Columbia Ridge Senior Living has no confirmed cases of COVID-19
Administrators at Washougal senior-care facility say they’re ‘committed to following protocols, staying healthy’
By Doug Flanagan
Post-Record staff writer
Residents of the Columbia Ridge Senior Living assisted-living facility in Washougal have not reported any confirmed cases of COVID-19 among residents or staff, but administrators there say they are committed to following protocols to stay healthy in the wake of the coronavirus outbreak.
“Our employees and residents and their families have been overwhelmingly positive about what we have implemented to protect them,” said Columbia Ridge Executive Director Emily Taghon. “This community amazes me every day with their positivity during this unprecedented time.”
Columbia Ridge has made several changes since the outbreak of the virus, according to Taghon.
“Our visiting policy has been significantly restricted, our staff check-in policy has been changed, our standard precautions have been increased significantly and our staff training has ramped up,” Taghon said. “Residents of Columbia Ridge Senior Living are very aware of the potential dangers with contracting this virus. They are all watching the news and have brought up their concerns; however, it has been amazing to watch them implement their own safety procedures and comply with the standards that we have implemented in the name of health for themselves and our team. Mostly they are saying they cannot wait for our doors to be open to visitors again.”
Columbia Ridge employees are sanitizing “high-touch” areas such as doorknobs, light switches, handrails, elevator buttons, telephones, arm-rests and common area tables, several times per day; encouraging residents to use technology to remain engaged and connected with their families and friends; delivering meals directly to residents’ apartments; and holding residents’ mail for 24 hours to help reduce the risk of contact contamination.
The center has also implemented a health-based screening process that must be completed by any person seeking entry into the facility. And because outings have been cancelled, staff members are helping residents with their shopping needs.
“We are only allowing essential visitors, including end-of-life caregivers, family members of residents who are at the end of life, health department personnel, vendors, life safety systems maintenance, and our staff members and potential staff members,” Taghon said. “It is important that we keep our team staffed. We are strongly encouraging residents to practice social distancing within our community and are not conducting any group activities.”
Taghon said that Columbia Ridge has a procedure in place to ensure that reports of possible respiratory illnesses are responded to in a timely and appropriate manner.
“Our team is monitoring residents daily,” she said. “We are taking temperatures (and monitoring) oxygen saturation using a pulse oximeter, and we are asking questions directly related to the signs and symptoms of any infections. Any changes or deteriorating conditions will be reported to the resident’s main contact and their personal healthcare team so that we can obtain direction immediately. This is and has been our policy before the concerning spread of this virus began.”
Going forward, the center will be challenged to “ensure that its residents are still connecting with their loved ones,” and “continue to keep them engaged with their daily routines such as exercise, and spiritual connections,” Taghon said. “Other challenges will be determined by increasing cases of COVID-19 in the area and ensuring our team stays healthy.”
