At Benedictine Living Community-La Crosse, our priority is the health and wellness of our residents and associates. We know that the frail and elderly are especially susceptible to the coronavirus. That is why we have been doing everything we can to prevent the spread of this virus onto our campus.

Visitation:

Visitors are welcome on our campus. New state and federal guidance allows visitors even if we have an active case of COVID-19. Be aware that there may be a risk for becoming infected by COVID-19 when there are active cases in the building. We take all recommended infection and prevention control precautions, but becoming infected is always a possibility.

Visitors need to follow several infection prevention and control requirements, including:

• All visitors must still complete a health screening and follow the Core Principles of Infection Control, including practicing good hand hygiene, wearing a face covering or mask that covers the mouth and nose, and physically distancing at least six feet from other residents and staff.

• Visitors who have had a positive viral test for COVID-19 or have symptoms of COVID-19, or who currently meet the criteria for quarantine, should not enter the facility. Visitors need to understand that there is a risk of exposure to COVID-19 when visiting.
• For the health and safety of visitors and all residents, visits should take place in the resident’s room (if private) or in a common space where physical distancing can be followed
• If our county’s COVID-19 community level of transmission is substantial to high, all residents and visitors, regardless of vaccination status, should wear face coverings or masks and physically distance at all times. You can check out our County’s COVID-19 transmission rate at www.covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view.
• When our county’s COVID-19 community level of transmission is low to moderate, the safest practice is for residents and visitors to wear face coverings or masks and physically distance, particularly if either of them is at increased risk for severe disease or is unvaccinated. If the county transmission level is low, the resident and all visitor(s) are fully vaccinated, and the resident is not moderately or severely immunocompromised, residents and visitors may choose not to wear face coverings or masks and to have physical contact.
• While CMS does not recommend visitation when a resident is actively infected with COVID-19 or in quarantine, residents may still choose to have visitors. The Core Principles of Infection Control need to be followed.

You can further help protect our residents and staff. Consider taking an over-the-counter COVID-19 test prior to visiting. This strategy helps to keep those who are ill from carrying COVID-19 into our building to our residents and staff.

Protect yourself and those you love with the COVID-19 vaccine!

Getting vaccinated against COVID-19 is one of the best ways to protect yourself and everyone around you, particularly those who are at increased risk for severe illness. Getting these shots will not only protect you from being infected; it will help us take a big step towards ending this pandemic.

If you are unvaccinated and are interested in vaccination, the COVID-19 vaccine is free, safe and readily available in our community. Not sure where? Check out https://vaccineconnector.mn.gov/en-US/, text your zip code to 438829, or call 1-800-232-0233 to find a location near you. If you still have questions, please go to www.cdc.gov/coronavirus for more information.

We look forward to the day when COVID-19 is vanquished. Until then, we appreciate your cooperation as we comply with all the requirements applicable to senior care facilities.

COVID-19 Update:

Benedictine Living Community – La Crosse is providing regular coronavirus testing as required by the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services and as needed coronavirus testing for residents, tenants and employees with symptoms. Testing enables us to better protect our residents and staff by identifying those who may be positive, but are not having any symptoms. Once identified, we can implement additional infection control measures quickly to better care for those who may be infected. We will post an update on our hotline – 608-519-4252 – if our testing identifies any new positive results.

We remain in close communication with our state and local health officials to ensure we are taking all appropriate steps. All our employees are following the latest infection control protocols from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), and our state and local health departments.

Infection Control Measures:

Since March 2020, we have followed all recommended guidance from the CDC, Centers Medicare & Medicaid Services, and our state and local health departments. Because we have taken this situation very seriously, our campus has been:

• Monitoring and screening residents daily for symptoms of respiratory illness, temperature and oxygen levels.
• Providing face masks to all residents to wear.
• Encouraging health care providers to use telehealth when possible.
• Screening staff prior to beginning work for symptoms. Employees are not allowed in the building if they are ill. Any employee who exhibits symptoms is instructed to self-quarantine at home and/or seek medical care.
• Requiring all employees to wear face masks and face shields while providing care.
• Implementing enhanced infection control measures, including extra efforts to clean and disinfect all high-touch areas throughout the building.

As we navigate this challenge, we are especially grateful for our dedicated caregivers, who are working tirelessly to ensure a clean, safe environment for all who live and work here. We all remain focused on providing exceptional care and services for all our residents.

We sincerely thank our residents, their families and our staff for their patience and dedication as we keep the safety, health and wellness of our residents and associates our top priority. Given the coronavirus situation is changing frequently, we will be working hard to provide additional information on this page and through other communication methods as it becomes available.
Please feel free to contact us at 608-788-9870 with any additional questions or concerns. We’re here for you and your loved one!