Frequently Asked Questions
The Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has required Lyngblomsten to adjust policies and operations across the organization, prompting questions from the older adults we serve, their families, our volunteers and supporters, our staff, and the general community.
We’ve gathered some of the most common questions and answered them below. Don’t see your question? Please feel free to reach out and ask our staff using contact information listed under “Who can I contact for more information?”
Coronavirus is a contagious respiratory disease that can cause fever, shortness of breath, and coughing. In some cases, especially for older adults and people with serious chronic medical conditions, it can be deadly. Older adults are at a high risk of becoming infected and should take extra precautions. Their increased susceptibility has led the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to issue health and safety guidelines for nursing homes. Lyngblomsten has adopted these guidelines and implemented them throughout its campus and community programs.
For more information about COVID-19, visit the following websites:
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC): www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov. Contains information about how it spreads, locations of confirmed cases, and more.
- CDC: Strategies long-term care facilities are taking to prevent the spread of COVID-19.
Last updated 1/8/2021
- Minnesota Department of Health: www.health.state.mn.us/diseases/coronavirus.
Under guidance from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), Lyngblomsten has limited visitors and implemented mandatory health screenings for anyone entering buildings on our campus. (Family/friends participating in Outdoor Visits also must pass a mandatory health screening.) For more details about visitor restrictions and the screening process, please see our Visitation Policies page.
Infection control protocols are in effect throughout our campus. These include requiring residents, tenants, staff, and visitors to wear facemasks and/or eye protection (googles and/or face shields), having these individuals wash and/or disinfect their hands frequently throughout the day, and disinfecting high-touch areas more frequently.
We have suspended and/or modified group activities and congregate/communal dining in our buildings at this time. Residents and tenants may participate in these activities with precautions in place (i.e., only residents/tenants who are not positive for the virus and who are not exhibiting symptoms may participate, limiting groups to 10 persons or fewer, requiring residents/tenants to wear facemasks and practice social distancing).
We also have a number of procedures in place to mitigate the spread of the virus when a resident/tenant does test positive. These procedures are based on the latest guidance from MDH and other health agencies, and they include:
- Cohorting residents in different areas of the care center depending on their COVID status (i.e., positives together, negatives together)
- Requiring tenants who test positive to remain in their apartments until they are considered recovered per MDH health standards
- Placing residents/tenants on a 14-day precautionary quarantine in their room/apartment if they had a high-risk exposure to some who tests positive
Last updated 1/5/21
Under guidelines from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), we are allowing the following types of visits for our care center residents:
- Compassionate care visits for family of residents (e.g., end-of-life care)
- Essential medical visits with authorized healthcare providers (see question below for list of authorized providers)
- Essential Caregiver Visits
- Indoor Visits in the Care Center Chapel (see our Visitation Policies for more information)
- Window Visits & Virtual Visits (see our Visitation Policies for more information)
Any visitor who does not pass a mandatory health screening will not be permitted to visit with a resident on our campus, regardless of their loved one’s condition.
Visitor hours vary depending on the type of visit, but they generally are from 10 AM to 7 PM.
Last updated 1/8/2021
Under guidelines from the Minnesota Department of Health, we are allowing the following types of visits for our housing tenants:
- Compassionate care visits for family of tenants (e.g., end-of-life care)
- Essential medical visits with authorized healthcare providers (this includes staff from home health agencies who have been providing services to tenants)
- Essential Caregiver Visits
- Window Visits & Virtual Visits (see Visitation Policies for more information)
Any visitor who does not pass a mandatory health screening will not be permitted to visit with a resident on our campus, regardless of their loved one’s condition.
All visits must be scheduled. Visitor hours are Monday through Friday from 9 AM–4 PM and on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 AM–1:45 PM. Individuals whose schedules are affected by work or childcare responsibilities can schedule visits outside of normal visitor hours; they will check in at the Lyngblomsten Care Center and be screened.
Our visiting guidelines are subject to change as new guidance is released from the MDH and other health agencies.
Last updated 1/11/21
The following types of providers are allowed to visit residents and tenants on Lyngblomsten’s campus:
- Hospice nurses
- Lab techs/phlebotomists
- X-ray technicians
- Pharmacy technicians
- Pharmacy deliveries
This list is not exhaustive; it reflects providers who are commonly on campus.
Last updated 1/8/2021
Lyngblomsten staff are working hard to provide residents and tenants with opportunities to stay connected and engaged. A few examples:
- Worship services and other activities—including sing-a-longs and livestreams—are being broadcast to their rooms/apartments via our closed-circuit TV system.
- Local teaching artists are working with our arts and lifelong learning staff to create art projects and other activities that older adults can complete in their rooms without sharing tools/materials with others.
- Staff are helping residents and tenants can stay connected with their loved ones through online video visits via FaceTime, Skype, Zoom, and other platforms.
Last updated 1/8/2021
There is a variety of ways families and friends can stay connected with their loved ones on the Lyngblomsten campus. Here are some ideas:
Talk on the phone or video chat via cellphone or tablet.
Drop off notes, gifts, or other items at the front desk of our care center and apartment buildings.
Staff will take the items to your loved one and read a message to them if they are unable to read it themselves.
Send notes via email or mail.
If your loved one does not have email, you can still send notes and photos. We’ve created an email address associated with each of the three buildings on our campus.
IMPORTANT: When you email a message for your loved one, include the full name of the resident/tenant at the beginning of the message. Then we’ll print the email and hand-deliver to your loved one. For any resident who cannot read the message themselves, staff will read your message to them.
Here are the building-specific email addresses:
- Lyngblomsten Care Center: letters1415@lyngblomsten.org
- Lyngblomsten Apartments: letters1455@lyngblomsten.org
- The Heritage at Lyngblomsten: letters1440@lyngblomsten.org
Here are the mailing addresses:
- Lyngblomsten Care Center: 1415 Almond Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108
- Lyngblomsten Apartments: 1455 Almond Avenue, St. Paul, MN 55108
- The Heritage at Lyngblomsten: 1440 Midway Parkway, St. Paul, MN 55108
Arrange and participate in an Indoor Visit in the Chapel (for care center residents)
At this time, we are offering indoor visits in the Newman-Benson Chapel for care center residents and their family/friends. Please see our Visitation Polices page for more details on arranging and participating in this type of visit.
Arrange and participate in a Window Visit.
A Window Visit consists of a resident or tenant staying in his/her room/apartment and talking with a family member or friend who is outside the window. We are allowing Window Visits to occur on our campus, provided visitors follow the guidelines for visits outlined in the Window Visitation Policy (see our Visitation Polices page for more details).
Last updated 1/8/2021
2nd Half with Lyngblomsten continues to offer programs, resources, and support to older adults during the COVID-19 pandemic, albeit in a modified form. Following recommendations from the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) and other federal and state agencies, we’ve shifted to offering our programs virtually via online gatherings, telephone calls, and email. No in-person opportunities are being offered at this time (this includes The Gathering group respite program).
Visit our catalog to learn about and sign up for online opportunities that will have you engaging, discovering, and thriving in the second half of life from the comfort of your own home! Opportunities include discussion groups, Armchair Traveler and Author! Author! presentations, exercise classes, and more!
Our staff continue to provide support and resources to family and friends who are helping an older adult or a person with memory loss through our Caregiver Services. These services include telephone support and education, caregiver coaching, support groups, our new Group eRespite program, and more. For more information, visit our Caregiver Resources & Support page, or contact us at caregiving@lyngblomsten.org or 651.632.5320. We’re here to help.
Last updated 1/8/2021
You can access a list of Lyngblomsten events and services that have been impacted by our COVID-19 precautionary measures by clicking here. Changes or cancellations of other events and services will be added as they are determined.
Last updated 1/8/2021
Lyngblomsten Care Center
- If you have any questions or concerns regarding our COVID-19 response and precautions for the Lyngblomsten Care Center, please contact Candace Trondson, R.N., Assistant Director of Nursing/Infection Preventionist, at 651.632.5389 or ctrondson@lyngblomsten.org.
- If you are unable to reach Candace and need immediate assistance, you can call the House Supervisor on duty at 651.755.5965.
- If you have questions about Indoor Visits in the Chapel, Window Visits, or Virtual Visits for care center residents, please contact Shelli Beck, Director of Volunteer Services, at 651.414.5297 or sbeck@lyngblomsten.org.
Lyngblomsten Housing
You can direct questions regarding our COVID-19 response in our apartment buildings to their respective manager.
- Lyngblomsten Apartments: Jill Hult, 651.632.5422 or jhult@lyngblomsten.org
- The Heritage at Lyngblomsten: Mary Simon, 651.632.5428 or msimon@lyngblomsten.org.
2nd Half with Lyngblomsten:
- If you have questions regarding 2nd Half with Lyngblomsten programs affected by COVID-19, you can contact the registration phone line at 651.632.5330. If you leave a message, we will follow up as soon as possible. Messages are picked up Monday through Friday.
- For questions specifically regarding Caregiver Resources & Support, email caregiving@lyngblomsten.org or call 651.632.5320.
Other Departments:
- If you have questions for other staff/departments, you can view our staff directory by clicking here.
Last updated 1/5/21
Lyngblomsten is committed to communicating openly with its residents, tenants, their families, staff, and other groups as part of our response to the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19).
As always, Lyngblomsten is committed to being transparent. This is a high priority for us because older adults and their families are putting their trust in us to make the best decisions we can to keep people on our campus safe and healthy.
As updates have become available during our COVID-19 response, we have reached out through phone calls, letters, emails, social media, and our website, and we will continue to do so. In the event of a positive COVID-19 test result, we will notify all appropriate individuals as quickly as possible.
The health and safety of the people living and working on our campus is our top priority, and so we will continue to keep the Lyngblomsten community informed of any developments regarding COVID-19.