State Legislation

Society employees, volunteers or contracted health professionals may not knowingly participate in or facilitate physician-assisted suicide. This includes but is not limited to the provision of information intended to promote physician-assisted suicide; patient assessment for the purposes of eligibility; prescribing, procuring, providing or administering a lethal prescription; or presence when the medication is ingested.

We're committed to helping our senior communities and the people we serve feel safe and see their loved ones. All of our care settings have safety precautions and vaccination opportunities in place to protect residents, clients, employees and our communities. Our Florida communities include:

• Good Samaritan Society - Kissimmee Village in Kissimmee, FL

How to safely visit a Society resident

We allow outdoor and indoor visits for all residents.

Please wear a mask and keep your distance around staff, other residents and in common areas of the building. We recommend wearing a mask during your visit with a resident, especially if you or your loved one is unvaccinated or COVID-19 is widespread in the community.

Items to note prior to visiting:

• We recommend getting tested for COVID-19 two to three days before visiting a Society location.
• No visitor shall be screened, tested, or vaccinated as a condition of visitation, nor will any visitor have to show proof of vaccination or immunization as a condition of visitation.
• This center allows for consensual physical contact between a resident and his/her visitor at the desire of the resident.
• In accordance with Florida statute this center recognizes that a resident may designate a visitor (family member, friend, guardian or other individual) as an Essential Caregiver. This Essential Caregiver will be allowed to visit at any time but at a minimum of 2 hours daily in addition to any other visitation. The Essential Caregiver is not required to provide necessary care to the resident. The Essential Caregiver, when identified will be documented in the residents electronic medical record and updated upon request.
• Residents will be allowed in person visitation in all the following circumstances if the resident does not object:
  • End of life
  • The resident who was living with family before being admitted to the provider’s care is struggling with the change in environment and lack of in-person family support. 
  • The resident is making one or more major medical decisions.
  • The resident is experiencing emotional distress or grieving the loss of a friend or family member who recently died. 
  • The resident needs cueing or encouragement to eat or drink which was previously provided by a family member of caregiver.
  • The resident who used to talk and interact with others seldom speaking.
• Visitors are welcome to visit at any time and there is no limitation on visitation length.
• There is no limit on the number of visitors per resident. However, the center may limit the number the number of visitors allowed at any given time based on the ability of the staff to safely monitor the space used to accommodate visitors and upon adherence to any potential infection control protocols.
• The Center will adhere to previously established infection control policies and procedures for the safety of all residents and staff. Visitors with a communicable disease or symptoms of a communicable disease should refrain from visiting and not enter the center.
• Visitors will be provided education as needed on communicable disease signs and symptoms and any center infection control precautions that are pertinent at the time of visitations.
• This process does not prohibit visits if the resident is quarantined, tests positive for a communicable disease, or is showing symptoms of a communicable disease. Visitors will be made aware of the potential risks of visiting and the precautions necessary to visit the resident. Any Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) needed will be provided to the visitor in accordance with the most recent Centers for Disease Control and Prevention guidelines.
• The Center will not require visitors to agree in writing with this visitation process. However, if a visitor violates process that may pose a risk to residents and/or staff, that visitor may be asked to suspend the visitation. 
• Pursuant to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, Medicare certified skilled nursing facilities are required to comply with additional regulatory requirements for infection control of communicable diseases including but not limited to precautions to reduce the transmission of COVID-19. Thus, the Center will implement any additional precautions for the safety of all residents and staff. 

Vaccines

We’ve worked to give our residents and staff convenient access to the COVID-19 vaccines. All employees are now required to receive their COVID-19 and flu vaccines, and we continue to encourage residents to get vaccinated.

COVID-19 testing

We work closely with state and local health departments to follow guidelines for testing residents and employees.

Infection Control

Our locations are taking extra precautions and following infection control protocols from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). These guidelines include practicing good hand hygiene, wearing face masks, using alcohol-based sanitizer and frequently cleaning surfaces. 

Group gatherings and outings

For outings, we're following state and local guidance to keep residents safe. We encourage residents to wear masks and practice physical distancing when participating in group activities with the general public or if the group is not fully vaccinated.

All South Dakota Good Samaritan Society Assisted Living locations recognize that each resident has a right to receive visitors of their own choosing at the time of their own choosing, provided the visitation does not impose upon the rights of another resident.

Residents’ families, relatives, friends, and associates are all welcome to visit residents. If visitation must be limited or restricted during a health emergency, the assisted living will electronically inform each resident and their designated family member of the rationale and reason for limitations and restrictions as well as the period of time these limitations and restrictions are to remain in effect.

Please note that assisted living locations accessed through a long term care facility may have ongoing limits to visitation due to regulations governing the long term care setting.

A copy of the Good Samaritan Policy and Procedure regarding Resident Visitation Rights in SD Assisted Living is posted in each Assisted Living building and copies are available upon request.

During a health emergency, this website will contain a link to the most recent visitation guidance documents provided from or through the SD Department of Health.

In compliance with House Bill 3961 (87th Texas Legislature, Regular Session, 2021), The Evangelical Lutheran Good Samaritan Society has three locations in Texas that meet the criteria of the Texas Long-term Care Ombudsman Program:

• Good Samaritan Society - Denton Village in Denton, TX
• Good Samaritan Society - Lake Forest Village in Denton, TX
• Good Samaritan Society - White Acres in El Paso, TX

"A long-term care ombudsman helps residents of a nursing facility and residents of an assisted living facility resolve complaints. Help provided by an ombudsman is confidential and free of charge. To speak with an ombudsman, a person may call the toll-free number 1-800-252-2412."