GODFREY - A Beverly Farm resident was hospitalized with respiratory symptoms on Wednesday, July 8, 2020, and was determined to have COVID-19. Beverly Farm then tested everyone who resides and works in that particular building and determined 11 residents and 5 staff tested positive for COVID-19.
Prior to this, Beverly Farm had 12 residents and 7 staff test positive for COVID-19, but all those cases have been cleared. A total of 23 residents and 12 staff have been diagnosed with COVID-19 at Beverly Farm, with 19 recovered and out of isolation.
Beverly Farm Executive Director John Huelskamp said those who have been recently diagnosed with COVID-19 from the facility are doing well right now.
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“Apart from the one resident who required hospitalization, the other 10 residents are being cared for by our clinical staff in an isolated and safe area,” Huelskamp said. “Beverly Farm continues to follow the guidelines set forth by the CDC, Illinois Department of Public Health, and the Madison County Health Department on appropriate isolation, use of protective equipment and monitoring of symptoms.
“While this is obviously not the news that any of us want, we want to assure our community that the staff of Beverly Farm is committed to providing our residents with a safe and healthy environment, and we will do all we can to prevent the spread of COVID-19 on our campus. Our primary goal is to contain the virus to this one group home and ensure that the health of our individuals living there is closely monitored. Guardians and family members of those residents who tested positive have been notified.”
Huelskamp continued and said: “Isolation and containment strategies are in place. Daily health screenings for all staff and residents continue. This is a difficult virus to track with so many of those infected asymptomatic but capable of spreading the disease. We continue to educate our staff on infection control policies and adherence with those policies. We have various contingency plans in place for whatever comes our way.
“Please keep our Beverly Farm family in your thoughts and prayers. The initial COVID-19 cases that occurred on our campus in June were relatively mild and those individuals recovered quickly. Join us in praying for speedy and full recoveries for those who are currently ill with the virus.
“We are extremely grateful for and proud of our dedicated, caring and hard-working staff during this challenging time. Every team member is providing the absolute best care for each resident at Beverly Farm."
About Beverly Farm
Beverly Farm was founded in 1897 by Dr. William H.C. Smith and his wife, Elizabeth to establish a caring home, socialization, proper medical care, healthy diet, physical exercise, education, recreation and meaningful work for people living with developmental disabilities. Today it is a planned community that looks and feels like a neighborhood. There are homes; a recreation center with a pool; an equestrian center; medical services; therapies, and much more. Nearly 400 individuals who live with intellectual or developmental disabilities call Beverly Farm home. We challenge and encourage them to live their best life.
The mission of Beverly Farm is to provide a loving, caring home for adults with developmental disabilities, providing each individual with physical and emotional security and a dignified quality of life, with opportunities and challenges, within each individual’s functional capabilities.Chris Rhodes also contributed to this story.
