Manor of the Plains
AUGUST 2020
Experience prepped Tammy Thompson for once-in-a-lifetime pandemic There might be no one equipped to handle a global pandemic better than Tammy Thompson. Serving as the director of nursing in Health Care since January of last year, you might say Tammy has health care in her blood. “I come from a family of care providers,” said Tammy. “My whole family worked at the nursing home in Bucklin—my aunts, my cousins, my mom—and we grew up there, around the elderly.” Although she has worked in a variety of Tammy Thompson capacities within the health care industry— most recently as an operating room nurse—when the opportunity to once again serve seniors became available, she knew where she belonged. “I love the elderly and have a passion for long-term care,” said Tammy. “It’s where my heart is.” Almost a year and a half later, when Manor of the Plains had an employee first test positive for COVID-19, Tammy’s lifetime of experience came into play as she worked to protect those within the community. “We were in the lead position on this and we wanted to set expectations correctly,” said Tammy. One of the first things Tammy needed to do to contain the spread of COVID-19 was to implement community-wide testing—something she said would have been difficult if it were not for the professionalism and dedication of her staff. “My nurses have all been great pitching in on test days,” said Tammy. “We test all residents and staff every two weeks, and we have a great system in place—last time we had it done in three hours.” Beyond implementing testing procedures, dealing with COVID-19 has challenged Tammy’s staff in numerous other ways as they ensure that
Manor of the Plains earns zerodeficiency ratings for focused infection control surveys Manor of the Plains earned a zero-deficiency survey for two focused infection control surveys conducted by the Kansas Department of Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) in June.
A zero-deficiency survey means Manor of the Plains met all the standards for infection control in both assisted living and health care. “Every day, our employees go above and beyond in the care they provide,” said John Van Hook, executive director. “Receiving zero deficiency surveys for both assisted living and health care is a RATINGS - continued on page 2
THOMPSON – continued on page 4 Manor of the Plains | A PMMA COMMUNITY
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Residents share ‘no complaining’ key to surviving tough times After living through the COVID-19 pandemic the past four months, two residents share a key theme for surviving hard Donna Imel times. “I just can’t complain,” said Donna Imel, an independent living resident. “We are holding up well. If we weren’t here, we’d be having to try to fend for ourselves out there. And that’s not good. We have a nice place to live.” Staying somewhat connected from a safe distance has helped Donna keep a positive attitude. “Three months is a long time to go without seeing anyone. My daughter and her husband meet me RATINGS - continued from page 1
tremendous accomplishment.” The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has directed states to complete surveys of all skilled nursing facilities by July 31, 2020. The Kansas Legislature directed KDADS to complete focused infection control surveys for all adult care homes in Kansas by September 30, 2020. The focused infection control surveys hone in on an adult care home’s adherence to Centers for
on the patio. We wear masks and stay six feet apart. We’re not locked in, so we also see all the residents. There are several of us that walk outside. We wear masks. And some of us eat together six feet apart on TV trays,” said Donna.
nurses were so nice. When I needed anything, they weren’t fooling around. They got what I needed. Any time they came in, they put on their boots, their jackets, everything. I really kind of hated to leave to go back to my room!”
She also has extra time for hobbies. “I’m a reader and do a lot of reading. And a little crochet,” said Donna.
When she returned to her room after recovery, she said, “They put on a nice welcome party. They decorated everything. There were signs, flowers and a big welcome party. All the nurses they could get, Mr. John Van Hook and residents had signs. It was just wonderful. It made me feel important.”
Despite our best efforts to keep our community safe during the pandemic, a resident in our community tested positive for COVID-19. When asked about her experience, she said she didn’t have one complaint. At her request, we aren’t sharing her name, but we are sharing her incredible attitude. She said of her quarantine: “Those Disease Control (CDC) and CMS guidance for infection control practices to prevent disease at the community. Communities are assessed on staff and resident education on hand hygiene and coughing/sneezing etiquette, cleaning, screening of employees and residents, effective transmission-based precautions, proper use/discarding of personal protective equipment and signage at entrances and resident rooms. It also examines the facility’s policies and emergency preparedness
Our residents, staff, volunteers and families are important to us! We appreciate the positive attitudes as we work to keep Manor of the Plains safe for all of us. ◆ related to a pandemic or outbreak. Senior living communities are surveyed annually by their licensing agency for compliance of regulations established by KDADS and the CMS. KDADS licenses adult care homes and CMS licenses skilled nursing facilities. These regulations are designed to ensure a standard of care is met. By meeting this standard, senior living communities are able to renew their licenses and continue to provide care. ◆
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MANOR PLAINS of the
A PMMA COMMUNITY
620-225-1928 ◆ Fax: 620-225-3982 200 Campus Dr. Dodge City, KS 67801-2760 ManorOfThePlains.org
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | August 2020
Community Matters
is published monthly for residents and friends of Manor of the Plains by Presbyterian Manors of Mid-America, Inc., a not-for-profit 501(c)(3) organization.
To submit or suggest articles: bgladbach@PMMA.org John Van Hook, executive director Brittany Gladbach, marketing director
OUR MISSION: To provide quality senior services guided by Christian values.
Daughter of resident sews masks, gowns to fill community need When the coronavirus initially hit the United States it quickly depleted health care resources all across the country—including Manor of the Plains. Hearing of the shortage, Jena Ross, the daughter of resident Donna Imel, took matters into her own hands and created her own line of personal protection devices for community staff members. “The need was originally just masks, so I made 35 to 50 simple masks right off the bat,” said Jena. “Then I saw on Facebook they were needing some isolation gowns, so I made 31 of those.” In addition to providing resources for Manor of the Plains, Jena also began making masks for a dentist office, a physical therapist and a cancer center near her home in Illinois. “I think I’m approaching 400 masks that I have made,” said Jena. “I know other people have done a lot more than that, but it was just something I could do to help out.” However, the demand for Jena’s services soon led to dwindling stockpiles of material forcing her to become more and more resourceful along the way. “I went through all the elastic I had and then ordered a bunch more,” said Jena. “When that ran out, I started cutting up my husband’s old t-shirts to use as ties—I’ve gotten very creative.”
Jena Ross, daughter of resident Donna Imel, made face masks and isolation gowns for our community.
According to Jena, the work has not only given her a purpose and prevented her from “sitting around and worrying about what’s going on,” it has proved to her that her sewing skills are still relevant in 2020. “I always say that my talent is a dying art, so it’s nice to put those talents to good use and know that helped in some way—even if it was just a temporary BandAid until they could get the real equipment they needed,” said Jena. “It’s just nice to know I could use that talent for something other than just patching my husband’s jeans.” Manor of the Plains appreciates all of the individuals who have stepped up to help our community. “We appreciate all of the residents’ children who have helped rise up to this challenge keep their parents, residents and staff safe. It’s our generations first time ever going through something like this and I think we all have handled it like troopers,” said Lisa Montoya, life enrichment director. ◆
Doug Schaapveld, environmental services, models masks and isolation gowns made by Jena Ross. Manor of the Plains | A PMMA COMMUNITY
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MANOR PLAINS of the
A PMMA COMMUNITY
200 Campus Dr. Dodge City, KS 67801-2760 RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
Our Mission: to provide quality senior services guided by Christian values Like us on Facebook to stay updated on news and events.
THOMPSON – continued from page 1 each resident is safe and that all of their physical and psychological needs are being met. “It’s put a lot of strain on residents not seeing their loved ones, so we’ve done extra one-on-ones to keep them feeling loved,” said Tammy. Tammy said none of it would be possible without the people she works with. “I’m very lucky, the nurse management team and direct care staff are great,” said Tammy. “We all have a respect for each other and work really well together.” In addition to the opportunity to care for seniors at this vulnerable time in history, Tammy is equally
grateful to work for an organization that believes in serving a greater good. “The Christian values Presbyterian Manors stands for makes working here even more rewarding,” said Tammy. “You know you’re working towards something.” The Ford County Health Department officially closed the outbreak at Manor of the Plains on July 6 when all tests for employees and residents were negative for a second consecutive time, ending nearly two months of testing at the community. We look forward to opening the community to visitors again as the campus goes through a phased reopening. ◆
COVID-19 updates continue
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues, you can count on regular communication from your PMMA community and PMMA leadership. PMMA’s President and CEO Bruce Shogren’s latest letter to residents and families is posted to your community website, ManorOfThePlains.org/covid-19. In this issue of Community Matters, you’ll find an explanation of the phases of reopening and a flow chart showing all the entities contributing to our reopening plans. ◆
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COMMUNITY MATTERS | August 2020