We at Memory Care of Little Rock understand the seriousness of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic, and we are taking every possible precaution to protect our residents and staff based on the most updated guidance from local and federal authorities.

We are also committed to communicating with our residents and their loved ones on a regular basis during these unprecedented and difficult times. Family members have been notified when COVID-19 cases have been identified and informed of the steps we are taking to prevent the spread.

From the moment we opened our first facility, we have always considered the health and welfare of our residents and caregivers to be our highest priority. We have long-standing protocols and procedures to help ensure the safety and welfare of our residents and caregivers, including with respect to infectious diseases.

We have reviewed, and will continue to review, these protocols and procedures in light of the guidance and information provided by the CDC, other state and federal agencies, our community physicians, and other medical professionals. Based on emerging information and guidance, we will supplement our protocols and procedures as warranted.

In addition, in response to the COVID-19 situation, we have already implemented several new procedures and strengthened others, including:

• We have instituted daily team meetings with leaders from each of our facilities to assess the latest information and to continue reviewing and supervising our sanitization safety procedures.
• We have taken steps to dramatically limit the presence of visitors in our facilities:
• Family members may now visit residents virtually, but not in person. Please contact us for further information about services we are providing free of charge to facilitate virtual visits.
• We have cancelled all meetings and other events that would result in non-essential visitors to our communities until further notice.
• Our community physicians are continuing their visits, but, if a physician manifests coronavirus symptoms, he/she will not be allowed in the facility until tested and cleared.
• We are monitoring all residents on a daily basis for fever, symptoms of respiratory illness, and any other potential health issues that could be an indication of any illness. If a resident manifests symptoms, we will promptly isolate that resident to the extent possible and notify their physician and family. 
• We have increased and intensified the monitoring of our employees for any manifestation of symptoms. New procedures ensure that if any employees manifest symptoms, they will not be allowed in the facility until they are tested and cleared. We have also reinforced direction that staff with any symptoms should take full advantage of our paid sick leave.
• We are sanitizing our facilities with greater frequency, including additional cleaning and disinfecting of high-traffic and common areas such as handrails, bathroom faucets and levers, door handles and knobs, as well as tables and chairs in the common areas. We have increased the number of hand sanitizers located throughout the buildings and we have begun using a cleaning product called microSURE. microSURE is a unique antimicrobial solution – hand sanitizer, surface cleaner, laundry detergent - that protects multiple diverse services. After applying, it dries and creates a covalent bond that becomes a barrier on the surface and continues to protect for 30 to 90 days.  This is called a Mechanical Kill as opposed to the more traditional Chemical Kill, which becomes inactive within a matter of minutes from increased contact with the surface.
• We have increased the frequency of regular in-service caregiver training meetings, with a specific emphasis on disease control measures.

While we cannot guarantee that coronavirus will not impact our residents or staff, we have extensive experience with infection control, especially related to seasonal influenza, and our long-standing policies and procedures are designed to keep our residents in a healthy and nurturing environment. The President of Memory Care America, Linda Carrasco, has over 30 years of experience in this field, and we will continue to be proactive to protect our residents, caregivers, and other community members.

Finally, knowing the facts is an important component in our planning, and we encourage you to review available resources. For your convenience, please refer to the following websites for additional information:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html

https://www.nih.gov/health-information/coronavirus