CARTHAGE, Texas — The Briarcliff Skilled Nursing Center is a senior living community in Carthage
As of Thursday, 39 residents are currently considered active COVID-19 cases, with most of them being asymptomatic, according to the Center.
According to its website, Briarcliff has 76 residents and 96 employees that tested for COVID-19.
The center reported five residents and one employee dying from the virus.
On April 27 the Center had 44 residents with COVID-19 and 12 employees:
In a statement the Center says, "This is a new and emerging virus which everyone is learning more about as time progresses. Our protocols have been based upon recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control (“CDC”), the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (“CMS”), and Texas Health and Humana Services Commission (“THHSC”). These include but are limited to restriction of non-essential visitors, screening of staff and any essential visitors entering the facility, establishing and utilizing distinct units based on exposure and symptoms, emphasized hand hygiene, use of full personal protective equipment (“PPE”), enhanced monitoring of residents for COVID symptoms, and working in collaboration with physicians for customized treatment plans.
The center says they are heartbroken by the amount of cases that have been reported from the facility.
Families are currently restricted from visiting their loved ones onsite due to the spread of the virus.
"Briarcliff staff are heartbroken that the families are restricted from visiting onsite with their loved ones," Briarcliff said in a statement. "However, we understand and support the rationale for this decision made by our leaders," according to the Center."
The facility says they have setup an email database where each resident is assigned a staff member who sends out a weekly email or video conferencing to their families to communicate.
In order to reduce the number of cases, the center says they hired an outside vendor to deep clean and disinfect the facility. In another effort to reduce numbers, they have begun to rest their residents who test positive.
"We have started to retest COVID-positive cases and have received some negative test results on residents who had previously tested positive," Briarcliff's statement said. "Residents require two negative tests, 24 hours apart to be considered 'recovered.'"
Meanwhile, the health workers remain on the frontlines remain positive and hopeful.
They posted pictures to their Facebook page with the caption: "Underneath all this PPE, I"m still..." with a description of why they continue to go to work and take care of their residents.
"Briarcliff staff have a lot of longevity and, as with most healthcare personnel, have a longstanding relationship with these residents. We, too, are sorrowful by the disruption this virus has placed on us all. We will continue to care for our residents and look forward to the day we can all reengage with one another again and get back to our usual state of operation."