By Mary Klaus

Originally published 2/12/21

Although nearly 95 percent of the Campus of the Jewish Home of Greater Harrisburg residents eligible for the COVID-19 vaccination have been vaccinated, staff members are not letting their guard down in their fight against the pandemic.

          The Susquehanna Township facility, which has both skilled and personal care units, is not back to its pre-pandemic business as usual status, said Allen Geckle, the organization’s CEO.

          But, he added, it’s getting closer.

          “The vaccine does not change the state’s protocols for reopening at this point,” Geckle said. “The stages for reopening still are dictated by negative test results. The state requires several series of negative tests for all and then allows certain things to restart gradually, including group activities, then dining, and then visitation.”

          He said that the Campus tests residents and staff weekly for COVID-19. Any positive test results mean that the cycle is restarted. Although the home had several cycles with no positive test results among residents, some recent positive results among the skilled nursing staff started the cycle over. Geckle said that if all goes well with the most recent testing, there could be some relaxation of restrictions in the personal care home soon.

The Campus has 43 residents in personal care and 101 in the skilled nursing facility, all over the age of 65. The campus also has 155 staff members and an additional 120 support staff contracted through outside companies.

As of this writing, there are no current, confirmed positive COVID-19 cases among residents in either building. As of January 25, there have been eight confirmed positive cases among personal care home residents and 59 confirmed positives among skilled nursing facility residents. Since May, more than 75 staff members have tested positive and 20 others self-quarantined as a precaution.

Geckle said that the facility’s task force – formed last March - of physicians, nurses, administrators, and himself, has established policies and procedures, conducted research, attended meetings and webinars, consulted with epidemiologists, conducted training, and supervised operations related to COVID-19.

“The Campus has been visited by both state and federal infection control specialists, both before and during COVID-positive outbreaks,” he said. “We have been commended for our preparations, protocols, and handling of COVID. No deficient practices were found before or during periods of COVID in the buildings.”

Geckle said that the campus has been using two vaccine partners for its two buildings. CVS gave the COVID-19 vaccinations to residents and staff in the skilled nursing facility, while Hershey Pharmacy gave the vaccinations at the personal care home.

          While 95 percent of eligible residents have been vaccinated (with others still recovering from COVID-19), about 50 percent of the staff has been vaccinated. Geckle expects more staff members to be vaccinated soon – noting that the current number is still higher than other facilities.

“I have spoken to many colleagues at other long-term care facilities who have put their percentages at 30 percent and lower,” he said.

          Geckle, who had his first COVID vaccine dose in December, said that he had no reaction to his first injection and some chills and arm soreness that lasted a day with the second.

          The campus has had COVID-19 restrictions for nearly a year, including no visitors since March 10, cancellation of outside medical appointments, mask, goggle, and gown requirements, isolation of new and readmitted residents, new delivery policies, and everything from closely monitoring symptoms of staff and residents to staff quarantining at home if symptoms indicate.

          Although full activities, communal dining, and in-person religions programming have not yet returned, a lot is offered online. Geckle admits it’s not the same as being together in a group.

 He said he’s looking forward to that changing soon and expressed hope for enough negative COVID test results to allow some visitation in the personal care home by mid-February, although no date is set for visiting at the skilled nursing facility as of writing. Visits may have a new look.

“We’re looking at visiting booths, which our maintenance director is assembling," Geckle said. “This would allow some in–person visits through a plastic screen. We do allow end-of-life and compassionate caregiver visits in line with state guidelines and as determined appropriate by our administrators and director of nursing.”

So far, residents have stayed in touch with family and friends via window visits and Skype, Zoom, and Facetime calls.

          Geckle said that staff and residents are coping well despite being “extremely frustrated” by the restrictions.

          “Our residents have handled the isolation and restrictions remarkably well,” he said. “While there is some depression among all groups, the residents have shown an incredible resiliency as a whole.”