Shenango Home restricts visitors with flu symptoms

By: Kayla Zoller

Posted: 10/1/09

OCTOBER 2, 2009 NEW WILMINGTON, Pa.-- Staff members at the Shenango On The Green senior living community in New Wilmington are doing the best they can to stay healthy this flu season, for both seasonal influenza and the H1N1 virus. Shenango officials say they workers are following strict precautions to keep the residents and fellow staff members from getting sick. Susie Garrett, Director of Nursing at Shenango on the Green retirement community, says they have not seen any cases of the flu at the home at this time. She say they are working hard to make sure no one brings it into the community. She says visitors are now being asked to stay home if they are experiencing any symptoms. "We're asking visitors not to visit if they have a cough, cold, runny nose or fever in the past seven days, or if they live with someone who has experienced these symptoms in the past seven days." Other changes include new maintenance routines such as sanitizing hand rails, elevator buttons, and door knobs. Garrett says that the residents may not be at the highest risk. "Our staff actually is more susceptible at this point to the flu than the elderly. We believe there is some type of immunity in the very elderly people." The best way to prevent any type of flu is by washing hands and covering the mouth when sneezing or coughing.