Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Official Newspaper of Eddy County since 1883
Due to the threat of community spread from the Delta variant of COVID-19, CHI St. Alexius Health – Carrington Medical Center and Golden Acres Manor and Estates in Carrington have enacted visitor restrictions.
No visitors are currently allowed within the CHI Carrington complex, while Golden Acres has guidelines in place for who is allowed to visit their residents, how many visitors they can receive, and at certain times.
CHI Carrington’s restrictions stipulate that one parent may accompany a minor child to the hospital or clinic, and that one caregiver/support person may accompany a patient with cognitive deficits or behavioral issues.
At Golden Acres, visitation hours are Monday-Friday from 9:30 a.m.-12 p.m., 2-5 p.m. and 6:30-8:30 p.m. Weekend visits on Saturday and Sunday are allowed from 2-5 p.m., and visitors are advised to be at the door by 2:15 p.m. that day or the visit may be cancelled.
Appointments are highly encouraged, but visitors who are approved at the last minute will need to be added to the appointment calendar. The number of appointments per day is not limited, but only two visitors are allowed per resident at any one time. Outdoor visits may include four visitors at a time.
Other guidelines for Golden Acres visitors are as follows:
• Outings, while allowed, should adhere to best practices for combatting COVID-19 spread, such as limiting gatherings to 15 persons or less, maintain social distancing, wearing a mask and using hand hygiene. Visitors will need to notify the nurse of where they are going, and any unvaccinated residents who go on outings are required to quarantine for 14 days upon return.
• Children two years of age or older must wear a mask, and be able to remain sitting, or they may be asked to leave.
• No in-room visits are allowed when the resident has a roommate. Four visitation areas will remain in the front lounge.
• The total of two visitors per time “session” will be enforced, with no split shifts remaining.
• A guest may visit two residents in the front lounge at one time, but may not go to two different rooms to visit residents.
• All visitors must wear a mask in the Golden Acres complex and during visits, regardless of vaccination status.
Golden Acres Administrator Mitch Page said that the guidelines are subject to change due to positivity rate in the community.
If there is an outbreak, Page says, indoor visitation will be suspended until further notice, but outdoor visitation will still be allowed. However, slots will be reduced to four for the Estates and six for the Manor.
“We dislike having to go backwards with our visitation guidelines, but it is strongly needed to protect our residents and staff due to the Delta variant,” said Page.
