As of March 20, 2024 – please check back for updates.

Current JSL Respiratory Virus Action Plan:

These plans to be evaluated on an ongoing basis.

JSL will follow the requirements of all applicable Executive Orders and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Emergency Orders, Orders from the Local Health Department, and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) Guidance.

The current effective Guidance can be found here:

• https://www.cdc.gov/respiratory-viruses/guidance/respiratory-virus-guidance.html
• Hospital Admission Level/Community Level

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/your-health/covid-by-county.html

JSL will follow the protocols below:

Assisted Living (AL) Communities (Fleischman Residence and Coville Apartments) and Independent Living Communities (Hechtman, Meer, Prentis and Teitel Apartments.)

According to the CDC, in general, long term care settings whose staff provide non-skilled care such as assisted living communities, should follow community prevention strategies similar to independent living, retirement communities or other non-healthcare settings.  On March 6, 2024 the MDHHS Infection Prevention Resource and Assessment Team (IPRAT) and the Oakland County Health Department confirmed via email that Homes for Aged (HFA) and Adult Foster Care (AFC) Homes “are not considered healthcare settings and can follow the general public guidelines”.

The CDC has issued guidance for all types of respiratory viruses, this includes flu, RSV and COVID-19.  Please note that older adults are at greater risk for severe illness from any respiratory virus.  The following core and additional prevention strategies are recommended by the CDC:

Core Prevention Strategies

• Immunization
  • Please discuss with your health care professional to make sure you are up to date on vaccines.
• Hand Hygiene
  • Cover your mouth and nose with a tissue when you cough or sneeze. Throw used tissues in the trash.  If you don’t have a tissue, cough or sneeze into your elbow, not your hands,
  • Use proper handwashing techniques.
  • Clean frequently touched surfaces,
• Steps for Cleaner Air
  • Bring as much air into your home as possible by opening windows.
  • Have gatherings outdoors when possible.
• Treatment
  • If you do become ill, speak with your healthcare provider about antiviral treatment you can consider to lessen your symptoms.
• Stay Home to Prevent Spread
  • Stay Home and away from others until:
    • Symptoms are improving AND
    • You are fever free, without fever reducing medication, for 24 hours.
  • When you go back to your normal activities, take added precautions over the next 5 days, such as taking additional steps to cleaner air, hygiene, masks, physical distancing and or testing when you will be around other people indoors.
  • If you develop a fever or you start to feel worse after you have gone back to normal activities, stay home and away from others again until, for at least 24 hours, both are true: your symptoms are improving overall, and you have not had a fever (and are not using fever reducing medications). Then take added precaution for the next 5 days.

Additional Strategies

• Masks
  • Wear a mask when there is an increase in cases in the community and when you or the people around you were recently exposed to a respiratory virus, are sick or are recovering.
  • Wear a mask when the people around you have risk factors for severe illness.
  • At this time, we are requiring that in the case of a single case of respiratory illness in our assisted living communities, that all staff, residents and visitors mask in the building and continue to do so until we are 5 days past the last case of respiratory illness. We will be evaluating how these changes will impact our ongoing policy on preventing spread of respiratory illness, including masking and other additional precautions.
• Distancing
  • Distance yourself from others when there is an increase in cases in the community and when you or the people around you were recently exposed to a respiratory virus, are sick or are recovering.
• Test
  • Plan in advance to have tests on hand so you can test quickly.
  • Test as a screening method, especially when you are going to be around others.
  • Test when there is an increase in cases in the community and when you or the people around you were recently exposed to a respiratory virus, are sick or are recovering.
  • We request if you test positive for COVID-19 that you inform the office as soon as possible.
• Take prevention measures for 5 additional days

Notifications of COVID-19 Cases

• Although not required, JSL will notify all residents, guardians, and healthcare proxies when there is a significant increase in the amount of staff or resident cases of respiratory illness in the community as soon as possible via Voice Friend and with a posting on the front door.

Visitors

• Visits are permitted at any time.
• All visitors must enter and be screened and logged in at permitted entrances only.
• Those with symptoms or exposures are recommended not to visit. If the visit must occur, it is highly recommended to wear a well-fitting mask while in the facility.

Volunteers

• JSL prefers that all volunteers be fully vaccinated.

Dining and Activities

• Communal dining and group activities will be permitted.
• Access to hand hygiene will be available.
• If a resident has a respiratory illness, they will not be permitted to return to dining until their symptoms improve and they are fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication. Additionally, since the CDC guidance recommends masking as an additional strategy for the next 5 days, residents may not return to dining in the dining room until an additional 5 days have passed since symptom improvement and remaining fever free.  This is due to the fact that unmasking is required while dining.
• Complimentary meal delivery will continue for the illness and recovery time listed above.
• Residents who wish to continue to receive meals in their apartment and are not recovering from respiratory illness will be charged the customary delivery fee.
• If a resident has a respiratory illness, they will not be permitted to return to programmed activities until their symptoms improve and they are fever free for 24 hours without the use of fever reducing medication. Additionally, they will have to take added precautions for the next 5 days to include masking and distancing per CDC guidance.
• During an increase in respiratory virus illness, JSL will determine when it is appropriate to temporarily suspend dining or programming. Residents and families will be notified when a temporary suspension occurs.

Salon and Wellness Center

• Currently open.
• During an increase in respiratory virus illness, cases, JSL will determine when it is appropriate to temporarily suspend the use of the salon and/or wellness center. Residents and families will be notified when a temporary suspension occurs.

Transportation

• Transportation will be offered for medical appointments, essential appointments, and social appointments where and as available.
• During an increase in respiratory virus illness cases, JSL will determine when it is appropriate to temporarily suspend the use of transportation. Residents and families will be notified when a temporary suspension occurs.

All JSL Communities

Miscellaneous

• JSL staff are required to follow our MIOSHA/OSHA work plan.  If you would like to see a copy of our plan or any other staff protocols, please speak with your building Administrator.  Topics covered in this plan include the following:
  • Engineering controls – barriers between the worker and exposure to the virus including masks and facial coverings.
  • Administrative controls – policies, procedures and practices such as staggered work schedule, teleworking and increased social distancing measures.
  • Basic infection prevention measures – handwashing and facility cleaning, in accordance with CDC guidance.
  • Health surveillance – screening protocols to identify known or suspected COVID-19 cases at the start of work shifts, employees should report any signs or symptoms of COVID-19.

In situations where the respiratory virus action plan as described above does not control the spread of illness, JSL will contact the Oakland County Health Department for further guidance and will follow their recommendations.

If you have questions about any of the above information, or require additional information or clarification please contact your building administrator.