" IN AN UNCERTAIN TIME , A . I . M . MUTUAL ’ S RELIABILITY MEANS A LOT . WE FEEL GRATEFUL FOR A . I . M . MUTUAL SUPPORTING US SO WE CAN SUPPORT OUR RESIDENTS AND FAMILIES ."
Our residents , staff , and families value our efforts against COVID-19 . We are very proud that Bristol Press readers voted us Best Skilled Nursing Facility in 2020 and 2021 . The Connecticut Assisted Living Association named us Humanitarian Home of the Year in 2021 . As of March 2022 , we had 46 Google reviews with a perfect 5-star average .
THE PANDEMIC ONSET
In Bristol ’ s five nursing homes during the spring 2020 COVID-19 surge , over 189 residents got COVID ; 59 died . Countless staff in Connecticut caught it while caring for infected residents . Here , with “ The Bubble ” in place , we had no resident infections . Seventeen staff members and I lived in our neighboring house , trailers , and spare bedrooms for 10 weeks . We worked up to 80 hours weekly and did not commute . We paid $ 20,000 monthly for nurses and $ 15,000 for CNAs , about five times their usual earnings , while paying full wages to our furloughed staff . I spent most of my life ’ s savings as hero pay ; the paycheck protection program and donations helped . And our “ Bubble ” brought us through .
SAFETY MEASURES CONTINUE
In June 2020 , we began weekly tests for all staff and residents , while staff and visitors began wearing KN95 masks . By November , we had 75 air purifiers , and we exceeded hospital surgical room air sanitation standards in our visitor and break rooms . In February 2021 , we reached 100 % resident vaccinations and 80 % among our staff . By September , we had 100 % staff vaccinations . With Omicron , we bought another 100 air purifiers and $ 30,000 of rapid tests for daily testing .
Through it all , about 15 of our staff got COVID from their lives at home or work elsewhere . We paid them to stay quarantined at home until they tested negative . We also paid COVID-exposed staff to stay home and provided free testing for their families . I gave away thousands of N95s and KN95s to our employees , and we loaned air purifiers to staff with infected family members .
As a result of all our efforts , care , and luck , only one resident got COVID ; that person recovered . In total across Bristol , over 500 nursing home residents have had COVID ; 102 died . Since June 2020 , 293 nursing home staff members have had COVID in the Bristol area .
WORKERS ’ COMPENSATION PARTNERSHIP
We have not yet had a workers ’ compensation claim involving COVID in our home , but I trust A . I . M . Mutual will be there for us if this happens .
When our workers ’ compensation premium audit came due , we worked hand in hand with A . I . M . Mutual . They helped us understand the changing landscape with regard to what is considered “ payroll ” during the pandemic . They took their time and explained the process . They knew I was dealing with a healthcare crisis at the time .
Somewhere , I have read that nurses ’ aides have injuries at rates comparable to construction workers . This seems true . Over the years , several of our aides have had injuries while assisting residents or even while taking out the garbage . For each staff member , A . I . M . Mutual has been timely and fair in helping them receive healing treatments and assistance .
In an uncertain time , A . I . M . Mutual ’ s reliability means a lot . We feel grateful for A . I . M . Mutual supporting us so we can support our residents and families .
TYSON BELANGER , a Marine who served three tours in Iraq , has owned Shady Oaks Assisted Living since 2016 . A Yale University graduate , he also holds a PhD in Political Science from Harvard University .
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