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.
As our locations reopen to visitors, we’re still following important safety guidelines. With dedicated staff and precautions you can trust, rest assured knowing it’s safe to receive care, housing and services at the Good Samaritan Society.
Watch an Iowa couple hold hands for the first time in a year.
Learn more about our COVID-19 resources and vaccination efforts.
How to safely visit a Society resident
At our locations, we allow outdoor and indoor visits for almost all residents. The only time we do not allow visitors is if a resident is COVID-19 positive. Compassionate care visits are an exception and allowed for all residents, including those infected with COVID-19.
Residents and visitors may visit without social distancing or masks if:
- They are alone in the resident's room or a designated visitation area.
- The resident and visitor are fully vaccinated.
If a visitor is not fully vaccinated, they must wear a fitted mask at all times during their visit.
Safe visit requirements:
- Before each visit, guests are screened for symptoms and potential exposure to COVID-19.
- Visitors who are not fully vaccinated must wear a fitted mask during their visit.
- Visitors are required to wash or sanitize their hands before their visit.
- Our preferred option is to hold visits outside.
- Visitors should maintain a distance of at least six feet from staff and other residents.
If you would like to visit one of our locations but are unable to follow these requirements, we ask that you please schedule a virtual visit or window visit instead. Learn more about visitation guidelines at the Good Samaritan Society or browse our frequently asked questions below.
Safety precautions for our locations and home-based services
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.
Vaccines
We’ve worked to give our residents and staff convenient access to the COVID-19 vaccines. These opportunities are still available. In addition, we require flu vaccines for employees and make them available to residents and clients.
COVID-19 testing
We work closely with state and local health departments to follow guidelines for testing residents and employees.
Cohorting
We’ve designed a system to help our staff know the health status of each resident in our locations. This allows staff to follow proper precautions for symptom-free residents and those who are being tested or are positive for COVID-19.
Staff precautions
Staff members are screened daily, monitor their health and stay home if they feel sick or have symptoms. We are following CDC guidelines for using personal protective equipment and face masks are required. When possible, we designate staff to work in one area of a building to reduce the risk of spreading the virus.
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 social distancing when participating in group activities with the general public or if the group is not fully vaccinated.
Social interaction and activities
We’re reopening amenities and services such as dining, activities and wellness programs. Fully vaccinated residents can participate in these activities without social distancing or masking.
Tours and moving in
We’re staggering tours and move-in dates and times to maintain social distancing. Virtual tours are available as a contact-free alternative to learn more about our communities.
Home-based services
In addition to following the relevant precautions listed above, our home-based staff delivers care and services at a distance of six feet when possible. We follow CDC guidelines for using personal protective equipment and organize staff work schedules to ensure there is little to no risk of virus transmission between staff and clients.