Coronavirus

Iowa Department of Public Health defines an outbreak as three residents that test positive within a 14 day period.

We understand these are trying times. It is hard to be away from those we love. Please know all of us at Bethany Life can’t wait for the day when the doors will be open to everyone. Until then, we are doing our best to accommodate both family and residents. Each compassionate visit is accompanied by a staff member. This is why we ask for a notice before you come. We also ask that each visitor wear PPE. As you know, PPE is necessary to keep residents safe, it costs money and sometimes is very hard to get. Because of these reasons we only allow so many visits each week.

If we see a change in your loved one please know we will reach out to you so that a compassionate visit can be arranged as well. Your loved one is our top priority! Please click here for information on setting up a compassionate visit.

Sign Up →

We are excited to be able to use our Conversation Corner to help re-connect our residents with their loved ones.
Below is the list of requirements in order to participate in a safe visit, based on our current regulations.

1. Schedule your visit online ahead of time so we can ensure your loved one is ready and available Sign up Here →
  -No more than 2 family members visiting at once

2. Bring and wear a mask that covers your nose and mouth
  -Masks must be worn at all times by both visitors and residents
  -Physical contact is not allowed at this time

3. Check in and complete the COVID-19 screening inside the main entrance

4. Utilize the headphone and microphone set to assist with hearing each other
   -Those items are sanitized between all visits

5. Enjoy your visit!

We now have a tablet in each household for zoom calls! Thank you for all your gifts to the COVID-19 fund. This helped us purchase more during this time!

Sign Up →

We are using Zoom for video chats.  You will need to download Zoom on your computer, smart phone, or tablet, however you do not need to create an account.

Below are the steps for preparing for the video chat:

1. Download Zoom from www.zoom.us/download
   – Computer: look for this – the top option
   – Smartphone or Tablet: look for this – scroll down the page
   – You only need to download the application – you do not need to create an account or sign in.  (Once you receive the e-mail from us with the meeting link, you will be able to join the meeting for free without needing an account.)
2. Sign up for a time slot through Sign Up Genius. Sign up Here
3. You will receive a confirmation email from info@signupgenius.com with the zoom meeting ID and password.
4. When it is time for your video chat, open the zoom app and enter in the zoom meeting ID and password that was sent to you in your confirmation email.
   ** Make sure you allow/accept use of audio and video on your device – or else you won’t be able to see and hear each other!

We have set up times daily for 30 minute calls.  If you require a different time of day, please e-mail laura@bethanylife.org and we can work with your schedule.

Thank you for your patience in this difficult time.

This sign up form is to schedule a time to visit with your loved one, whether through a video call or an in person visit.  Please note that to ensure safe visits in person, there are a list of requirements to follow based on our current regulations (see attached document).  In person visits will be held in a climate-controlled location, with a plexiglass divider between the resident and visitors.  If a resident is not feeling well, or is currently under isolation precautions, they will not be able to participate in an in-person visit.  We can, however, do a window visit or video call.  In that case you will be notified that a change will need to be made to your scheduled meeting.  This can happen at any time, so we appreciate your patience if you experience this.

While time slots show 40 minutes, visits will be kept to 30 minutes to ensure we can sanitize equipment, get residents to/from the conversation corner, and get around the building to the next resident who has a visitor or video call.  In an effort to keep all of the meetings on time, please consider coming a few minutes early to complete the screening process so your meeting can start on time.

Also, because the staff managing the sign up and facilitating the visits are also providing individual visits with residents during the day, we ask that you sign up at minimum several hours in advance, preferably the day before.  We also kindly ask that weekend visits be scheduled by Friday at 5:00 pm so we can coordinate our staff schedule appropriately.

Please select time(s) below to schedule a visit with your loved one.  You may select multiple times, but please be respectful of others wanting to schedule as well.  Once you have chosen a day/time, you will be prompted to choose whether your visit will be in person or over video call.  The type of visit CAN be changed after the fact if something changes for you.

Your confirmation e-mail will have the rules for in person visits attached, as well as the zoom meeting ID and password for that time slot.  Anyone who receives the Zoom information can participate in a video call, so if multiple family members would like to be on the same call you can forward the information to them.

Thank you for your patience during this time as we work to connect residents with their families.  If you have questions, please reach out to laura@bethanylife.org Monday-Friday or life.enrichment@bethanylife.org Saturday-Sunday.

Laura Severson, ADC/PC, Director of Life Enrichment at The Households of Bethany 
Cell: (515) 203-1160 
laura@bethanylife.org

Yes. Prior to entering/exiting the building at the beginning and end of each shift, employees complete COVID-19 Screening Checklist and have a temperature check. Any signs or symptoms as identified on the form will disqualify the individual from accessing the building and these will be reviewed by management. In this incident, the employee will then be tested for COVID-19 by a Bethany Life nurse. Employees are to report any testing or further symptoms to their manager. Exceptions to this can be made with a documented differential diagnosis or physician’s note.

The Employee will remain off of work until health department or CDC guidelines for returning to work are met (whichever is greater). As of 5/5/2020 the requirements are posted and as follows:
– 10 days after onset of symptoms
– 72 hours without fever of 100.0 or greater
– Improvement in symptoms OR
– 2 negative COVID-19 PCR tests greater than 24 hours apart

1st person exposure must be reported and will be considered for restriction to the
facility. Exposure is defined as follows:
– Live with someone with positive COVID-19 test
– Provided care for someone with COVID-19 without proper PPE
– Had close contact with person who is positive for COVID19 (within 6 feet for greater than 15 minutes)

Residents are tested if they show symptoms or have been exposed. 

On May 17-18 we tested all staff and residents at The Households of Bethany. Our goal with testing is to identify asymptomatic (without symptoms) individuals who test positive for the virus. Testing is identifying residents who test positive but who are currently asymptomatic.

We currently have sufficient supplies to meet immediate needs. PPE inventory is tracked and reported daily to Iowa Department of Public Health.

All staff must wear masks and shields while working. A full complement of PPE is required for staff caring for residents who’ve been placed in isolation for any reason. Residents are encouraged to wear masks in all resident settings. 

Residents who had direct contact with the staff member are individually notified as well as their primary contacts. In addition, all Bethany Life residents and staff are notified when a positive COVID-19 diagnosis is received. 

Each week an e-mail is sent out from our CEO, Betsy Warburton to the family member contact. At the beginning we were calling all the family members when a positive case was reported.  We quickly realized the time this took (over 13 hours each call) when we have over 100 residents. We understand a recorded call is not as personal but having the nurses/staff on the floor taking care of the residents was our first priority. If a resident was in direct contact or having symptoms a personal call is made.  

Our Director of Nursing reports all our active case numbers and recovered cases to the government agencies. Once we do that it is out of our hands. Our numbers on this website are updated daily. We don’t know how many times the government cases get updated so the numbers might look different. Please know the numbers on our site are current and accurate.

If your loved has a telephone or other communication device, we encourage you to have regular contact with them. For those residents without a telephone, our Life Enrichment team is doing its best to offer video-chat calls for residents and families on a regular basis.

We are using Zoom for video chats.  You will need to download Zoom on your computer, smart phone, or tablet, however you do not need to create an account. 

Below are the steps for preparing for the video chat:

1. Download Zoom from www.zoom.us/download
   – Computer: look for this – the top option
   – Smartphone or Tablet: look for this – scroll down the page 
   – You only need to download the application – you do not need to create an account or sign in.  (Once you receive the e-mail from us with the meeting link, you will be able to join the meeting for free without needing an account.)
2. Sign up for a time slot through Sign Up Genius at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/904084BACAA2DAAF94-family
3. You will receive an e-mail from laura@bethanylife.org or life.enrichment@bethanylife.org with the link for your specific video chat with your loved one.  It will look like this:
4. When it is time for your video chat, open the e-mail you received (in step 3) and click the link below “Join Zoom Meeting” to join the video chat.
   ** Make sure you allow/accept use of audio and video on your device – or else you won’t be able to see and hear each other!

We have set up times daily for 30 minute calls.  If you require a different time of day, please e-mail laura@bethanylife.org and we can work with your schedule.  

Thank you for your patience in this difficult time. 

Please note that it may take a few hours to get the e-mail link for your Zoom call as we are also providing individual visits with residents during the day.

Due to an increase in video calls and individual visits, we ask that weekend video calls be scheduled by Friday at 5:00 pm.  Thank you.

Please select time(s) below to schedule a video visit with your loved one.  You may select multiple times, but please be respectful of others wanting to schedule as well.

Once you have selected a time and submitted this form, you will receive an e-mail from laura@bethanylife.org OR life.enrichment@bethanylife.org with an invitation for the scheduled meeting through Zoom.  Please note that for added security, a password is required and sent with the video call information.  In addition, anyone who receives the Zoom link can participate, so if multiple family members would like to be on the same call you can forward the link to them.

We ask for your phone number in case there is technical difficulty and we need to reach you.  In addition, times have now been spaced out to add time between calls for staff to sanitize the tablet and get from one resident to another. 

Laura Severson, ADC/PC, Director of Life Enrichment at The Households of Bethany 

Cell: (515) 203-1160 laura@bethanylife.org

The Households of Bethany Long-Term care Visits are not permitted until further notice per federal mandate. Unless it is an end of life situation.

Independent Living
Timberland Village and Cedar Place Independent Living: Things change quickly so for the most up to date information contact Cindi Martin at 733-6500 for Timberland and Kristi Eley at 733-9092 at Cedar place for more information.

Assisted Living
Timberland Village and Cedar Place Assisted Living: Please contact Cindi Martin at 733-6500 for Timberland and Kristi Eley at 733-9092 at Cedar place for more information.

Bethany Life is providing communications on both our website and social media pages to inform the public of changes to visiting guidelines and operations. Visit us on Facebook for the most recent COVID-19 communications. 

We are still providing consultation and informational services over the phone. Please call Morgan at 515.509.6269 for additional information regarding our communities. Virtual tours can also be arranged.

Chapel Services are canceled until further notice. Pastor David Burling is here each Sunday. He is often seen singing to the residents and having meaningful conversations with them on their individual households. 

The Wellness Center is not currently open. The equipment has been moved to the individual households in order to keep your loved one active! We will keep you updated.

The salon is not currently open.

Many of you are asking how you can help. Here are a few ways you can individually make a difference:

Give to the Bethany Life Employee Appreciation Fund. This fund pays for many of the special events and gifts of appreciation to our staff. The gifts we receive help us celebrate our staff and their love for the older adults in their care. https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/BethanyLifeFoundation/EmployeeAppreciation.html

Give to the Bethany Life COVID-19 Support Fund. This fund will be used for resident needs, medical supplies and staff support. It will enable our staff to sustain their resilience while they continue to provide safe, high-quality care to our residents and community. You can make your gift online at https://app.etapestry.com/onlineforms/BethanyLifeFoundation/COVID19Fund.html

Supplies we are always in need of.  N95 and cloth masks

Share gratitude and encouragement with our dedicate staff. Email a message, photo or video message and we will share it. https://www.bethanylife.org/thanking-our-staff/

Pray for our residents and their families, our staff and for us all to stay healthy and safe.