UPDATE FROM PALOLO CHINESE HOME
IN RESPONSE TO COVID-19
Updated: April 28, 2020
To Our Residents and Family Members:
In our ongoing efforts to keep our families and caregivers aware of the measures Palolo Chinese Home has in place to keep everyone safe, we are providing you this COVID-19 update. Again, at this time the home has ZERO suspected cases of COVID-19 among its residents and staff. Everyone’s safety is our top priority and we are doing everything we can to prevent the entrance and spread of COVID-19 within our home. We are staying in very close communication with local and state health officials to ensure all appropriate steps are taken. As such, we continue to follow the guidance received from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and Hawaii’s Department of Health (DOH).
Palolo Chinese Home has been strictly adhering to the guidelines from these agencies:
- All visits by non-essential health care personnel and family members to the home are prohibited except in comfort, end-of-life situations
- All staff and essential visitors must wear facemasks at all times while on campus, and additional PPE as necessary
- PCH is putting social distancing into practice. All staff and residents must stand at least 6 feet apart from any person except when performing essential tasks. We have eliminated communal gatherings (activities and dining)
- Vigilant hygiene protocols are observed, including frequent handwashing
- Active screening of all staff and essential visitors is in place, including taking temperatures and conducting questioning to flag potential symptoms
- We are ensuring proper staffing. Federal and State governments have initiated blanket waivers for healthcare providers like PCH to allow for sufficient staffing for crucial positions
In the event we have a confirmed case for COVID-19 in our facility:
- We will contact you if your loved one is suspected or diagnosed with COVID-19.
- Due to patient privacy laws, we are unable to share any specific information about confirmed case(s) in our facility, but we will notify the immediate family members/guardian
- Our COVID-19 specific response team will be immediately deployed
- PCH will provide pre-designated quarantine areas for individuals testing positive for COVID-19
- Please note, the CDC does NOT recommend transferring residents—either home or to the hospital—to eliminate the potential of spreading the virus into the public community and hospital system
- Family members will be encouraged to continue to connect through video chat, calling, texting, or other social media formats. Please call us at (808) 748-4921 to schedule communications with your loved one
We need your help in battling COVID-19. Please visit the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website to learn how you can help prevent the spread in our community.
For the latest COVID-19 updates at PCH, a dedicated COVID-19 hotline has been activated. Please call 808-748-4906 or you can access PCH’s website at www.palolohome.org.
Sincerely,
Darlene H. Nakayama, RN, LNHA
Chief Executive Officer
Palolo Chinese Home
Additional Contact Numbers and Email
- Tristan Florentin, Food and Nutritional Services Coordinator – (808) 739-6031; tflorentin@palolohome.org
- Aiza Pobre, Senior Day Care, Palolo Wellness Program, and Meals-to-Go Program Manager – (808) 748-4909; apobre@palolohome.org
- Weinberg Hall Nurse Station 1 (808) 748-4922
- Weinberg Hall Nurse Station 2 (808) 748-4926
- Harry Wong Nurse Station 1 Pikake (808) 564-4202
- Harry Wong Nurse Station 2 – Lehua/Ilima (808) 564-5205