September 28, 2020
Dear Family and Friends,
Our cumulative data for Simpson Memorial Home West Liberty Campus, is as follows:
- 21 Positive Residents.
- Of the 21 Positive Residents, four (4) have passed away and 15 have recovered. We now have zero (0) Positive Residents in-house; and two (2) positive Residents in the hospital which we hope to have back soon.
- Eleven (11) Positive Staff.
- Of the 11 Positive Staff, eight (8) have recovered and returned to work. We had two (2) new Positive Staff leaving three (3) Staff actively positive.
- We continue to complete weekly surveillance testing for Negative Residents and Staff and will report result positive cases, if any.
“The bad news is nothing lasts forever. The good news is nothing lasts forever.” – unknown author. We mourn the loss of another Resident and we celebrate the recovery of 15 Residents.
Sincerely,
Shelley Wicks
Administrator
September 22, 2020
Dear Family and Friends,
Our cumulative data for Simpson Memorial Home, West Liberty Campus, is as follows:
- 21 Positive Residents.
- Of the 21 Positive Residents, three (3) have passed away, six (6) have recovered. We now have 12 Residents actively positive.
- Eight (8) Positive Staff.
- Of the Eight (8) Positive Staff, five (5) have recovered and returned to work, leaving three (3) Staff actively positive.
- Today, 9-22, we retested 11 previously tested Negative Residents and sent those samples to the State Hygienic Lab. We hope to have those results within 48 hours.
- We want to give special thanks for our Aegis Therapy Staff who have volunteered to work as both Therapists (Physical Therapy, Occupational Therapy, Speech Therapy) and nurse’s aides. They already know our residents and been so helpful to them and our staff.
Today we are hopeful for the recovery of our Residents and strive to meet their needs. ”It’s always something, to know you’ve done the most you could. But, don’t leave off hoping, or it’s of no use doing anything. Hope, hope to the last.” – Charles Dickens
Thank you again to the many people who continue to wish us well!
Sincerely,
Shelley Wicks
Administrator
September 20, 2020
Dear Family and Friends,
Our cumulative data for Simpson Memorial Home, West Liberty Campus, is as follows:
- 21 Positive Residents
- 1 new Positive Resident
- Of the 21 Positive Residents, three have passed away leaving 18 Residents actively positive.
- Eight (8) Positive Staff
- Of the Eight (8) Positive Staff, three (3) have recovered and returned to work leaving Five (5) Staff actively positive.
12 PCR test are back from the State Lab from on 9-16-20. 11 negative results for Resident testing. The new resident case was someone we already had on isolation precautions as they had been exposed at the beginning of our outbreak.
We continue to manage through these trying times with the love and support from our community.
At times our own light goes out and is rekindled by a spark from another person. Each of us has cause to think with deep gratitude of those who have lighted the flame within us. –Albert Schweitzer
Sincerely,
Shelley Wicks
Administrator
September 18, 2020
Dear Family and Friends,
Our cumulative data for Simpson Memorial Home, West Liberty Campus, is as follows:
- 20 Positive Residents
- Of the 20 Positive Residents, two have passed away leaving 18 Residents actively positive.
- Eight (8) Positive Staff
- Of the Eight (8) Positive Staff, three (3) have recovered and returned to work today leaving Five (5) Staff actively positive.
The State Lab as not yet returned results for testing completed on 9-16-20. We will report that information when available.
These are trying times for all of us. As shared, we now have two wonderful people who have passed away and remain in our hearts.
“Anyone can give up, it’s the easiest thing in the world to do. But to hold it together when everyone else would understand if you fell apart, that’s true strength.” “The greatest test of courage on the earth is to bear defeat without losing heart.” “We are only as strong as we are united, as weak as we are divided.” -Unknown Author
Sincerely,
Shelley Wicks
Administrator
September 17, 2020
Dear Family and Friends,
For the second day in a row we have no changes to report. Our cumulative data for Simpson Memorial Home, West Liberty, is as follows:
- 20 Positive Residents
- Of the 20 Positive, one has passed away leaving 19 Residents actively positive
- Eight (8) Positive Staff
We retested all negative Residents yesterday and those tests went to the State Lab. As per the Lab, they are back logged, and it may take 72 hours to get those results back.
We want to past on to all of you again the appreciation of our staff for your understanding and kindness. “Appreciation is a wonderful thing: it makes what is excellent in others belong to us as well.” – Voltaire.
Sincerely,
Shelley Wicks
Administrator
September 15, 2020
Dear Family and Friends,
We are saddened to report the death of one Resident. “What we have once enjoyed deeply, we can never lose. All that we love deeply becomes a part of us.” – Helen Keller.
The following is our Covid Number update for Simpson Memorial Home-West Liberty Skilled Nursing, 9-15-2020:
- 20 Positive Residents
- Eight (8) Positive Staff
- One (1) Resident death leaving 19 Positive as of today.
Thank you for your words of encouragement,
Shelley Wicks
Administrator
September 14, 2020
Dear Family and Friends,
Today no news is good news! Our Covid 19 count at our West Liberty Skilled Nursing campus remains as follows:
- 20 Positive Residents
- Eight (8) positive Staff
We tested ten (10) staff today and all were negative for Covid 19.
The State of Iowa, Department of Inspections and Appeals Staff, arrived today and will give us further guidance and feedback on infection control procedures. This is a routine procedure for a facility who is experiencing their first Covid 19 outbreak. We welcome her input.
Sincerely,
Shelley Wicks
September 13, 2020
Dear Family and Friends,
Our Simpson Memorial Home, West Liberty Skilled Nursing, Covid 19 Positive Cases today are as follows:
- 20 Residents
- 8 Staff
As per Iowa Department of Public Health guidelines, we are testing all negative Residents and Staff every three to seven days. Today the rapid test was used and out of 14 staff tested everyone was negative for Covid 19.
We continue to be thankful for the support of family and friends and the community. “If we have no peace, its because we have forgotten we belong to each other.”-Mother Teresa
We strive to keep you informed and provide the best possible care to your loved ones.
Sincerely,
Shelley Wicks
Administrator
Update: September 12th, 2020
Dear Family and Friends,
This afternoon we have good news! No other Resident or Staff has tested positive within the last 24 hours. That makes our count still at 20 Residents and seven (7) staff.
We wanted to share our Staff is doing their very best, going above and beyond, to make life as normal as can be. This includes music in the hallways, laughing and joking, singing, and spending one on one time with the Residents.
We greatly appreciate the outpouring of support by families, friends, and community members. People have been calling to wish us well, bringing in treats and other acts of kindness. The wraparound of support keeps are staff going strong and feeling appreciated.
We hope you are all doing well and staying healthy.
Sincerely,
Shelley Wicks, Administrator
September 11, 2020
Dear Family and Friends,
The following is the update of Covid 19 positive numbers for our Simpson Memorial Skilled Nursing Facility, West Liberty Campus, as of today, September 11, 2020:
- The number of positive Residents is 20.
- The number of positive Staff is 7.
We continue to work very closely with our State and Muscatine County Department of Public Health and our Medical Director to assist us in providing the best possible care to our Residents.
Our dedicated staff have volunteered to put in additional hours to their full-time schedules to assist in meeting the needs of your loved ones. We greatly appreciate of the support from you and the community.
Sincerely,
Shelley Wicks
September 10, 2020
Dear Family and Friends,
The following is an update on the number of confirmed Covid 19 cases at the Simpson Memorial Home Skilled Nursing Facility as of this morning, 9-10-2020:
- Number of Staff Confirmed with Covid 19 is 6.
- Number of Residents Confirmed with Covid 19 is 14.
We are working very closely with our State and Muscatine County Department of Public Health and our Medical Director to assist us in providing the best possible care to all our residents.
During this challenging time, we remain committed to providing excellent care for your loved ones. They are a part of our family as well. We are thankful for your support and well-wishes.
Sincerely,
Shelley Wicks
Update: 09/08/2020
Dear Family and Friends,
Two Simpson Memorial staff members have been diagnosed with COVID-19. One staff member had direct contact with our residents. Consistent with Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) guidelines, the staff members are in self isolation at home, and will not return to work until they have completed the recommended isolation in accordance with public health guidance. Our healthcare staff is working closely with the Iowa Department of Public Health and Muscatine County Public Health to protect the health of all residents and staff. We are following public health recommendations to help protect our residents’ and community’s exposure to this virus. Protecting your health and wellbeing, and that of our staff and residents, remain our highest priority.
We have implemented the following procedures:
- Effective today, September 8, 2020, we return to Phase One Covid guidelines.
- In regards to testing: Resident family member will only be contacted if your loved one is positive.
- All in-person visitation is cancelled until further notice. Window visits, with windows closed, are allowed, as are Zoom and Face Time visits.
- All Staff and Residents will be tested for Covid. Testing started today.
- Residents will need to remain in the respective hallways and are strongly encouraged to stay in their rooms.
- Meal orders will be taken by the CNA staff and CNAs will deliver meals and snacks to individual Resident rooms.
- All group activities are cancelled until further notice.
- All infection control practices have been in place and will continue to be used.
We appreciate your help and understanding during this unprecedented time and situation. We will post updates as need. If you have questions, contact Vickie Butterbrodt, DON; Jennifer Willis, Care Coordinator or Laura White, Social Worker
A Friendly Reminder, September 2nd, 2020
Dear Family and Friends,
If you want to schedule an outdoor visit at Simpson Memorial Home in West Liberty, please contact either Laura White or Michelle Wheeler for scheduling at 319-627-4775. If you want to schedule an outdoor visit at Wilton, contact Jean Salazar or Becky Berry at 563-732-5067. Nursing and other staff will not be able to schedule or monitor visits. Please do not call them during the weekend or evening to request a visit. Visiting hours are Monday through Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Due to hot weather, we prefer you schedule a morning visit. Visits are limited to 30 minutes and are reserved for adults 18 and over. Only two visitors at a time are allowed. All visitors are screened upon entry. Visitors unable to pass the screening or comply with infection control practices like masks should refrain from visiting.
Weekend visits are very limited and are for those family members who reside out of State or hours away within Iowa and cannot come during the week. Other special circumstances can be discussed with Laura or Michelle.
We do try to accommodate all requests for visits during visiting hours. We must ensure equity in scheduling visits. Therefore, visits per Resident are limited pending the number of visits already scheduled. All visits must be monitored. We monitor from inside our building to ensure privacy of Resident visits. Michelle and Laura provide the monitoring service. We can not take nursing staff away from their duties to monitor visits, especially on weekends and in the evening.
For Residents who are at or near end of days, we allow for in-person compassionate care visits, up to two adults at a time. Please call nursing to let them know when you are coming.
Window visits continue and are working well for many Residents.
We appreciate your understanding of the visitor procedure during this trying and difficult time regarding Covid-19 precautions. We look forward to the day when all families and friends are welcome to come into the building at any time.
Please contact us with any questions.
Sincerely,
Laura & Michelle
Lifting of Restrictions in 3 Phases – UPDATED 7/9/20
Family Members,
Good News! Both of our assisted livings are now in Phase 3! The Leland Smith Assisted Living in Wilton and the West Liberty Assisted Living in West Liberty have both been cleared to go into Phase 3.
The Wilton Retirement Community’s Townsend Family Care Center entered Phase 2 today and Simpson Memorial Home will enter Phase 2 on Friday July 10th. If all goes well in the next 2 weeks both of those buildings could enter Phase 3. Unfortunately, we could rollback into Phase 1 if we start to see cases rise within our buildings.
OPEN WINDOW VISITS
We will require you to call ahead to schedule these as we will be keeping a log of who comes and when in the event we later need to do contact tracing.
We will require you to be screened prior to the visit. You must come to the front door for this. Screening includes:
- Answering questions about your own personal health
- Taking your temperature
We will allow the window to be open on decent days. With this in mind:
- You will need to be screened first
- You will wear a mask
- You must stand six foot away from the window and no closer
- No more than two people at the window at a time
- Your resident family member will be at the window. A staff member will open the window.
- Your resident family member will wear a mask during the visit
We are restricting the visits to 30 minutes as an employee will be monitoring the visit to ensure infection control guidelines are being followed. Plus we must restrict the number of visits to be fair to all of the residents.
Please bear in mind that these will need to be scheduled ahead of time so that we will have an available staff member present.
Window visits without opening the window can occur at any time without scheduling and screening.
OUTSIDE VISITS
Here again, we will require you to call ahead to schedule these as we will be keeping a log of who comes and when in the event we later need to do contact tracing.
We will require you to be screened prior to the visit. You must come to the front door for this. Screening includes:
- Answering questions about your own personal health
- Taking your temperature
The outside visit will be with your loved one, SMH in the front of the building or WRC on the outside patio. There is a plastic screen for visitors, family on one side and the resident on the other.
- You will need to be screened first
- You will wear a mask and use hand sanitizer
- There are chairs for guests to sit.
- No more than two-three people with the resident at a time. Please check with the facility for the exact number.
- No coming around the screen at any time
- Your resident family member will wear a mask during the visit
We are restricting the visits to 30 minutes as an employee will be monitoring the visit to ensure infection control guidelines are being followed. Plus we must restrict the number of visits to be fair to all of the residents.
Please bear in mind that these will need to be scheduled ahead of time so that we will have an available staff member present.
With either of these visits, if family members do not comply with our rules, we will shut the window or take the resident back inside and the visit will be over. Covid 19 is active in our town. We are taking all of these precautions to keep your family member safe. Strict adherence to these visitation opportunities is a must.
We will start taking scheduling calls on Tuesday, July 7. Please call Simpson Memorial Home or Wilton Retirement Community to make an appointment.
If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call me.
Thanks, Shelley Wicks – Administrator
Wilton: 563-732-5067 or West Liberty: 319-627-4775
COVID-19 Update as of 7/21/20: 0 New
Visit this page often for our latest updates on COVID-19.
Covid-19 update for Simpson Memorial Home, Inc. (West Liberty & Wilton)
Data on any outbreaks and any updates will be reported here as situations arise.
Simpson Memorial Home: New Resident Infections – ZERO. New Staff Infections – ZERO.
West Liberty Assisted Living Residences: New Tenant Infections – ZERO. New Staff Infections – ZERO.
Wilton Retirement Community: New Residents Infections – ZERO. New Staff Infections – ZERO.
Leland R. Smith Assisted Living Residences: Residents – ZERO. Staff – ZERO.