COVID-19 Update

31 March 2020

Dear Residents/Families,

We continue working to ensure the safety, security and comfort for our residents at the Hallmark. While I am pleased to report that Hallmark has not experienced any active cases of COVID-19 to date, we must remain vigilant in our efforts to contain the potential spread of this virus.

The Federal government has extended social distancing guidelines through April 30th. Texas has announced school closings through May 4th and is recommending stay-at-home for all non-essential activities, while Harris county has extended their Stay Home/Work Safe order through the end of April.

Hallmark is redoubling our efforts as well. Effective April 2nd, we will be closing the salon until further notice. While we had previously barred outside salon visitors/clients, we had continued to allow resident access.

We will also be ending all renovation/project work (except emergencies). While we had previously allowed screened contractors to assist in wrapping up a minimal number of projects, we have decided to discontinue that work effective April 2nd.

This evening a memo to staff was distributed seeking information on how we can assist them and their families during this time while also insisting that those employees who work at Hallmark do not also work at other locations that might lead to a transfer of the virus. We would ask each of you to verify with any personal caregivers you employ to also insist on a commitment to only one (1) work location during this time. If your caregiver is unable to commit to this, our IHA service stands ready to assist.

All of these initiatives are an effort to minimize contact opportunities with potential carriers. We continue to encourage residents to stay at the community for ALL NON-ESSENTIAL outings and to be mindful of interaction with others if you are away from the community. Our staff will be happy to assist with any needs you may have such as setting up grocery and/or medication delivery, delivering packages, etc. Please be considerate of your fellow residents in your decision making.

If you experience any cold/flu symptoms, DO NOT LEAVE YOUR RESIDENCE. Please contact the front desk and/or your primary care provider. Hallmark will coordinate with the Department of Health, EMS and healthcare providers related to testing and treatment of suspected cases.

Fireside chat, scheduled for April 1st has been cancelled. Most of the information that would have been discussed is contained in this communication.

To wit, other items going on with the Hallmark include:

· We anticipate our bus delivery will take place in late April. As we are not currently expecting much need for transportation, this delay seemed prudent.

· Work continues on the grounds. Some of you have noticed the “pineapples” on the fence outside the dining room have been cleaned and other work is ongoing.

· We understand that this time can be isolating and lonely for many people, including residents who may have a spouse residing in healthcare. We have arranged for spouses who choose to participate to visit their loved one from the balconies/courtyards in healthcare so long as each maintain social distancing. While not quite the same thing as a true visit, it is heartwarming to see these connections even at a distance.

· Our lifestyles/activity teams are continuing to explore new ways of connecting and staying active to the extent possible. One issue we are currently working on revolves around the availability of channel 101. We have been made aware this channel is not functioning for some residents and encourage you to report it so we can implement a response. We’d like to use this channel for a number of new initiatives once we ensure all have access.

· Hallmark received our statement of deficiencies during our survey, which occurred March 4

· We received 5 minor deficiencies:

o Resident rights- An aide was caught feeding a resident from a standing position

o Resident assessments- 2 assessments were electronically submitted, however rejected at the state level. Facility failed to re-submit those assessments within 14 days.

o Pharmacy services- Medication was not delivered timely due to required insurance authorization. Charge nurse did not follow up in a timely fashion and failed to report to Director of Nursing. Nurse also borrowed the same medication from another resident to give to the first one.

o Nurse noted above washed her hands prior to entering resident room and changed gloves between procedures, however failed to wash her hands between 2 procedures on the same resident.

o Dining Services- Food was stored with an expired date, a microwave and a pan was found dirty and a refrigerator in healthcare went out during the survey resulting in a tuna salad not being stored at proper temperature.

Hallmark has submitted our plan of correction (POC) and anticipate that our star rating will increase by one (1) star based on these results. We also anticipate a second star upgrade related to staffing to go in effect within 30-90 days, resulting in 4 stars.

We appreciate your participation and patience working through this trying time together. Please know that our team is here to respond to any questions or concerns you may have.

Sincerely,

Harold Ermshar

Executive Director