COVID-19: Information & Updates

Coronavirus (COVID-19) updates to keep our residents, staff and families informed.

COVID-19 Update

For Our Church Home Families, Friends, and Staff

February 11, 2022

Beginning November 16, 2021, and in accordance with revised CMS Regulations, visitation is allowed in residents’ rooms at the resident’s convenience. There continues to be concerns regarding the COVID-19 virus; therefore, the following conditions must be met for all to enjoy safe visitations.  

• Visitors who are experiencing fever, respiratory or flu-like symptoms are encouraged to defer visits until a later date. Anyone with a positive viral test for COVID-19, symptoms of COVID-19, or currently in-quarantine, should NOT enter Church Home.  
• Masks, covering both mouth and nose, must be worn in the hallways and common areas of Church Home at all times.  
• Upon entrance to the facility, please take your temperature and complete the COVID-19 health questionnaire.
• Upon completion of the health questionnaire, please use the provided hand sanitizer.
• You may then proceed to the resident’s room for visitation. You may remove your mask in the resident’s room; however, mask-use during the visitation is preferred. Please go directly to the resident’s room you are visiting and refrain from visiting in the common areas.
• We encourage all visitors and families to receive their COVID-19 Vaccination and maintain protection with COVID Boosters.    

We are all very excited to see you back in our home and look forward to making new memories together. Thank you for your understanding and your patience during this very trying time.

Warmest Regards,

Dawn Dunbar, LNHA  

COVID-19 Update

Public Health Emergency Declaration Extended

August 10, 2020

Infections continue to run high across Georgia and in many parts of the nation. Everyone must continue to take appropriate precautions in the community and at the Church Home. With schools beginning to re-open, we must be especially careful with exposure. The State of Georgia’s public health emergency declaration (now extended through September 10) mandates long-term care facilities remain under visitation restrictions. Shelter-in-place for nursing homes remains in force through at least August 15 (unless further extended). Church Home will continue infection prevention precautions until advised otherwise by state and federal health officials.

COVID-19 Update

The pandemic is not over!

June 30, 2020

Infections have increased significantly over the past two weeks in Georgia and around the nation. It is critically important that everyone re-double their efforts to practice infection prevention precautions.  Continue to take the following precautions. 

• Avoid large groups 
• Maintain social distancing
• Wear a face mask in public 
• Wash your hands frequently (always a good idea!)

The State of Georgia’s public health emergency declaration (now extended until August 11) mandates long-term care facilities remain under visitation restrictions.

Shelter-in-place for nursing homes remains in force through at least July 15. Church Home will continue infection prevention precautions until advised otherwise by state and federal health officials. Church Home Administrator Kathy Gibbs strongly asks all staff and family members to take all precautions seriously. “The risk to our residents and staff, and the full impact of COVID-19 is far from over.”

Follow These Helpful Websites

You can see daily changes in COVID-19 testing, new cases, hospitalizations, and ICU utilization on the Georgia Department of Public Health website. 

Also important to view is the daily Department of Community Health Long-Term Care Facility Report, where you can see a list of all senior care facilities in Georgia that have reported residents or staff with cases of COVID-19.  Church Home is not listed given that we have not reported any positive cases. Note: there are facilities close by with significant reported cases. This report illustrates how seriously everyone must take this virus.

We encourage you to stay informed and visit these websites frequently.

Thank you for your continued prayers for the health and safety of our residents, staff and community.

COVID-19 Update

Not all masks are the same. Know the difference and which type you need and when.

May 21, 2020

Since the onset of COVID-19 the CDC recommendation has encouraged all people to wear masks in public settings.  With this recommendation there’s confusion about which mask to wear.  Here are descriptions to help explain the difference.

N95 Mask

N95 mask or N95 respirator is a respiratory protective device designed to have a very close fit to the face and highly efficient filtration of airborne particles.  The 'N95' designation means the respirator blocks at least 95 percent of very small (0.3 micron) test particles. Properly fitted N95 mask and the filtration capabilities of N95 respirators exceed those of other face masks.

These are a type of personal protective equipment (PPE) used most commonly by healthcare workers who are in need of a higher level of protection.  The CDC does not recommend that the general public wear N95 respirators to protect themselves.  

Surgical Mask

Surgical masks (also called a medical mask) are an extremely valuable piece of PPE. Surgical masks are fluid-resistant and can protect against large droplets or splashed bodily fluids. It can help trap droplets and prevent the spread of disease when the mask wearer coughs or sneezes.

A surgical mask generally is worn to provide protection against spread of infectious, large-particle droplets that are transmitted by close contact and generally travel only short distances (up to 3 feet) from infected patients who are coughing and sneezing.

Cloth Mask  

The use of cloth face coverings slows the spread of the virus and help people who may have the virus and do not know it.  The mask can catch the respiratory droplets and keep them from landing on other people.  A cloth mask also keeps you from accidentally touching your mouth or nose with unwashed hands.

The CDC recommends that the general public use cloth masks in public settings to slow the spread of COVID-19.   The CDC has provided guidelines to create a mask and how to wear cloth mask.

An important reminder is when you wear a mask it is equally important to avoid touching your face, perform frequent hand washing and continue social distancing. These are still the very best ways to avoid getting COVID-19.

We hope this information is helpful to our families and staff.  Thank you for your continued prayers for the health and safety of our residents, staff and community.

COVID-19 Update

For Our Church Home Families, Friends, and Staff

May 11, 2020

• The week of May 4 – 8 was National Nurses Week. Church Home celebrated our nurses for all of their hard work and contributions to lead the Church Home team in caring for our residents. We love our nurses!! They are awesome! 
• The week of May 11 – 15 is National Skilled Nursing Care Week. We are thankful for all of our staff and appreciate their hard work and care every day!!
• We received results back from our second round of COVID-19 testing of residents and staff. We are thankful that all results were negative, and Church Home remains COVID-19 free.
• It is interesting to note that in all Georgia nursing homes, 40% of homes have no instances of COVID-19 among residents or staff. An additional 30% have fewer than 5 confirmed cases. Most Georgia nursing homes have been very fortunate so far and are doing an excellent job of infection prevention. Unfortunately, some homes have been hit much harder with this virus. We are thankful for all of our team, particularly our Housekeepers, C.N.A.s, and Nurses for their extraordinary efforts in infection prevention at Church Home.
• The Georgia National Guard returned to Church Home today to clean and disinfect the facility. Thank you to these Guard members for their service!!
• On Monday, May 11 Church Home held a grand parade.  The Houston Co. Fire Department and Centerville Police lead the parade with their vehicles!  Many families and friends participated with decorated vehicles and signs to greet and cheer our residents and staff.  Thank you all who participated, it was a beautiful morning for a parade. Visit Church Home Facebook page for more videos and coverage.

We hope this information is helpful to our families and staff. We want you to be informed about what is happening at Church Home. Thank you for your continued prayers for the health and safety of our residents and staff.

COVID-19 Update

For Our Church Home Families, Friends, and Staff

May 1, 2020

• On Thursday, April 30, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp lifted the shelter-in-place order for most Georgians. However, he extended the order until June 12 for the medically fragile and elderly. The Kemp order requires sheltering for, among others, people 65 and older; residents of long-term care facilities; people with chronic lung disease and/or severe heart disease; and the obese. We encourage all citizens to remain vigilant with the social distancing and limited public contacts. Although the shelter-in-place order has been lifted for most, good practices learned during the sheltering time will continue to serve our community well in slowing or stopping the spread of infections.
• Church Home will continue its required restrictions on visitation through at least June 12, or as guided by CMS and the Georgia Department of Community Health. Additionally, Church Home will continue its active screening (temperature, signs of respiratory infection) of all staff and residents.  All staff wear surgical masks at all times in the facility. All residents wear surgical masks when outside their room. All previously communicated restrictions remain in place.
• We are looking at ways to allow visits for families while still complying with all regulations. We recognize how difficult it is for our residents and families to be separated for so long during this pandemic. There aren't any easy solutions, but we will continue to look for options.
• As always, please use electronic communication as much as possible. Staff is happy to assist you with Facetime or Google Duo video chats.
• Join the parade on Monday, May 11, at 10:30 a.m. and come see our residents! The parade will line up at 10:15 in front of Christ’s Sanctified Holy Church north of the Church Home. The parade route will travel through the Church Home parking area where residents will wait on the sidewalk to see family and friends. Make signs, decorate your vehicles, and come celebrate life with us at Church Home. Everyone must remain in their vehicles. We welcome as many family, friends, and vehicles from the community as possible. Thanks to the Houston Co. Fire Department and Centerville Police who plan to lead the parade with their vehicles!

We hope this information is helpful to our families and staff.

We want you to be informed about what is happening at Church Home. Thank you for your continued prayers for the health and safety of our residents and staff.

COVID-19 Update

For Our Church Home Families, Friends, and Staff

April 29, 2020

Coronavirus (COVID-19) continues to lead the news and dominate our conversations. The disease response as mandated by federal and state leaders has certainly altered life as we know it at Church Home. Our precautions and intervention steps continue in place for the foreseeable future. Thank you to our residents, families, and staff for making adjustments to protect our residents.

• The test results are in for Church Home residents and staff that were tested for COVID-19 on Thursday, April 23, 2020.  All tests came back negative. Praise the Lord! All residents and many of our staff were tested by the Georgia National Guard that day. The Guard returned on Wednesday, April 29, to test the remaining daytime staff and those that work evenings and nights.

• Church Home has one shared staff member (also works at another nursing home) that was recently admitted to the hospital, and later tested positive for COVID-19. This employee is now recovering at home and will not return to work for at least 14 days and after all symptoms have subsided. Church Home has no reason to suspect any exposure to residents or other staff, particularly given the time since that staff was in the Church Home facility and the negative test results for residents and staff from last week.

Take advantage of communication tools available. A good app that enables communication across Android and Apple devices is Google Duo. This is a free video conferencing app so you can see and talk with your loved ones. Contact Christy Padgett at Church Home for assistance in setting up calls with your family.

We hope this information is helpful to our families and staff. We want you to be informed about what is happening at Church Home.

Thank you for your continued prayers for the health and safety of our residents and staff.

COVID-19 Update

Our Residents and Staff are Our Priority

April 24, 2020

• Church Home has no known cases of COVID-19 with our residents or staff.
• Governor Brian Kemp has tasked the Georgia National Guard to go to all 350+ nursing homes in Georgia to 1) disinfect the facility, and 2) work with the staff to enhance training in facility cleaning and infection prevention. Thank you, Governor Kemp, for this precautionary assistance.

• The Georgia National Guard returned on Wednesday April 22 to repeat the building cleaning and disinfection. We are thankful the State is marshaling these resources to help us protect our residents and keep Church Home COVID-19 free. We salute the National Guard! 
  
• Georgia Governor Brian Kemp announced on Monday a measured reopening of certain businesses. A logical question from our families is "When can I come visit my loved one in the nursing home?" Based on the guidance we receive from CMS and Georgia Department of Community Health, we don't anticipate a change in the no visitation policy in the near term. We do sympathize with the family desire to see their loved ones. We will keep you posted when policies are updated.
• Need help setting up a call with your loved one? Church Home has iPads that can be used to FaceTime our residents. Reach out to
• Christy Padgett  cpadgett@ChurchHomeRehab.com or
• Kee Randle  lthomas@ChurchHomeRehab.com if you need assistance.
• Phone: (478) 987-1239

Please continue to keep us all in your prayers

COVID-19 Update

Protect yourself from Coronavirus scams

April 21, 2020

As the COVID-19 virus continues to dominate the news, there is also an increasing concern of scams to trick people into revealing sensitive information or donating to fraudulent charities or causes.

Please beware that some offers are scams and are not credible businesses.

Be mindful of any email with a COVID-19-related subject line, attachment, or hyperlink, also be wary of social media pleas, texts, or calls related to COVID-19.

Protect yourself from scams.  Here are actions scammers may attempt in order to steal your personal information.

•  Only share your Medicare Number with your primary and specialty care doctors, participating Medicare pharmacist, hospital, health insurer, or other trusted healthcare provider.
•  Check your Medicare claims summary forms for errors.

If you suspect Medicare Fraud visit Medicare.gov/fraud for more information on protecting yourself and reporting suspected fraud.

According to the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) the government will not ask you for your social security number, bank account number or other financial information, nor to pay anything upfront to receive the money. 

What you can do to protect yourself. 

• Medicare. gov
• Center of Disease Control and Prevention
• Federal Trade Commission (FTC)

Use caution in order to not become a victim to these or any other scams.  The best response to scammers is no response at all.

Stay safe and stay well.

COVID-19 Update

Coping With COVID-19

April 17, 2020

Church Home continues to closely monitor and follow the strict policies and procedures in place that will help ensure your loved ones and our remarkable staff health and wellness.

We continue to update our staff to follow guidelines from the CDC and work with public health officials and local health experts to implement additional proactive measures as this evolves.

Understanding the heighten awareness and concerns regarding COVID-19, it may lead to feeling uncertain and stressful for people. Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children.  Here are some guidelines to help with coping with stress and anxiety.

Coping With COVID-19

The outbreak of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) may be stressful for people. Fear and anxiety about a disease can be overwhelming and cause strong emotions in adults and children. Coping with stress will make you, the people you care about, and your community stronger.

Things you can do to support yourself. 

• Take breaks from watching, reading, or listening to news stories, including social media. Hearing about the pandemic repeatedly can be upsetting.
• Take care of your body. Take deep breaths, stretch, or meditate.
• Try to eat healthy, well-balanced meals, exercise regularly, get plenty of sleep, and avoid alcohol and drugs.
• Make time to unwind. Try to do some other activities you enjoy (Great time to take up a new hobby!).
• Connect with others. Talk with people you trust about your concerns and how you are feeling.

Reduce stress in yourself and others

• Reducing Stigma
• Stop the Spread of Rumors

Taking these simple steps can help slow/stop the spread of COVID-19

• Sharing the facts about COVID-19 and understanding the actual risk to yourself and people you care about can make an outbreak less stressful.
• Recognize the signs and symptoms: cough, fever, sore throat, shortness of breath.
• Continue to practice Social Distancing of at least 6 feet, avoid touching your eyes, mouth, nose and face and sanitize your hands frequently!
• When you share accurate information about COVID-19 you can help make people feel less stressed and allow you to connect with them.

Taking steps to recognize your emotions and coping with stress will make you, the people you care about, and your community stronger.

Stay well and stay safe.

COVID-19 UPDATE

Safety & Prevention at Church Home LifeSpring

April 14, 2020

At Church Home LifeSpring the health and safety of our residents and employees is our priority.  

As we continue to support our residents and employees during these unprecedented times, we are taking the necessary steps to keep everyone safe and healthy. We all recognize that coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is more dangerous to seniors, Church Home (along with all nursing homes and other health care facilities nationwide) has implemented special precautions to protect our residents and staff.

Here are some steps we have implemented:

• No Visitation Policy 
• Electronic Communication with Families 
• Active Screening of all Staff
• Active Daily Screening for Residents
• No Group Activities
• No Communal Dining
• Church Home Chapel Closed
• Social Distancing
• Increased Hand washing and Infection Prevention

To further support the wellness and safety for everyone at Church Home, we have also completed the following:

• Staff received infection prevention training which includes safeguards for anyone who shows signs of COVID-19.
• Reinforced to our staff that anyone who is sick should stay home.
• Readily made available to our staff and residence alcohol-based hand sanitizers in locations such as in or near each resident’s room, entry ways, common areas, etc.
• Requiring that all essential visitors, such as deliveries and necessary personnel, go through additional screenings and hygiene procedures.

Church Home is blessed that we have not had any Coronavirus COVID-19 positive test results from any of our residents or staff.  We rely on local, state and federal resources to help prevent the spread of this virus, and we appreciate everything they’re doing at this time.

The no visitor policy and other restrictions continue to be necessary to protect our residents and staff from the virus. We don’t know how long that will last but will take our guidance from the federal Center for Medicaid and Medicare Services (CMS) and CDC along with Georgia’s Departments of Public and Community Health.

Church Home is committed to keeping the residents and staff safe.  We know it is difficult not being able to visit with your loved one and aim to provide family members comfort as we welcome social distance visits. We practice social distancing visit with face-to-face time at the windows. 

Also, our staff are happy to assist with phone calls and welcome virtual visits via FaceTime, Google Hangouts, or other digital communication.

You can also follow us for updates at www.facebook.com/ChurchHomeLifeSpring 

Maintaining transparent communication related COVID-19 is very important, and we aim to do all we can to ensure our residents, staff and family members are receiving updates in a timely and efficient manner. In addition to updating this blog, we will be communicating more detailed updates with residents, families and staff via email.

To our families, thank you for following the current policies and restrictions to keep our residents and staff safe.  Please continue to keep us all in your prayers.