will utilize the LTCF Call on Nov. 17 to do an extensive overview of the guidance updates.    Please Note: We are now asking all participants to register for the biweekly call. Calendar info/registration for the call must be completed before the call. Once registered, you will be able to use the same link for future calls.   Register here: https://zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_FKlE8zPHTjq3XseN36vTWw After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the webinar. Please utilize your facility or agency affiliated email address for easier verification.