Government Commissioner Marnix van Rij (third left), his spouse Courtney van Rij (second left), and Deputy Government Commissioner Alida Francis (centre) visiting the St. Eustatius Auxiliary Home to celebrate the 101st birthday of Statia’s oldest resident Mary Busby (seated). The group waved from outside the gate of the premises due to the Auxiliary Home’s policy preventing visitors from entering the location.
ST. EUSTATIUS--The management of St. Eustatius Auxiliary Home is in the process of implementing changes to its visitor policy.
Due to the COVID-19 outbreak on the island the Auxiliary Home introduced a policy whereby no visitors were allowed to enter the premises. New measures that took effect on Monday, October 12, allow families of the home’s residents to visit their loved ones, while also ensuring the safety and well-being of the home’s residents and staff.
The policy might have some adjustments made as a result of the most recent COVID-19 case on the island, for which the St. Eustatius Public Health Department is currently conducting contact-tracing and -sourcing to discover its source.
The government of St. Eustatius is advising family members of Auxiliary Home residents who may have been in contact with anyone that recently tested positive for COVID-19 to avoid visiting the home. These persons are instead urged to utilise the Auxiliary Home’s visitor telephone policy, whereby they will be able to contact their loved ones instead.
Deputy Government Commissioner Alida Francis stated, “Our seniors are our most vulnerable among the local community. The new measures all depend on the outcome of the next few days, which may change knowing that the management is very serious and is making all efforts to keep its residents and staff safe.”
Family members who would like to make use of this policy change to visit their loved ones can make an appointment by calling 599-319-1221, at least one day in advance. Persons who utilise the visitor policy will have to answer questions on their current health status. The Auxiliary Home residents are only allowed one person per visit for a total of 15 minutes. Visits may take place during the hours of 10:00am to 12:00pm and 12:00 to 1:30pm.
While on the premises visitors must maintain social distancing of at least 1.5 metres at all times and no hugging or touching will be allowed. Visitors are only allowed on the front porch, not within the residents’ rooms, and are expected to follow the directions given by staff when entering the premises.
Members of the Auxiliary staff will meet the visitors at the gate and provide them with a mask and hand sanitiser. On entering the premises, persons will be asked questions about their health status to ensure the residents’ safety. Family members will then be escorted to a seat where they will sit 1.5 metres away from their loved one.
The Auxiliary Home management said they know that social interaction is very important for their seniors at these times. The elderly home is urging visitors to respect and adhere to the new policy, as these new measures were put in place to ensure the safety and well-being of the residents at the home.
If family members cannot make use of the visiting policy, they can instead continue to contact a loved one by calling telephone 599-319-1221 or via the nurses’ station 599-318-2981.
The entrance to the home remains restricted to all suppliers, external professionals and other stakeholders. Suppliers are requested to call before arriving at the Auxiliary Home, as a member will meet them at the gate of the premises.
The home’s management is aware that the measures affect the residents, their loved ones, and members of the staff, and extended gratitude to the family members of residents for their support and understanding during these difficult times. The management also expressed appreciation to the staff for their relentless cooperation during this pandemic.
Deputy Government Commissioner Francis stated that the management of the Auxiliary Home remains in close contact with the government and the COVID-19 crisis team. Together they will keep the community informed of the steps taken to safely relax the home’s visiting policy.
