COVID-19 Updates
November 16, 2023
November 15, 2023
October 18, 2023
October 16, 2023
October 2, 2023
September 28, 2023
September 27, 2023
September 26, 2023
September 5, 2023
July 6, 2023
May 15, 2023
May 12, 2023
May 10, 2023
May 6, 2023
May 4, 2023
May 2, 2023
April 13, 2023
April 6, 2023
March 24, 2023
February 27, 2023
February 8, 2023
February 4, 2023
February 1, 2023
January 25, 2023
January 19, 2023
January 4, 2023
November 27, 2022
November 17, 2022
November 12, 2022
November 10, 2022
November 6, 2022
November 4, 2022
November 3, 2022
November 2, 2022
October 31, 2022
October 29, 2022
October 27, 2022
October 26, 2022
October 25, 2022
October 23, 2022
October 20, 2022
We have been notified of two more additional positive COVID-19 test results. Both are asymptomatic residents; one of which is on Garden Glen and the other on River Walk. They have been placed on quarantine and Dane County Public Health has been notified. We will continue with our necessary testing protocols and with avoiding communal gatherings. All other current precautions remain in place, including in person visitation.
October 19, 2022
We have been notified of five positive COVID-19 test results. Three of the tests were residents, one of which is a symptomatic resident on Garden Glen. The other two are asymptomatic residents, one on Heritage Center and the other on Magnolia Gardens. Two staff members tested positive; a symptomatic housekeeping staff member and an asymptomatic nursing staff member. Dane County Public Health will be notified of these new cases and we will await any new recommendations. We continue with close contact and surveillance testing. All other current precautions remain in place, including in person visitation.
October 14, 2022
We have been notified of two COVID-19 positive nursing home residents and staff. The first is a symptomatic resident on River Walk. The second is an asymptomatic Garden Glen resident that discharged on 10/10. The staff members that have tested positive is a symptomatic RN from the nursing home that last worked 10/9 and an asymptomatic Community Services Maintenance staff that last worked on 10/11. We have contacted Dane County Public Health and are awaiting their recommendations. All current precautions remain in place.
October 1, 2022
We have been alerted to a positive COVID-19 test result for a nursing home resident that presented with mild symptoms. That resident has since discharged home. Dane County Public Health has been notified and we are awaiting their recommendations. We are conducting surveillance testing of staff and one resident that had close contact. In person visitation and all current protocols continue.
September 19, 2022
We have been alerted to a positive COVID-19 test result for a registered nurse in the nursing home. This staff member last worked on 9/14, was exposed to the virus through family and, by routine, does not come in close contact with residents. We have notified Dane County Public Health and await their recommendations. All current precautions, including in-person visitation, remain in place.
September 9, 2022
We have been alerted to a positive COVID-19 test result. This is a support services staff member who had an exposure outside of work. Dane County Public Health will be notified for any new recommendations. All precautions, including in-person visitation, remain in place.
September 8, 2022
We have been notified of a positive COVID-19 test. This was a staff member on Heritage Center that was exposed outside of work. They last worked on 8/26 and had remained isolated due to their close contact exposure. Dane County Public Health has been notified and does not have any new recommendations at this time. In-person visitation and all other precautions will continue as normal.
August 31, 2022
We have been notified of a positive COVID-19 test result, an Administrative staff member. They are asymptomatic and have minimal close contact with residents and other staff. Dane County Public Health will be notified. All current precautions, including in person visitation, will be conducted as usual.
August 29, 2022
We have been notified of a positive COVID-19 test result. This is a Community Services employee that last worked on 8/24/2022. Dane County Public Health will be notified. All current precautions will remain in place, including in person visitation.
August 25, 2022
We were notified this morning of two confirmed positive COVID-19 staff tests. One staff person is a CNA and the other is an Aid Angel. Both employees last worked on 8/14/2022. Dane County Public Health has been contacted and we are awaiting their recommendations. All current precautions and in-person visitation continue.
August 17, 2022
We have been notified of two positive staff tests for COVID-19. The first is a nursing department employee that last worked on 8/2, returned from vacation with symptoms and tested positive. The second is a support services staff person that last worked on 8/12 and last had resident contact on 8/10. Dane County Public Health was notified and we are awaiting their recommendations. All current precautions and in-person visitation continue.
August 15, 2022
We have been alerted to two positive COVID-19 staff tests. The first was a newly hired assisted living employee that has not yet worked with any residents. The second just returned from an extended vacation and tested positive before returning to work. Dane County Public Health will be notified. All current precautions continue.
August 5, 2022
We have been notified of two positive COVID-19 test results. One is a community services employee and the other is a food and nutrition staff member. The food and nutrition staff member is asymptomatic and has minimal staff and resident contact. Dane County Public Health has been updated and we await any new recommendations. In-person visitation and all other precautions remain in place.
August 4th, 2022
We have been notified of another positive COVID-19 test result from a resident at Skaalen Heights. Dane County Public Health will be notified and any new recommendations will be followed. All other precautions remain in place, including in-person visitation as visitors feel comfortable.
August 3rd, 2022
We have been notified of a positive COVID-19 resident test at Skaalen Heights. The resident was transferred to the hospital and was given a standard test upon admission. All close contacts were tested via rapid test today and all have been negative. Dane County Public Health was notified and they recommend retesting the close contacts within 3-5 days. All other precautions remain in place including in-person visitation.
August 1st, 2022
We have been notified that a staff member has tested positive for COVID-19 at Skaalen Heights. Dane County Public Health will be notified this morning. All close contacts to the staff member will be tested. All current precautions and in-person visitation continue.
July 30th, 2022
We have been notified of a positive COVID-19 test for an asymptomatic resident from Magnolia Gardens. We will update Dane County Public Health and await any recommendations. All current precautions and in-person visitation remain in place.
July 28th, 2022
We have been alerted to a positive COVID-19 staff test. The staff member is asymptomatic, from the Food and Nutrition Department and has minimal staff and resident contact. Dane County Public Health has been alerted and recommends testing of those with close contact only. In-person visitation and current precautions continue.
July 25th, 2022
We have one sample that has tested positive for COVID-19. This is an administrative staff member from Heritage Center and Magnolia Gardens. We will contact Dane County Public Health for any recommendations. In person visitation remains in place.
July 20th, 2022
We have been alerted to four more positive COVID-19 tests. Two of the positives are residents on Magnolia Gardens, one is a Magnolia Gardens staff member and the other is a staff member in Food and Nutrition. All of these individuals are vaccinated and boosted. There is a low risk of exposure with the Food and Nutrition staff member. Dane County Public Health has been notified and we are awaiting any new recommendations. We continue with our testing protocols and all other precautions remain in place, including in-person visitation as visitors feel comfortable.
July 15th, 2022
We have been notified of four more residents in Magnolia Gardens that have tested positive for COVID-19. All four residents are vaccinated and boosted. Dane County Public Health has been updated. Testing will continue to be done twice a week for close contacts and as symptoms arise. All current precautions including in-person visitation continues as visitors feel comfortable.
July 13th, 2022
We have been notified of multiple positive COVID-19 test results; one staff member and four residents on Magnolia Gardens and a student intern in the nursing home. Our outbreak status continues in Magnolia Gardens with testing of everyone twice per week. In-person visitation continues as you feel comfortable. The nursing home is not in outbreak as the risk of exposure is minimal with the intern. Routine and surveillance testing and in-person visitation continue there. Dane County Public Health has been notified of the positive test results and we await any recommendations.
July 8th, 2022
We learned this morning that a staff member from Magnolia Gardens has tested positive for COVID-19. This staff member did not cross into Heritage Center or the nursing home. Dane County Public Health will be notified and solicited for any recommendations. All close contacts and Magnolia Gardens’ residents will be tested. All current precautions and in-person visitation continue.
June 29th, 2022
We have been notified of a positive COVID-19 staff test. The staff member is an Aid Angel and last worked for us on 6/17/2022. There is a low level of concern due the span of time since last they worked. We will contact Dane County Public Health and await any recommendations. We continue with our routine and close contact testing and in-person visitation.
June 25th, 2022
We have been alerted to a positive COVID-19 staff test. The staff member is a CNA that last worked on 6/21/22. Close contacts with the staff member have been tested and are awaiting processing. Dane County Public Health will be notified. All current precautions and in person visitation remain in place.
June 23rd, 2022
We have been notified of a positive COVID-19 staff test today. The employee is from the Nursing Department and last worked on 6/17. Dane County Public Health has been notified and we are awaiting any new recommendations. All current precautions remain in place, including in-person visitation and routine testing.
June 22nd, 2022
We have been notified of a positive COVID-19 staff test. The employee is from the Food and Nutrition Department and has minimal contact with staff and no contact with residents. Dane County Public Health has been notified and they have no new recommendations for us. We continue with routine testing, all current precautions and resident visitation.
June 13th, 2022
Dane County Public Health will not be putting us into outbreak status due to the two positive tests we received on Friday, 6/10. We will be conducting surveillance testing of staff that came into close contact with the positive individuals. All precautions and visitation remain in place.
June 10th, 2022
We have been notified of two positive COVID-19 staff test results. One staff member from Laundry and the other from Leisure and Support Services. Dane County Public Health is being contacted for their recommendations. All current precautions and visitation remain in place.
May 20th, 2022
We were notified this morning of one positive COVID-19 test. A support services staff member. Dane County Public Health will be updated. All current precautions remain in place.
May 11th, 2022
We were notified today of two positive COVID-19 staff tests. Both nursing home employees are registered nurses; one that last worked on 5/6 and the other on 4/2. We will contact Dane County Public Health for any recommendations. All current precautions remain in place.
May 7th, 2022
We have been notified of a positive COVID-19 staff test. The staff member is administrative, does not have any resident contact and contracted the virus from family members. We have contacted Dane County Public Health and they have no new recommendations. All current precautions remain in place.
April 28th, 2022
We have been notified that we have had one Forest View Resident test positive for COVID-19. Dane County Public Health has been notified and we are awaiting any recommendations. All tests from Garden Glen have returned negative and the unit is now out of quarantine.
April 19th, 2022
We have been notified of a positive staff COVID-19 test result. This Food and Nutrition staff member last worked on 4/10/2022 and was fully vaccinated and boosted. Dane County Public Health will be notified of the result. All precautions and in-person visitation continue.
April 17th, 2022
We have been notified of one positive COVID-19 resident test. The resident resides on Forest View in the nursing home, is fully vaccinated, received their booster shot and is asymptomatic. Dane County Public Health will be notified for any recommendations. The Garden Glen and Forest View units remain in quarantine. Current testing regimen and in-person visitation continues.
April 15th, 2022
We have been notified of one positive COVID-19 campus staff test. They are vaccinated and boosted and had contracted the virus outside of Skaalen. Dane County Public Health will be notified for any new recommendations. All current precautions and in-person visitation continue.
April 14th, 2022
We have been notified of three positive tests for COVID-19; a Forest View resident and CNA and a Garden Glen Housekeeper. All three are asymptomatic, fully vaccinated and received their booster shot. Dane County Public Health has been contacted and they have no new recommendations for us. Surveillance and routine testing of staff and residents in affected areas continue. In-person visitation continues as visitors are comfortable.
April 7th, 2022
We have been notified of four positive tests for COVID-19; two residents on Forest View and two residents on Garden Glen. Dane County Public Health was notified and is recommending we implement surveillance testing of the Garden Glen Unit. All other precautions remain in place. In-person visitation can proceed as visitors are comfortable.
April 5th, 2022
We have received notification of positive COVID-19 test results; 1 resident and 5 staff from Forest View and 1 resident from Garden Glen in the nursing home. We have notified Dane County Public Health and are awaiting their recommendations. All current precautions and routine testing continue. In-person visitation can still occur as you are comfortable.
April 1st, 2022
We have been notified of four positive COVID-19 test results. All four of these positive tests are residents on Forest View. These residents have been quarantined and placed on precautions. Dane County Public Health has been updated. More testing on Forest View will be conducted next week. All current precautions remain in place, including in person visitation as visitors feel comfortable.
March 30th, 2022
We have been notified of two positive COVID-19 results. One is a resident on Forest View who became symptomatic and was placed on precautions and the other is a nursing home C.N.A. Dane County Public Health has been notified and is declaring this an outbreak. The unit Forest View has been quarantined and will undergo testing. All other current precautions remain in place and in person visitation can be conducted as visitors feel comfortable.
March 15th, 2022
We have been notified of a nursing home CNA that has tested positive for COVID-19 in the community. The staff member is asymptomatic and last worked on 3/11/2022. Dane County Public Health was contacted and they are not declaring this an outbreak. All current precautions continue, including in-person visitation.
February 25th, 2022
It has been two weeks since our last positive COVID-19 test! All facilities remain open for in-person visitation.
February 11th, 2022
We have been notified of a positive COVID-19 test result for an unvaccinated resident on Heritage Center 2. Dane County Public Health will be updated. All other test results this week have been negative. Heritage Center 2 will continue their current quarantine. With this round of negative test results, the quarantine of the nursing home units is lifted and we can again offer communal dining and large group activities.
February 5th, 2022
We have been notified of one new positive COVID-19 test result; a community services staff member. Dane County Public Health will be updated. All current precautions remain in place.
February 4th, 2022
We have been notified today of one positive COVID-19 test result; a nursing home food and nutrition staff member. Dane County Public Health will be updated. All current Precautions remain in place.
February 2nd, 2022
We have been notified of two positive COVID-19 test results; one nursing home CNA and one Heritage Center 2 resident. Dane County Public Health will be updated. All current precautions remain in place.
February 1st, 2022
We have been notified of one positive COVID-19 test result; an administrative staff member from Heritage Center. Dane County Public Health will be updated. All current Precautions remain in place.
January 29th, 2022
We have been notified of one positive COVID-19 test result; a nursing home RN. All other nursing home and Heritage Center tests have come back negative. Dane County Public Health will be updated. All current precautions remain in place.
January 28th, 2022
We have been notified of a PRN Therapist testing positive for COVID-19 in the community. We will be testing all residents that came into contact with this contracted staff person. Also, we have been notified of 6 positive resident tests on Heritage Center 2. All residents are vaccinated, boosted and are asymptomatic. Dane County Public Health will be updated. All current precautions and testing in effected areas continue.
January 26th, 2022
We have been notified of 4 positive COVID-19 test results; a management RN from the nursing home, a campus administrative staff person, a Heritage Center Resident Associate and a resident from Skaalen Heights. Dane County Public Health has been notified and they are not recommending any changes to our current precautions and testing in the main building. Testing and isolation of close contact individuals will occur at Skaalen Heights.
January 25th, 2022
We have been notified that a Forest View CNA has tested positive for COVID-19 in the community. This staff person last worked on Thursday, 1/20. Dane County Public Health will be updated. All current precautions and processes remain in place. We are expecting a large batch of staff and resident samples to be processed within the next 24-48 hours.
January 22nd, 2022
We have been notified this morning of 6 positive COVID-19 tests; 2 housekeepers, 1 CNA, 1 Heritage Center 2 Resident, 1 Heritage Center 3 Resident and 1 Garden Glen Resident. We will contact Dane County Public Health for any recommendations. All precautions and the twice per week testing regimen remain in place.
January 22nd, 2022
We have been notified this morning of 6 positive COVID-19 tests; 2 housekeepers, 1 CNA, 1 Heritage Center 2 Resident, 1 Heritage Center 3 Resident and 1 Garden Glen Resident. We will contact Dane County Public Health for any recommendations. All precautions and the twice per week testing regimen remain in place.
January 20th, 2022
Today, we have been notified of positive COVID-19 tests of two nursing home staff members; a CNA and a housekeeper. Dane County Public Health will be contacted for any recommendations. Current precautions remain in place.
January 19th, 2022
We have received notification today of three positive COVID-19 test results; one Heritage Center 2 Resident, a NOC shift CNA and a therapist. Dane County Public Health has been notified and we are awaiting any recommendations. All current precautions remain in place.
January 18th, 2022
We have been notified of five total COVID-19 Positives today; a CNA and resident of Forest View, a Heritage Center 3 Resident, a River Walk Resident and a Magnolia Gardens Resident Assistant. Dane County Public Health has been contacted and they agree with our current protocols and testing strategy. They have further recommended the wearing of N95 masks for all direct care staff. In-person visitation is still open, but those visiting COVID-19 positive residents need to maintain a social distance and wear full PPE; N95 mask, goggles, gloves and gown (facility supplied).
January 16th, 2022
We have been notified of a number of positive tests; two asymptomatic residents and one staff member from Heritage Center, one resident from River Walk, two nursing home staff members and an outside agency staff member. Dane County will be notified with an update and we will await any recommendations. Testing on all nursing home units and Heritage Center 3 will continue. All processes remain in place including in-person visitation.
January 13th, 2022
We have been notified of the following positive COVID-19 test results: An Aid Angel that last worked on 1/4/2022, a therapy staff member that last worked on 1/10/2022, and we received confirmatory positive COVID-19 results on the two residents on Garden Glen. Dane County Public Health will be contacted for further recommendations. Testing will continue for any staff and residents who have had close contact. Current precautions remain in place, including in-person visitation for those that feel comfortable.
January 11th, 2022
We have been notified of a positive COVID-19 test of a Heritage Center 3 resident that is unvaccinated. Dane County Public Health was contacted and we are awaiting further recommendations. Current precautions remain in place, including in-person visitation.
January 10th, 2022
We were notified this morning of the following positive COVID-19 test results: an Aid Angel that last worked on 12/26/2021, a Registered Nurse that last worked on 1/7/2022 on Garden Glen and two Garden Glen residents via rapid antigen tests. We are awaiting confirmatory PCR test results of the two residents. Dane County Public Health has been notified and we are awaiting any further recommendations from them. Our current testing regimen and precautions remain in place, including in-person visitation.
January 6th, 2022
We have been notified that a Food and Nutrition Services Administrative staff person has tested positive for COVID-19 due to close contact in the community with a positive individual. There was no close contact with any nursing home staff or residents. Dane County Public Health was notified and we are awaiting any further recommendations. Testing continues with staff and residents. In-person visitation continues as visitors are comfortable.
January 5th, 2022
We have been notified of two nursing staff employees that have tested positive for COVID-19 during our outbreak testing. Both had close contact with individuals that have tested positive. Dane County Public Health will be contacted for any recommendations. Testing continues this week for staff and residents on all nursing home units that have had close contact. In-person visitation continues for those visitors that are comfortable.
January 3rd, 2022
We have been notified of two Nursing Department staff members that have tested positive for COVID-19. Both employees were tested due to close contact with a positive individual. Dane County Public Health has been notified and we are awaiting further recommendations. Testing continues with residents and staff this week on Forest View, Garden Glen and River Walk. In-person visitation can continue as visitors are comfortable.
December 31st, 2021
We received notification today that a fully vaccinated Aid Angel has tested positive for COVID-19 in the community. The staff member last worked on 12/28 on Garden Glen. Dane County Public Health has been notified and we will test the residents on Garden Glen and any staff member that would have had close contact. All tests from Tuesday, 12/28 have come back negative. Garden Glen will be quarantined along with Forest View until we have two rounds of negative tests. All other protocols remain in place, including in-person visitation.
December 29th, 2021
We were notified this morning that an Aid Angel has tested positive for COVID-19. She last worked on Forest View on 12/26/2021. We are moving forward as if she has had close contact with residents and staff on Forest View. This will entail testing of all residents and staff on Forest View that came into contact with the staff member. Dane County Public Health will be contacted for any recommendations. The Forest View unit will be isolated until we hear back from Dane County Public Health. In-person visitation can continue as visitors feel comfortable.
December 27th, 2021
We were notified that a Community Services staff member tested positive for COVID-19 over the weekend. Contact tracing is being accomplished to ascertain any potential exposure to the independent living residents. The Dane County Public Health Department has been notified and we are awaiting any recommendations. There is no risk of exposure to the main building or Skaalen Heights. Our operations and protocols continue unchanged.
December 20th, 2021
This morning we were notified that a PRN Food and Nutrition staff member has tested positive for COVID-19 in the community. This employee did not have close contact to residents or other staff and last worked on 12/13. Dane County Public Health has been notified and we are awaiting any new recommendations. Our current precautions and in-person visitation continues.
December 17th, 2021
Today, we were notified of a COVID-19 positive test result. It was a fully vaccinated Food and Nutrition Services staff member that last worked on 12/10. Dane County Public Health was notified and we are awaiting any recommendations. Our current precautions and in-person visitation will continue.
December 9th, 2021
This morning we were notified of two positive COVID-19 test results for staff. The first was from a student that works for us on breaks from school, is fully vaccinated and last worked on 11/28. The second is a Food and Nutrition employee that is fully vaccinated and last worked on 12/5. Neither staff member has had close contact with residents. We are awaiting recommendations from Dane County Public Health. In-person visitation can still take place.
December 6th, 2021
This morning we were notified of a positive COVID-19 test for a Skaalen Heights staff member. We are awaiting recommendations from Dane County Public Health. There is no change to operations in the nursing home, Heritage Center or Magnolia Gardens.
December 3rd, 2021
This morning we received notification of a positive COVID-19 test result. This staff member is a fully vaccinated, nursing home CNA that last worked on 11/26. We will be contacting Dane County Public Health for recommendations. Per federal guidance, those that still wish to visit residents in-person are allowed to do so. All current precautions and safeguards remain in place.
November 26th, 2021
This morning we received notification of a positive test for COVID-19 from a Food and Nutrition Services staff member that was fully vaccinated. This person last worked on 11/22 and did not have close contact with any residents. Dane County Public Health has been contacted for further recommendations. According to new federal guidance, all in-person visitation can still take place.
November 16th, 2021
All of the COVID-19 tests from Skaalen Heights have come back negative. Dane County Public Health has been updated and cleared the staff and residents to return to normal operations.
November 11th, 2021
Today, we had a symptomatic staff member from Skaalen Heights test positive via a rapid test. Dane County Public Health was contacted and they are not defining this as an outbreak. Their instructions are to test facility staff and residents on 11/15. Operations and visitation in the nursing home, Heritage Center and Magnolia Gardens continue.
November 5th, 2021
We have received results of our latest round of testing results and all have come back negative for COVID-19. The Dane County Public Health Department was notified and we have been released from outbreak status. We can now resume in-person visitation in all of our facilities, volunteer visits, communal dining and large activities. There will be a forthcoming announcement regarding a change on 11/8 to an online appointment process for visitation.
In collaboration with Walgreens, we have scheduled Friday, 11/19 to have a booster shot clinic for all staff and residents. If you are an activated decision maker for your loved one, watch your mail for a consent form and get it back to us.
October 27th, 2021
We received our Garden Glen tests back today from 10/25. A nursing home resident on Garden Glen has tested positive for COVID-19. This resident has been asymptomatic and had likely came into contact with a previous positive case on the unit. All of the staff tests on Garden Glen were negative. Dane County Public Health has been notified. We are still awaiting results from the 10/26 Forest View tests. Another round of testing on Garden Glen will be performed on 10/28 and Forest View on 10/29.
October 26th, 2021
Today we were notified of another COVID positive test result, a staff member on Forest View who last worked on 10/17/21. The staff member developed symptoms and was quarantined pending test results. Dane County Public Health will be notified. Testing on Forest View and Garden Glen has been conducted for 10/25 & 10/26. More testing will be done later this week. We continue with current precautions.
October 23rd, 2021
There was another positive test today, an asymptomatic nursing home resident on Forest View. Dane County Public Health will be notified. Current precautions will remain in place and more testing will be conducted.
October 21st, 2021
All of our tests processed yesterday and today have come back negative for COVID-19. More will be processed this weekend and next week. All of our current precautions remain in place.
October 20th, 2021
Two more positive COVID-19 tests were reported today. The first was an asymptomatic nursing home resident on Garden Glen and the second is a staff member that came into contact with a positive case on Forest View. Dane County Public Health has no new recommendations at this time. We will be conducting two additional rounds of testing on 10/22 and 10/25. All current precautions remain in place.
October 19th, 2021
There are two resident positive COVID-19 tests to report today; one each on Forest View and Garden Glen in the nursing home. Dane County Public Health has been updated and we are awaiting any new recommendations from them.
October 18th, 2021
We have had a number of staff and residents report symptoms over the weekend. The symptomatic staff and residents are either quarantined at home or under precautions in their rooms until we receive test results. The Garden Glen and Forest View units of the nursing home are being monitored closely for any signs or symptoms and are being tested this week. All of our current precautions remain in place.
October 17th, 2021
We have had a resident test positive for COVID-19 on the Forest View unit of the nursing home. The resident developed mild symptoms and has since tested positive. The Dane County Public Health Department will be updated. We will have further testing of staff and residents on 10/18 and 10/19 this week.
October 15th, 2021
Today we learned of another positive test result from a Garden Glen staff member. This person last worked on 10/11 and had close contact with the resident that tested positive for COVID-19 at the hospital. I contacted Dane County Public Health and they have no new recommendations for us at this time. Our second round of testing will take place on 10/18 and 10/19.
October 14th, 2021
We have concluded our first round of testing and have two positive tests to report. One is a nursing home staff member that had come into contact with the agency staff person that tested positive last week. The other is a nursing home resident. The employee is in quarantine and the resident is in precautions. Dane County Public Health will be contacted this morning with the update. Our second round of testing will commence on Monday, 10/18.
October 12th, 2021
We have had a nursing home resident test positive for COVID-19. We have contacted Dane County Public Health and are awaiting their recommendations. Until then, we have initiated all resident and staff testing and suspended visitation, congregate activities, and admissions. We will reexamine our status next week after test results have been received.
October 9th, 2021
Late Friday we were notified that an agency staff member that worked in the nursing home on Wednesday, 10/6 had tested positive for COVID-19. The Dane County Public Health Department was notified and they are not putting us into outbreak mode. They are recommending that the staff that came into contact with the agency staff member be tested and the residents will have heightened monitoring for the next two weeks. Our regular visitation protocols and unvaccinated staff testing procedures remain in place.
July 6th, 2021
Great news! The two COVID-19 positive rapid antigen staff tests we received last week both had negative PCR test results and were classified as false positives.
June 29th, 2021
We have learned that two fully vaccinated nursing home staff members have had positive rapid tests in the community. They last worked on 6/17 and are both awaiting follow-up PCR test results. Dane County Public Health is not recommending outbreak testing or suspension of visitation at the facility due to the low risk of exposure. All current infection control protocols remain in place.
June 2nd, 2021
All of our staff test results last week and through the weekend have come back negative for COVID-19. We have started our second round of staff outbreak testing and it will continue throughout this week.
May 25th, 2021
All of our staff test results last week and through the weekend have come back negative for COVID-19. We have started our second round of staff outbreak testing and it will continue throughout this week.
May 17th, 2021
We have had another staff member test positive for COVID-19. A fully vaccinated management staff member tested positive in the community. Dane County Public Health was notified and they are recommending outbreak testing for all staff for the next two weeks. Residents will not need to test nor in-person visitation be suspended, due to the positive person not having access to resident care areas.
May 15th, 2021
Today we were notified of another positive test result. This was a newly hired high school student that was tested before starting their job. There was no resident contact, so little risk of any exposure. We are awaiting any recommendations from Dane County Public Health.
May 13th, 2021
This morning we learned of a positive COVID-19 staff test. The nursing home staff member has been off since 4/29. Due to the last work date and other details of the situation, Dane County Public Health is not putting us into outbreak status; so no weekly testing or suspension of in-person visitation. The laboratory is still processing our samples from this week of routine testing, so far all of those completed have been negative. There are no changes to our current protocols.
May 10th, 2021
All of our COVID-19 testing for Heritage Center 2 have come back negative. They are officially out of outbreak status and can resume all regular activities.
May 3rd, 2021
Late last week, a Heritage 2 Center staff member tested positive for COVID-19 with a rapid detection test. We have now received confirmation of a positive follow-up PCR COVID-19 test. All other tests of residents and staff have returned negative. We will continue with quarantine procedures and commence with the second week of outbreak testing on Heritage 2 Center. In-person visitation is still suspended for Heritage 2 Center.
March 31st, 2021
We are now open for in-person visitation! At this time, we are scheduling in-person visits to provide a safe environment in order to mitigate exposure for all. Click here to find out how to make an appointment and for more information on how to prepare for your visit.
March 23rd, 2021
We have great news that we have cleared our outbreak status with our last negative COVID-19 test samples. We are now fine tuning plans for in-person visitation following the new federal guidance. There will be announcements in the coming days with more information.
March 23rd, 2021
We have great news that we have cleared our outbreak status with our last negative COVID-19 test samples. We are now fine tuning plans for in-person visitation following the new federal guidance. There will be announcements in the coming days with more information.
March 19th, 2021
We have good news to report; so far no positive COVID-19 tests the last two weeks. There are still some samples that need to be processed over the weekend. There will be an update early next week as to our outbreak status.
March 11th, 2021
Late yesterday the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services issued revised visitation guidance for nursing homes. We will not be able to implement the new guidance until we are clear of our current outbreak testing status. Updated information will be posted as we continue to test residents and staff over the next two weeks.
March 5th, 2021
Today we received word that two Food and Nutrition student staff members tested positive for COVID-19. We are continuing with recommendations from Dane County Public Health, including testing of all residents and staff for the next two weeks. All staff are being re-educated on our policies, COVID-19 restrictions, and showing good judgment outside of work.
March 3rd, 2021
This morning, we learned that a Food and Nutrition Services staff member has tested positive for COVID-19. Dane County Public Health has been notified and they are recommending that we continue with outbreak testing of residents and staff for two additional weeks due to the risk of exposure.
February 26th, 2021
This morning we learned that a Food and Nutritional Services staff member has tested positive for COVID-19. The staff member exhibited no symptoms and is home on quarantine. Dane County Public Health has been updated and is recommending outbreak testing for Magnolia Gardens, the nursing home, and a continuation for Heritage Center due to exposure risk. All staff and residents will be tested next week. After a further round of testing this week there are no new resident cases of COVID-19 on Heritage Center!
February 24th, 2021
This morning we learned of a positive COVID-19 test of an agency staff member that had worked on Heritage Center. Dane County Public Health was contacted and we are to continue with our current interventions. We have no residents presenting with symptoms.
February 20th, 2021
This morning we have learned of three positive COVID-19 tests on Heritage Center 3. Two residents present with no symptoms and the third has some weakness. Dane County Public Health was contacted and is not recommending any additional interventions at this time. We will continue to monitor for symptoms and test all staff and Heritage Center residents again next week.
February 19th, 2021
We received news today that we have had three asymptomatic residents from Heritage Center 2 and a Heritage Center staff member test positive for COVID-19. Dane County Public Health is now recommending the quarantine and testing of Heritage 3 residents as a precaution. Test samples have been collected and results will be monitored over the weekend. Enhanced facility cleaning and PPE will be utilized for Heritage Center staff. We will remain in close contact with Dane County Public Health for continued updates. Weekly testing will continue next week for Heritage Center residents and all staff.
February 17th, 2021
The resident that tested positive with the rapid antigen test now has been confirmed positive with a PCR test. Dane County Public Health is recommending a quarantine of Heritage Center 2 along with weekly testing of those staff and residents. We are conducting weekly testing of all staff for at least the next two weeks. We have no other positive tests this week amongst residents or staff.
February 15th, 2021
We were notified by Stoughton Community Hospital that we had a Heritage Center resident test positive with a rapid antigen test that was performed in the Emergency room as part of a routine work up. The resident is asymptomatic for COVID-related symptoms and we continue to have no residents or staff showing signs or symptoms of COVID 19. Dane County Public Health is recommending that we quarantine Heritage 2 West and follow-up with a confirmatory COVID-19 PCR test of the resident.
January 25th, 2021
We had COVID-19 test samples that were delayed and had to be processed by the laboratory over the weekend. All of our tests last week, including those that were delayed, came back negative for COVID-19. We will continue with our second week of outbreak testing.
January 16th, 2021
This morning, we learned of the positive COVID-19 test result of a nursing home employee that had been previously placed on isolation at home due to a possible exposure outside of work. The last time they worked was before the exposure took place, so there is very low risk of any spread. We will alert Dane County Public Health, await their recommendations, and continue with outbreak testing next week.
January 13th, 2021
We had been two weeks without a positive test until today. Results were reported this morning for our test samples taken on 1/11 and we had one positive COVID-19 test. The positive test was an administrative employee that had no direct care responsibilities. Dane County Public Health will be contacted for any recommendations going forward. We will continue with our weekly testing until we have been two weeks without a positive test.
12/24/20: This morning it was reported that one nursing home staff member tested positive for COVID-19 during our routine testing. The positive test is from a CNA that was asymptomatic and is now on quarantine. There have been no other positive tests or residents exhibiting symptoms. We will continue with routine testing next week and to follow our current protocols.
12/23/20: We have received word of our preliminary vaccination clinic dates with CVS Pharmacy. They are planning on conducting our first dose of vaccinations on 1/7 and our second dose given on 2/4. These are preliminary dates, which need to be further confirmed by CVS and are subject to change. We are awaiting the hard copy consent forms. Once received, we will be making them available to staff and sending them out to residents or their decision-makers.
12/18/20: This morning we were notified of three COVID-19 positive staff tests. The staff members include an employee of Heritage Center, the nursing home and administration. None of the staff exhibited symptoms, but are now in quarantine. We are awaiting a response from Dane County Public Health on any recommendations they have for us. We are now in outbreak mode in Heritage Center and the nursing home and will need to conduct weekly resident and staff testing.
There is still no word on our vaccination clinic dates, but expect to hear from CVS soon.
12/11/20: Last week, we had no positive COVID-19 tests amongst staff or residents. So far this week, we have not had any positive results either. Both Heritage Center and Magnolia Gardens are out of outbreak status. If the nursing home does not have any positive tests through the weekend, we will emerge from outbreak status. We will still need to have all staff tested weekly, due to the positivity rate in Dane County.
The FDA approved the Emergency Use Authorization for the Pfizer vaccine yesterday and will vote on the Moderna vaccine product on 12/17. Distribution to states have started, with Wisconsin anticipating receiving 49,725 doses by next week. The state is following the CDC recommendations for prioritization of vaccine first to long-term care residents and health care employees. Skaalen is participating in the Federal Pharmacy Partnership program with CVS Pharmacy. As part of this program, CVS will be receiving vaccine doses and coming on campus to vaccinate residents and employees of the nursing home and our three assisted living facilities, likely in January.
12/08/20: Wisconsin’s frontline workers are doing all they can to fight the unrelenting spread of COVID-19, but they can’t do it alone. Health care providers from Green Bay’s Bellin Health, Marshfield Clinic Health System, and UW Health in Madison have joined in the coalition effort to help stop the COVID spread with a joint plea to the people of Wisconsin. In the new public education message, these real healthcare heroes are asking all of us to take preventative measures seriously to help them fight this pandemic.
Skaalen Retirement Services is proud to be part of the “Stop the COVID Spread!” coalition, a group of Wisconsin’s leading health care, business, education, and advocacy organizations who have all joined in the team effort to urge the public to step up and take preventative measures seriously. The coalition has grown dramatically since its launch and now includes over 125 Wisconsin organizations.
You can learn more about the coalition and how we all need to step up to help stop the spread: https://www.wha.org/stopthecovidspread. We hope you'll join us in sharing this crucial message with your friends and family. Our frontline workers are doing all they can, but fighting this pandemic puts them and their families at risk too. We need your help to turn this crisis around--for your family, and for theirs.
11/24/20: This morning we were notified of two nursing home staff members that tested positive for COVID-19. They were both asymptomatic and are now quarantined for 14 days. All residents have tested negative for COVID-19.
11/20/20: We were notified this morning that a PRN nursing employee has tested positive for COVID-19. This test was performed in the community and the last time this person worked was on 11/9, so the risk of exposure is low. We will commence with mass testing again next week.
11/19/20: In the latest batch of COVID-19 tests processed this week, we had two positive tests this morning. The first is a direct care assisted living employee and the second is a direct care employee of the nursing home. The Dane County Department of Public Health has been made aware and have recommended we continue to follow our existing precautions; weekly testing, alternative visitation, masking, social distancing, utilization of PPE, screening all for symptoms and checking temperatures. No residents have tested positive.
The following is recently released guidance from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) related to limiting virus exposure during the Holiday Season. Due to our current positive tests and the rising positivity rates in Wisconsin, we will be following this guidance for the nursing home, Heritage Center and Magnolia Gardens this Holiday Season.
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) recommends against residents leaving the nursing home during this Public Health Emergency. Leaving the nursing home could increase a resident’s risk for exposure to COVID-19. The risk may be further increased by factors such as a resident’s health status, the spread of COVID-19 in the community (e.g., cases or positivity rate), or attendance at large gatherings. Residents can stay connected with loved ones through alternative means of communication, such as phone and video communication. Should a resident ultimately choose to leave the nursing home, CMS is providing the following recommendations:
- Limit close contact (maintain physical distancing of six feet or more), keep gatherings as small as possible, and use technology to engage with others remotely;
- Wear facemasks or cloth face covering at all times (including in cars, homes, restaurants, etc.);
- Limit contact with commonly touched surfaces or shared items;
- Keep safe around food and drinks. Avoid communal serving utensils, passing of food, potluck or buffet style food service, and instead opt for individually prepared plates by a single server;
- Perform hand hygiene often (e.g., wash hands with soap and water or alcohol-based hand sanitizer);
- Avoid large gatherings, crowded areas, and high-risk activities such as singing;
- For those attending a gathering, avoid contact with individuals outside of their household for 14 days prior to the gathering;
- Ask anyone who has signs or symptoms of COVID-19, or has been exposed to someone diagnosed with COVID-19, to not attend the gathering;
- If possible, conduct gatherings outdoors. Indoor gatherings should have good ventilation, open windows and doors if possible;
- Verbally greet others instead of shaking hands or giving hugs. Think ahead about how you will manage to prevent physical interactions with loved ones of different ages such as young children; and
- Check local conditions and state requirements for precautions and restrictions, including positivity rates and quarantine requirements, before crossing state lines.
Additionally, while the above actions can greatly reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19, due to the highly contagious nature of the virus, we recommend nursing homes take the following actions when residents return to the nursing home:
- Screen and increase monitoring for signs and symptoms.
- Test a resident for COVID-19 if signs or symptoms are present or if a resident or their family reports possible exposure to COVID-19 while outside the nursing home. A nursing home may also opt to test residents without signs or symptoms if they leave the nursing home frequently or for a prolonged length of time, such as over 24 hours.
- Place the resident on transmission-based precautions (TBP) if the resident or family member reports possible exposure to COVID-19 while outside of the nursing home, or if the resident has signs or symptoms of COVID-19 upon return. Please note that residents and loved ones should report to the nursing home staff if they have had any exposure to COVID-19 while outside of the nursing home.
- Consider placing residents on TBP if they were away from the nursing homes for more than 24 hours
11/17/20: We received notice this morning of another COVID-19 positive staff test result. This non-direct care staff member of the nursing home exhibited symptoms and was quarantined while awaiting the test result. Mass testing continues Wednesday, Thursday and Friday of this week.
11/16/20: We had another nursing home staff member test positive this weekend. They are a non-direct care employee who was asymptomatic. We still have had no residents test positive and will commence another round of mass testing this week.
11/13/20: The organization did another round of resident and staff testing this week. We had one non-direct care staff person in the nursing home test positive for COVID-19. This person exhibited symptoms and was quarantined pending a test result. At this point, all residents have tested negative.
11/11/20: The statewide coalition effort to combat the spread of COVID-19 has doubled down on the urgency of its messaging as Wisconsin’s public health crisis threatens to overwhelm the state. Today, the “Stop the COVID Spread!” coalition ramped up its message again in the statewide effort to combat the pandemic. The coalition released its fourth public education announcement, with a stern and serious new message in the coalition’s efforts urging Wisconsin residents to do their part to help reverse the public health crisis.
The new ad comes as Wisconsin again hit new daily COVID-19 records, surpassing 7,000 new cases in a single day, and after a White House task force report again warned that Wisconsin’s ongoing health emergency will continue to lead to increased hospitalizations and deaths unless more serious action is taken.
Skaalen is proud to be part of the “Stop the COVID Spread!” coalition, a group of Wisconsin’s leading health care, business, education, and advocacy organizations that have all joined in the team effort to urge the public to step up and take preventative measures seriously. The coalition has grown dramatically since its launch and now includes over 100 Wisconsin organizations.
You can learn more about the coalition and how we all need to step up to help stop the spread by visiting the website at https://www.wha.org/stopthecovidspread
11/06/20: We have received the results of the follow-up PCR tests of the two individuals that tested positive with the antigen tests this week. The nursing home employee was negative, but the Heritage Center staff member tested positive. Although asymptomatic, that person will serve the fourteen-day quarantine period. Just today, we learned of another Heritage Center staff member that has tested positive. This employee last worked on 11/1, developed symptoms and utilized community testing. Dane County Public Health has been notified and we are awaiting any additional recommendations from them.
Weekly resident testing has concluded and no residents have tested positive or are exhibiting symptoms.
11/04/20: We are in the midst of our second week of weekly testing. Two asymptomatic staff members have tested positive for COVID-19 with the rapid antigen testing system; one from Heritage Center and the other a non-direct care staff member from the nursing home. We are awaiting the result of their follow-up PCR test.
11/03/20: Skaalen is proud to be part of the #STOPtheCOVIDspread. Since its launch, the coalition has grown dramatically to include nearly 100 of Wisconsin’s leading health care, business, and advocacy organizations. Learn more: https://www.wha.org/
10/30/20: Resident and staff testing was initiated this week as recommended by Dane County Public Health. So far, all of our results have been negative for COVID-19. Retesting of residents and staff will happen next week. We continue to keep residents quarantined to their respective areas in Heritage Center, Magnolia Gardens and the nursing home for the duration of our outbreak. To emerge from the outbreak, we need to be COVID-19 free for fourteen days since our last positive test. Just one positive test puts us into an outbreak status for an additional fourteen days. We continue to monitor all residents and employees for symptoms and temperatures, utilize masks and other appropriate PPE for the situation and practice social distancing.
10/22/20: Today we received word that a second staff person from Heritage Center has tested positive for COVID 19. This new positive staff member last worked on 10/15, then developed symptoms. The Dane County Department of Public Health has recommended weekly testing of Heritage Center and Magnolia Gardens residents and staff for the next three weeks. We are awaiting our delivery of our testing supplies. No residents have presented with symptoms and staff are wearing full personal protective equipment. Staff and residents will continue to be monitored and screened for symptoms.
We were also informed today that a staff member from the nursing home tested positive as well. This staff member is a management nurse with no direct resident care duties. We have alerted Dane County Public Health and they are stating that the risk of exposure is low. They are recommending increased awareness, thorough cleaning of areas this staff person was in and continuing to follow our existing protocols. No residents have presented with symptoms and staff and residents will continue to be monitored and screened for symptoms.
10/16/20:
Dear Residents and Family Members,
The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services requires Skilled Nursing facilities to inform residents, their representatives and families of those residing in facilities by 5 p.m. the next calendar day following the occurrence of a single case of confirmed infection of COVID-19, or three or more residents or staff with new onset of respiratory symptoms occurring within 72 hours of each other. The assisted living reporting of new cases will be done as soon as it is practicable following notification.
We are writing to inform you that Heritage Center has a confirmed case of COVID-19 infection.
The safety of you or your loved one is our highest priority. Skaalen has a COVID-19 policy and procedure and it was implemented at the beginning of March 2020 and updated since then to ensure resident and staff safety. Skaalen's COVID-19 policy reflects guidance issued by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, the Centers for Disease Control, World Health Organization, and the Department of Health Services. In addition, Skaalen has purchased appropriate Personal Protective Equipment to keep residents and staff safe.
We will continue to monitor all residents and staff for symptoms of COVID 19, test residents when necessary, and work with the Local, State, and Federal Governments during this time.
Cumulative updates will be given following the subsequent occurrence of either: each time a confirmed infection of COVID-19 is identified, or whenever three or more residents or staff with new onset of respiratory symptoms occur within 72 hours of each other.
Please visit the Facebook Page for updates: www.facebook.com/skaalenretirement/ If you do not use Facebook, updates will be sent via email, please email: skellogg@skaalen.com and include your name, the resident's name, and a preferred email address if changes are made to what we have on file. Updates will also be posted on our website: www.skaalen.com. Please note that updates to our website are only made Monday through Friday during normal business hours.
We want to thank you for your cooperation with us during this time.
Sincerely,
Heritage Center
10/12/20: Last week the staff member that tested positive with the rapid antigen test has tested negative with the follow-up PCR test. Great news!
10/08/20: We have started our second round of routine testing and have had an asymptomatic staff member test positive with the rapid test. They have been sent for a follow-up PCR test and we are awaiting the result.
10/02/20: We are still continuing to work on in-person visitation protocols and training and will have more to share soon. Thank you!
9/25/20: It came to our attention that the nursing home is listed on the Department of Health Services (DHS) website as having an active public health investigation for COVID-19. We have since contacted the DHS, the Division of Quality Assurance and the Dane County Department of Public Health to find out why we were listed, when we do not have any positive staff or resident cases of COVID-19. Dane County Public health told us we were listed on the website due to an input error within their computer system. The Department of Health Services are in the process of correcting their website, but it will take a few days for them to remove the nursing home from the list.
The Federal and State Government has released new guidance and clarification on the reopening of visitation to nursing homes. We are currently working on how we can accommodate this safely. We will have more information and details to share next week.
9/21/20:While using the rapid detection testing system last week, we had four asymptomatic staff members test positive for COVID-19. Today, we have received the last of their follow-up PCR test results and all are negative for COVID-19. Great news!
9/16/20: We began using federal government supplied rapid detection antigen testing this week for routine testing of staff. This type of test has a higher incidence of false-positive results than the PCR tests that we used previously. We have had three asymptomatic nursing home staff members test positive with the rapid detection system. An asymptomatic antigen-positive test requires a follow-up PCR test to confirm a true positive. The staff were immediately removed from the building and sent home pending the outcome of their PCR confirmation test. No residents have presented with symptoms and we are continuing to monitor them. Dane County Public Health has been contacted and we are awaiting their recommendations.
Stay connected with a loved one
July 28th, 2022
We have been alerted to a positive COVID-19 staff test. The staff member is asymptomatic, from the Food and Nutrition Department and has minimal staff and resident contact. Dane County Public Health has been alerted and recommends testing of those with close contact only. In-person visitation and current precautions continue.
Have any questions?
We're always here to help and answer any questions that you may have. We look forward to hearing from you!
We have been alerted to another positive COVID-19 test result. This was a resident on Garden Glen who presented with mild symptoms and was then tested. Dane County Public Health will be updated. We remain in outbreak and will begin close contact testing. Masks will now be required of all staff and visitors until further notice. All other current precautions remain in place.