COVID-19 Cluster Reported at Avita Assisted Living and Memory Care

(Sedgwick County, Kan.) – Together Sedgwick County and Avita Assisted Living and Memory Care at Rolling Hills announce a COVID-19 cluster of 15 cases (11 staff, four residents) at the facility. Two residents have passed away.

“Avita’s top priority is the quality of care and safety of residents and staff,” said Executive Director Vicky Gooch.  “All positive staff are not to report to work until they have quarantined for two weeks, show no symptoms for 72 hours, and complete a negative COVID-19 test. Nine of the eleven staff with positive results were asymptomatic.”

She continues, “These limitations have been difficult for everyone involved.  Staff is ensuring that while in-person visits are not allowed, residents can still connect with loved ones through scheduled window visits, phone calls, text chat, or video communication.” 

To contain the further spread of the virus, Avita will continue to test and monitor residents and staff.

“We are working with Vicky and her team to contain further spread of COVID-19,” said County Health Director Adrienne Byrne. “COVID-19 is especially dangerous for older adults and we want to ensure the health and safety of residents and staff and reduce the spread.”

Avita has followed all Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) guidelines and stayed up to date with numerous ongoing changes. This includes visitor restriction (except in compassionate care situations), screening staff members before each shift, proper hand hygiene, staff and residents wearing face coverings and residents being quarantined to their rooms.  Additionally, the clinical team implemented infection control procedures that exceed those guidelines and received a zero-deficiency infection control survey from Kansas Department for Aging and Disability Services (KDADS) prior to the cluster.

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