NHC Smithville Continues to Follow Limited Visitation Policy

February 26, 2021
By:

NHC Smithville’s position on visitation will remain the same after the Tennessee Department of Health’s visitation restrictions for long-term care facilities end on February 28.

The Tennessee Health Care Association said yesterday, “…Tennessee’s skilled nursing facilities are still required to follow visitation guidance from the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and state-licensed long-term care facilities – including assisted living, residential homes for the aged, and any nursing home not certified by CMS – have been encouraged by the state to reference the CMS guidance when developing their facility-specific visitation policies.”

CMS issued a memo on September 17, 2020 for long-term care facilities to develop their plans for visitation and socialization during the public health emergency. Although the state is changing its restrictions, the federal government has not yet.

“Our processes at NHC will remain the same because they were developed based on CMS guidance,” said Ryan Vaden, Administrator. “Patients have already begun visiting with families as conditions allow according to NHC’s previously established policy.

“As cases go down statewide and more people get vaccinated, we are very optimistic about where we are in the fight against COVID-19,” Vaden said. “The future is bright, but we are not out of the woods yet in protecting those at highest risk.”

Visits with patients must be scheduled in advance by calling NHC Smithville at 615-597-4284.

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February 26, 2021
By: Dwayne Page

False alarm!

In making preparations for a scheduled tornado warning alert test for next week, at least one of Smithville’s tornado sirens was inadvertently activated today (Friday, February 26).

There is currently no severe weather threat in DeKalb County

February 25, 2021
By:

The DeKalb Prevention Coalition joins the Tennessee Department of Health and partners across the state in celebrating the sixth annual Tennessee Quit Week February 21 – 26, 2021.

This year’s theme is “Surviving….2021 Tobacco-Free,” and the goal is to inspire Tennesseans to live healthier lives by taking advantage of the state’s free Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine resource to stop using tobacco products.

“In Tennessee, 31 lives are lost each day as a direct result of smoking,” said DPC spokesperson Lisa Cripps. “In addition to these tragic early deaths, tobacco use costs our state upward of six billion dollars each year in lost productivity and health care costs, preventable losses that hurt the prosperity of our state and those who live and work here.”

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, being a current or former cigarette smoker increases your risk of severe illness from COVID-19. Tobacco use is a risk factor for heart disease, stroke, diabetes, cancer and other chronic diseases. Tennessee Quit Week aims to increase partnerships across the public and private sectors to educate people on the harms of tobacco use and how Tennesseans can work together to help people improve their health and their lives by beating nicotine addiction.

Quitting is hard, but help is available! Tennesseans who use tobacco and are ready to quit can call the Tennessee Tobacco QuitLine at 1-800-QUIT-NOW or access web-based services at www.tnquitline.com for free coaching and nicotine replacement patches (if eligible). All services are free to Tennesseans and can double a tobacco user’s chance of quitting successfully.

Pregnant women who smoke are encouraged to contact their local health department to learn about the Baby and Me – Tobacco Free™ Program. This program provides education and support to help pregnant women quit smoking, and participants can earn free diapers each month for up to one year. Learn more and find a location near you by visiting www.tn.gov/health/health-programareas/fhw/baby-me-tobacco-free.html. Find resources and learn how you can be part of Tennessee Quit Week 2021 at www.tn.gov/health/health-program-areas/tennessee-tobacco-program

Visit the DeKalb Prevention Coalition’s facebook page for daily posts.

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