New Jersey Outbreak Plan

Overview

Facilities are required to have a documented “Outbreak Plan” as required by N.J.S.A.26:2H-12.87. The plan includes but not be limited to, lessons learned from the response to and experience with COVID-19. Further, the plan includes a strategy for effective and clear communication with staff, patients/residents, their families or guardians about any infectious disease outbreaks as required by N.J.S.A. 26:2H-12.87.

Detail/Procedures

1. Brookdale communities shall communicate through multiple means to inform individuals, including non-essential health care personnel, of the visitation restrictions. Brookdale will accomplish this through signage at entrances/exits, letters, emails, phone calls, and recorded messages for receiving calls.
   1. Brookdale communities will utilize appropriate methods to communicate information on mitigating actions implemented by the facility to prevent or reduce the risk of transmission, including if normal operations of the facility will be altered. Notifications shall not include personally identifiable information.
   2. Brookdale strives to use the appropriate methods to provide cumulative updates for residents, their representatives, and families of those residing in the facilities at least once weekly. Such methods may include but are not limited to the use of video conferencing, Facetime, Zoom calls, group emails to families and through media postings to advise of any curtailed visitation periods.
2. Brookdale has developed written standards, policies and procedures that provide for virtual communication (e.g. phone, video-communication, Facetime, etc.) with residents, families, and resident representatives, in the event of visitation restrictions due to an outbreak of infectious disease or in the event of an emergency.
3. Brookdale will utilize all resources available to secure and provide staffing to meet the needs of the residents in the event of an outbreak.
   1. During emergencies, volunteers shall be accessed or recruited through credentialing agencies and organizations.
4. Arrangements with other communities
   1. As part of the emergency preparedness planning process, the community shall establish relationships with other communities that provide similar care in order to assess the possibility of cross-training associates from each community. The purpose of this would be to verify that qualified, licensed and experiences associates could fulfill emergency staffing needs.
   2. If associates from other communities are cross-trained and selected as potential emergency associates, they shall be oriented and trained on the emergency preparedness plan and their specific roles in emergency response.
   3. Utilize third party providers for supplemental staffing as necessary.
5. The outbreak plan must be posted on the facility’s website for public view no later than two (2) months from the enactment date of J.J.S.A.26:2H-12.87.
6. Brookdale communities must prominently display on their website and/or social media platforms and include in communications to families, guardians and the public, a phone number or method of communication for urgent calls or complaints.

Updated 10/01/2020