Mon Health Village at Heritage Point Safeguards its Senior Residential Community from COVID-19

Mon Health residential community, The Village at Heritage Point, has taken thorough precautionary measures to protect its senior population throughout the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Wilma Sternthal, Executive Director of The Village at Heritage Point, explained she began having discussions with her teams in February around the actions to be taken if the coronavirus reached West Virginia. “I had been following the events occurring in Washington nursing homes, and knew we needed to be proactive to ensure the safety of our residents.”

Various precautions were taken in early March, including beginning meal deliveries to all residents and temperature and symptom screenings of staff and privately hired workers. On March 13, all visitors were restricted, and residents were asked to stay in, refraining from errands such as trips to the grocery store, pharmacy, and non-emergent routine appointments. “We understood our residents were undergoing extreme change, so we designed ways to meet their needs,” Sternthal added.

Various changes were put in place to protect residents and to further prevent the spread of illness as new COVID-19 guidelines were established. Communal areas were closed, while some amenities were limited to appointment only to allow for proper social distancing and sanitation. A universal masking policy is also in effect, requiring residents and employees to wear masks in public and private areas when more than one person is present.

“We have worked diligently to assure the safety of The Village residents, that is always our top priority. The precautions put in place have yielded negative coronavirus test results from all residents, staff and private workers,” said David Goldberg, Mon Health President and CEO. “Additionally, Mon Health has only 6 positive cases of COVID-19 of nearly 3,000 employees system wide. This includes no positive cases at MonKids.”

To further acclimate residents, a weekly conference call has been scheduled to keep residents and families informed. “Not only do we provide important information, but we allow for question and answer sessions after each call. I believe this developed trust and a willingness to comply with guidelines,” Sternthal said.

“We have been fortunate that our residents and families have adapted so well,” Sternthal concluded. “I could not be more proud of our team in helping to make this pandemic a little less difficult.”