Updated May 2, 2024

The Masonic Village at Burlington – Skilled Nursing and Rehab is pleased to announce that we have achieved CMS 5-Star Rating Status!

COVID Updates

We currently have 4 Assisted Living COVID case and 1 hospital acquired Skilled Nursing Covid Case on campus.

We ask everyone to please continue to monitor yourselves for signs and symptoms of COVID-19. All visitors and team members that are visiting or working in Assisted Living need to be wearing masks.

All team members and visitors need to screen in at the kiosks.

The Department of Health is still requesting that nursing communities encourage residents, team members, and families to get the new COVID vaccine to help prevent serious illness, hospitalizations, and deaths.

The CDC has issued new guidance recommending an additional COVID-19 vaccine.  Masonic Village is reaching out to residents and POAs for consent for administration.

COVID-19 Guidelines

Family members that are feeling ill, have traveled or have been exposed should be tested for COVID-19 prior to visiting loved ones.

Café 902 is open to in-person dining. The Café 902 is also providing takeout meals. Orders can be placed by calling 609-239-3994.  

Revision to CMS Nursing Home Visitation – The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, (CMS), has revised QSO-20-39-NH – which addresses Nursing Home Visitation – COVID-19 on 5/8/2023. CMS indicates while the PHE expired 5/11/2023, CMS still expects facilities to adhere to infection prevention and control recommendations in accordance with national standards.

Although CMS has lifted some visitation restrictions, the NJ Department of Health, (NJDOH), in Executive Directive, NO. 21-012¹ still requires us to screen visitors.

Visitation

CMS acknowledges that there are still risks associated with visitation and COVID-19. However, the risks are reduced by adhering to the core principles of COVID-19 infection prevention. (See Core Principles). Visitors, residents, or their representative will be made aware of the potential risk of visiting and necessary precautions related to COVID-19 in order to visit the resident. If a visitor, resident, or their representative is aware of the risks associated with visitation, and the visit occurs in a manner that does not place other residents at risk (e.g., in the resident’s room), the resident will be allowed to receive visitors as he/she chooses. There is no limit as to the number of visitors a resident can have at one time, however visits must still be conducted in a manner that adheres to the core principles of COVID-19 infection prevention and does not increase risk to other residents. CMS strongly encourages all visitors to become vaccinated. 

Pets Visits – If you would like to have your pet visit inside the community, please contact our Activities Department at (609) 239-3913 so they can review requirements with you.

CMS indicates that visitation can be conducted through different means based on a facility’s structure and residents’ needs, such as in resident rooms, dedicated visitation spaces, and outdoors. Core principles and best practices reduce the risk of COVID-19 transmission and should be adhered to at all times.

Core Principles

• Visitors who have a positive viral test for COVID-19, symptoms of COVID-19, or currently meet the criteria for quarantine, should defer non-urgent visits.
• Frequent Hand hygiene (use of alcohol-based hand rub is preferred).
• Face covering or mask as needed in accordance with CDC guidance.
• Posting of visuals alerts at the entrance and in strategic places that include information about current recommendations, including cleaning and disinfection.
• Appropriate use of Personal Protective Equipment by staff
• Cohorting ill residents
• Resident and Staff testing conducted following nationally accepted standards.

CMS indicates that visitors that are unable to adhere to these core principles of COVID-19 infection prevention should not be permitted to visit or should be asked to leave.

Can a visitor share a meal with or assist the resident they are visiting with eating?

Visitors may assist a resident with eating or share a meal in the resident’s room as long as the resident (or representative) and the visitor are aware of the risks of potentially contracting COVID-19 and adhere to the core principles of infection prevention. They may assist a resident with eating in the bistro as long as they are at a separate table and 6 feet away from others.

Visitation for those on Quarantine

While not recommended, residents who are on transmission-based precautions (TBP) or quarantine can still receive visitors. In these cases, visits should occur in the resident’s room and the resident should wear a well-fitting facemask (if tolerated).  Visitors will be required to wear personal protective equipment provided by our team. Before visiting a resident on quarantine, visitors should be made aware of the potential risk of visiting and precautions necessary to visit the resident. Visitors should adhere to the core principles of infection prevention.

Indoor Visitation during an Outbreak Investigation

An outbreak investigation is initiated when a new onset of COVID-19 occurs among residents or staff. While it is safer for visitors not to enter the facility during an outbreak investigation, visitors will still be allowed in the facility.

Visitors will be made aware of the potential risk of visiting during an outbreak investigation and adhere to the core principles of infection prevention. If residents or their representative would like to have a visit during an outbreak investigation, they should wear face coverings or masks during visits, regardless of vaccination status, and visits should ideally occur in the resident’s room.

Suggested Visitation Hours/Entrance

Masonic Village is suggesting that visits be made during the following hours, 10:00 AM to 7:30 PM, to allow us to ensure we are meeting the screening, consents and education requirements.  All visitors are to enter through the main entrance.

Rehab Visitation

While visitation is allowed at all times, we are requesting that visitors for Rehab contact the neighborhood after 8:00 AM to determine time frames for visiting that will not conflict with the individual’s physical, occupational and speech therapy sessions.

Communal Activities, Dining and Resident Outings

While adhering to the core principles of COVID-19 infection prevention, communal activities and dining may occur. 

Masonic Village will permit residents to leave the facility as they choose. Should a resident choose to leave, Masonic Village will remind the resident and any individual accompanying the resident to follow all recommended infection prevention practices.

Upon the resident’s return, Masonic Village will take the following actions:

• Screen residents upon return for signs or symptoms of COVID-19.
• If the resident develops signs or symptoms of COVID-19 after the outing, we will test the resident for COVID
• Masonic Village will test residents if they leave the nursing home for a prolonged length of time, such as over 24 hours.
• Monitor residents for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 daily.
• Residents who leave the facility for 24 hours or longer will be managed as a new admission or readmission, as recommended by the CDC’s “Interim Infection Prevention and Control recommendations to Prevent SARS-CoV-2 Spread in Nursing Homes.”

Outdoor Visitation is available daily, weather permitting. Pets are permitted for outdoor visits but must be on a leash. Visitors are responsible for any pet clean-up required.

Independent Living

Front Entrance

All deliveries should be directed to the Main Entrance.

Dining Services

Café 902/Cornerstone Restaurant

In-person dining in Café 902 has resumed.

Skilled Nursing and Assisted Living

Residents entering our community from a hospital stay or returning from an outside doctor’s appointment are tested as required according to CDC guidelines.

Activities

We continue to provide in room engagement, based on a resident’s individualized need, for our residents who prefer to stay in their rooms. In room engagement can include: games, crossword puzzles, seek and find, adult coloring/painting, magazines, reading books, jigsaw puzzles, computer/tablet/smart phone surfing the web, reading mail, conversation with Team Member, Music Therapy, Happy Hour and Snack Chats and utilizing the Computerized IN2L (It’s Never 2 Late) Activity software programs, 1:1 visits.

We are encouraging residents to come out and join the Neighborhood groups.

Please see the Neighborhood Calendar for Activities for the month. Any questions reach out to the Life Enrichment Activity Coordinator.

MVB Resident Care Staffing Report

MVB is required to post our skilled nursing staffing each shift where it can be viewed by the public. As visitation is now open, the resident care staffing reports are now posted outside the Nursing Administration Office located on the 3^rd floor. If you have any questions, please contact Cindy Shemansky at (609) 239-3924.

Questions and Concerns

Please feel free to contact Cindy Shemansky, Assistant Executive Director, with any questions or concerns at (609) 239-3924. Again, we thank you for your continued patience and support as we continue to navigate through COVID challenges.