Governoer Noem announced that long term care facilities will conduct mass testing over the next few weeks. Prairie Lakes staff geared up to assist  with testing.   Photos below picture Deb Bludorn (MSP), Kristi Jensen (MSP), Michelle Zafft (MSP), Mike Byer (House Supervisor), Becky Davis (Lab), and Nancy Slostad (House Supervisor) in isolation gear as they geared up to obtain swabs this week. Thank you to all involved here at Prairie Lakes! We are proud to work together with our local healthcare facilities. 

May is Mental Health Month

“The Prairie Lakes (CCU) critical care unit not only cares for the critical physical needs within our community, but also the mental and emotional needs experienced by the unbiased age or race of those we serve.   As a critical care staff, it is important to us that the patients we care for with mental and emotional health needs receive the compassionate understanding of their need for healing.”  - Danielle Daniels, Katie Shea and Chloe Pearson, CCU Staff

Article by Kari Johnston, CEO of Human Service Agency:

Being in quarantine is hard on everyone. Families are getting sick of each other. Kids want to take off on their bikes without worry about stopping to mingle with friends at a park. It’s just a different concept to get used to. For mental health providers, helping those in quarantine rubs against everything we normally suggest people do in order to get mentally healthy:   get out, exercise, socialize.  Senior citizens have had a particular difficult time during the pandemic. They have to worry about their physical health. This is likely their number one priority given all medical information indicates they are at high risk for complication from COVID-19. The way to secure safety with their medical health is to give up the very things that have kept them mentally healthy: don’t go to church, don’t see your friends and grandkids, stay inside as much as you can. This also means not going to funerals, visiting friends in the hospital, or participating in senior activities at assisted and independent living facilities.

So what can seniors do? If a person lives alone, this can be particularly difficult but keeping your mind and body moving is helpful. Staying connected to family and friends through social media, telephone or socially distant window/ patio visits is helpful. Keep your mind occupied by doing crossword puzzles, reading or writing letters is also a great way to spend time and stay mentally active.  Completing a jigsaw puzzle or putting together lego sets can also be enjoyable and keep a person entertained.  Journaling is extremely helpful to our mental health and creates a story for your family.  Seniors can benefit from writing the story of their life: where they were born, life events they remember, how life has changed, birth of kids and grandkids are all entertaining stories for family members and is therapeutic for the writer.

Keeping our bodies in motion is also helpful. Leg lifts, walking around the house or apartment, vacuuming and stretching are all ways to keep bodies moving that are less risky. Consult your doctor or call a physical therapist to discuss physical activity your body can tolerate without posing a fall risk.

If you know someone who is elderly: check on them and do so often. Ask them questions about anything just to get them talking. Be interested in whatever they have to share, even if they seem to be complaining. Take them magazines, puzzles, crossword puzzles, books, crafts or invest in a “grandparents journal” that will allow them to write their memoirs. You will cherish this later. And above all, always keep in mind, someday we will all walk in their shoes.

This series was originally published in The Public Opinion on May 11, 2020.

Businesses are opening but that doesn’t mean that COVID-19 is no longer a threat. The recommendations from the CDC should still be followed by our community. It is important that everyone follows these guidelines so that we are able to keep our businesses open.

Everyone Should

• Wash your hands often
  • Soap and water is best
  • If soap not readily available – use hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol.
  • Tip: In the field? Carry soap and a milk jug full of water with you to wash before eating.
• Practice Social Distancing – Keep your distance to SLOW THE SPREAD
  • Stay at least 6 ft from other people
  • Do not gather in large groups (greater than 10 people)
  • Stay out of crowded places and avoid mass gathering
  • Cover your mouth and nose with cloth face cover when around others
  • Tip: Think like a fisherman and keep your distance!
• Cover your mouth and nose with a cloth face cover when around others
  • You can spread the COVID-19 virus even if you do not feel sick
  • EVERYONE should wear a cloth face cover when they go out to public.
    • Unless you are under the age of 2 or have trouble breathing
  • The mask is meant to protect other people in case you are infected
  • Tip: A cloth face cover is not a substitute for social distancing.
• If you cough or sneeze
  • Use the inside of your elbow or tissue.
  • Wash your hands after
  • Tip: Act like a vampire and fully cover your face when you cough.
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched surfaces
  • Tip: This includes phones, steering wheels, faucets, door knobs, keys, purses, wallets, etc.

If you are sick:

Stay home; call a healthcare provider if you have symptoms.

Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.

• Cough
• Shortness of Breath
• Fever
• Chills
• Repeated shaking with chills
• Muscle pain
• Headache
• Sore Throat
• New loss of taste or smell

If you feel like you need to be seen by a healthcare provider:

Call ahead so that they are prepared to care for you.

If you have developed symptoms and aren’t sure what to do: Call the COVID-19 Hotline- Set up by the Watertown Area Task Force at 753-1408. Hours: Monday – Friday 9 am – 9 pm, Saturday 9 am – 1 pm, and Sunday 1 pm – 5 pm.

People at HIGH RISK for severe illness

• >65 or older
• People who live in nursing home or long-term care facility
• People of all ages with underlying medical conditions

Information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

Prairie Lakes Healthcare System (PLHS) now offers antibody testing for the virus associated with COVID-19 for patients. An order from a patient’s healthcare provider is required.  It is only advised for people at least 10 days after the onset of COVID-19 symptoms or 10 days since exposure to individuals with confirmed COVID-19.

An antibody test detects the presence of antibodies, which are specific proteins called immunoglobulins made by the body in response to infections.  The presence of antibodies indicates that an individual has been exposed to (infected with) that particular infectious agent, such as the virus associated with COVID-19. 

The role of testing for COVID-19 is important as it aids in not just detecting the disease, but understanding it. Every patient who receives an antibody test will be reported to the South Dakota Department of Health.

“It is not yet know if someone who tests positive for an antibody test are immune to the virus,” said K.C. DeBoer, President and CEO. “We hope this is just the first step of making antibody tests available in our community. It is not yet widely available for the public, and we understand the reassurance the test could bring to individuals who suspect they had COVID-19.”

Individuals who have COVID-19 symptoms are not candidates for this test. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus. The most recent symptoms list from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention includes:

• Cough
• Shortness of Breath
• Fever
• Chills
• Repeated shaking with chills
• Muscle pain
• Headache
• Sore Throat
• Loss of taste or smell (new)

If community members have developed symptoms and aren’t sure what to do, they are encouraged to call the COVID Hotline organized by the Watertown Area Task Force at 605-753-1408. Hours: Monday – Friday 9 am – 9 pm, Saturday 9 am – 1 pm, and Sunday 1 – 5 pm.

More information will be released regarding the antibody test availability as the service is developed at PLHS.

COVID-19 Community Information