Page 26 - FLIPMAG.NET

Treating residents
with COVID-19
75% of Burlington’s
population had
in post-acute sites
tested positive for
COVID-19. Now, that
BURLINGTON HOUSE
number is down to
just a few
By Ginger Christ plemented across its At one point, about ell, CommuniCare’s vice
nearly 100 post-acute president of therapy clin-
at the 106-bed facility.
IN EARLY JUNE, physical therapist Alex care facilities , about a ical operations, but doc-
Grimm helped a woman walk for the third of which have had tors in hospitals decided

first time in weeks. COVID-19 outbreaks. The team turned to try proning for COVID-19 patients to

The woman, a resident at Commu- to hospitals, associations, reports and prevent the need for ventilation.
niCare’s Burlington House Rehab and journals for insight on how best to pro- A recent study in JAMA found in small
Alzheimer’s Center in Cincinnati, fi - vide care and help residents recover. case studies that among patients who
nally was able to sit up, and then take “We’re not aspiring to be a hospital could handle periods of prone position-

her first steps, after weeks of battling but we’re trying to understand what we ing, there were short-term improve-
COVID-19. The therapy staff had been can do,” said Dr. Matthew Wayne, an ments in oxygen levels and respiratory

moving the woman into the prone po- internist and geriatrician who serves rates. However, the authors advised clini-
sition three to four times per day to help as chief medical offi cer for Communi- cians to monitor patients who are moved
improve her oxygen levels. Care, which has facilities in eight states. into the prone position to make sure nec-
“We have to celebrate the successes,” “Th ere’s so much that can be done for essary intubation is not being delayed.
said Grimm, who also is the site’s ther- the majority of these folks without them “It’s one of the first times where we’ve

apy director. going to the hospital.” taken something that (hospitals) have
At one point, about 75% of Burling- Because there are still so many un- been doing on a regular basis and tried
ton’s population had tested positive knowns about COVID-19 and little to adapt it to our population,” Powell
for COVID-19, although many were concrete research on treatment, Com- said. “We haven’t typically seen this
asymptomatic, Grimm said. Now, that muniCare chose a variety of interven- level of acuity of residents in nursing
number is down to just a few at the 106- tions that are low risk and have had homes before.”
bed facility. anecdotal success in managing symp- Physical therapists in post-acute set-
As COVID-19 has spread across post- toms of the virus. tings already are trained on bed mobil-
acute care facilities like Burlington, “We really are just looking at anything ity and positioning and only needed to

staffers have needed to care for many we think will be of benefi t to our resi- learn the protocol for the new treatment,
residents on site, instead of sending them dents,” Wayne said. Powell said. To train employees, Com-

to overwhelmed hospitals. In many cas- The chosen treatment plan involves muniCare offered a series of webinars—

es, that means providing care for high- monitoring fluids and oxygen levels; both on prone positioning and the other

er-acuity residents than in the past. proning; and giving residents vitamin interventions—to all its facilities, even
To do that, CommuniCare estab- supplements for immune support, an- those without COVID-19 cases.
lished a standard of care that it im- ticoagulants to prevent blood clots and, “We never know what lies ahead,” Pow-
in the case of a pilot group, amino acids ell said. “Even though a facility today may
to possibly reduce infl ammation. Each not have any residents with COVID-19, if
STRATEGIES
symptomatic resident is assessed for tomorrow they had a resident fall ill, we
risk before any treatments are admin- wanted that team to be prepared.”
Perform widespread testing
istered and is seen by physicians three While some residents do go to the
at sites where there are cases of
times per week, Wayne said. hospital, “most are doing well with a lot
COVID-19 to identify the spread of
CommuniCare decided to start pron- of close monitoring and support,” Wayne
ing residents with COVID-19 whose said. About 85% to 90% of the Communi-
the virus among the population
oxygen levels were low in order to open Care residents who tested positive have
Assess each symptomatic resident
up their lungs. Typically, prone position- recovered , he said. Wayne can’t quantify
before using any interventions
ing has been used for patients in hospi- that the interventions are working but
tals who are in respiratory distress and said the outcomes are “defi nitely a step
Continuously monitor residents
for changes in the right direction.” 
placed on ventilators, said Emma Pow-
24 Modern Healthcare | June 8, 2020