YAZOO CITY, Miss. (WLBT) – Nursing homes and senior living facilities hope to prevent a possible surge in COVID cases.
Right now, 82 outbreaks are reported in long-term care facilities.
As a group of seniors sing hymns and fellowship with one another at Martha Coker Greenhouse Homes, they are also praying the recent COVID surge will not affect them.
Including senior Mickey Laney, who is fully vaccinated.
“They are the most vulnerable among us,” said Jennifer Bowman, Director of Nursing. “They are not dealing with just COVID, but COVID on top of possibly heart disease, diabetes, or other things. We have seen such a long-time affect after COVID.”
According to the Director of Nursing, 95 percent of the seniors at this living facility are vaccinated, and 100 percent of the staff members.
In January, 3 On Your Side was there as health officials inoculated some of the employees and elderly citizens.
“It is to keep them safe, try to keep our facility out of lockdown, and still allow family members to come and visit, and they can have activities,” said staff member Stacye Allen.
This senior living facility says thanks to the vaccines and booster doses made available to its more than 50 residents and staff, they have prevented major outbreaks.
“The last couple of outbreaks, we have literally involved one person and then two people and that was it.”
After successfully getting over the previous waves that affected so many nursing homes across the country and state, they are now taking aggressive steps to keep the Omicron variant from creeping into this senior living facility.
“We do screening upon entry of all staff, we do once a shift screening of our elders in-terms of vital signs, and they are closely monitored by staff in the houses. Visitors are asked to screen in when they come in to visit, and staff is required to wear mask at all times when exposed to our elders.”
Martha Coker Greenhouse Homes is optimistic that the extra layer of protection will keep their staff and residents safe.
“They are part of our family, and we want them to still be here. We want them to do everything to protect themselves and ensure that they can remain healthy even during an outbreak,” said Bowman.
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