Dear Andrus on Hudson Community,
Ever since late February, we have communicated regularly about all that we’re doing to keep our residents safe and healthy under these challenging circumstances. As the cases of COVID-19 have risen in New York, we have not been immune to its impact.
It is with a heavy heart that I inform you that eight residents who tested positive for COVID have died. They all had underlying health conditions and half were long-term residents. The other four were not long-term residents, but had come to our isolation wing from the hospital after being treated for COVID-19. We check-in regularly with and report all cases to the Department of Health, and follow their guidelines. We believe in transparency and accuracy when reporting cases and so, following the state’s lead, we will also report “presumed deaths” to the State Department of Health, which are deaths that we believe were a result of COVID-19 but not confirmed.
Since the first cases of COVID-19 were discovered in Westchester County, we have been taking protective measures. Some of these measures include social distancing, closing the building to visitors, cancelling communal dining and group events, expansion of disinfection procedures and frequencies, and instituting check-ins for all staff, regardless of role, upon arriving at work. All staff members have access to and utilization of N95 face masks, face shields, medical grade protective glasses and isolation gowns. The protocols we have in place ensure direct contact is always done utilizing personal protective equipment. This reduces the risk to residents and staff regardless of health status.
Similar to the ways we have served our broader community in other times of crisis, AOH accepted COVID patients at the request of and in partnership with the State of NY Department of Health to free necessary hospital beds.
We have been taking many measures to alleviate the social isolation our residents may be feeling. We are making social phone calls to families and our Community Life staff provides one-on-one and “distance safe” engagement activities. Every day, our staff is working hard to give special care and support to all of our residents.
We are providing patients with the best possible care while adhering to strict safety and infection prevention/control protocols, along with enhanced monitoring such as tele-medicine consults and clinical interventions as needed. All medical interventions are overseen by a Chief Medical Officer, Co-Medical Directors, attending Physicians, Nurse Practitioners and other providers. We honor and respect the wishes of our residents’ health care directives.
I am grateful for the dedication our 250+ employees demonstrate every day. The way they have shown up in this public health crisis to care for our residents is inspiring and courageous. We in turn are working hard to ensure our employees feel supported and protected while at work. We provide free meals from local restaurants, free childcare and mental health services to help sustain our employees during this challenging and stressful period.
We are working around the clock to provide a loving, nurturing environment for our residents and staff and are committed to keeping you informed. We are also providing regular updates through www.andrusonhudson.org and www.aohnotify.com, and proactively calling family members to let them know how their loved ones are doing.
If you have questions please call: 914-478-3700
This is a very difficult time, but we will get through it together day -by-day.
Sincerely,
James Rosenman
Chief Executive Officer