COVID-19 and Our State Veterans Homes

During the past month, there have been several days and even weeks during which none of the residents at the Northern and Southern State Veterans Home have tested positive for COVID-19.  

However, on Aug. 28 four residents and one staff member at the Southern Nevada State Veterans Home (SNSVH) tested positive for COVID-19. Counting residents and staff members, there have been 41 recoveries at SNSVH.

At the Northern Nevada State Veterans Home (NNSVH), all residents and staff members have recovered,for a total of 37 recoveries.

“While we are pleased that the majority of COVID-19 positive residents at our State Veterans Homes have recovered, COVID-19 remains a fierce enemy in this battle,” said Nevada Department of Veterans Services Director Kat Miller. “We remain committed to rigorously adhering to all CDC and State health department guidelines, constantly updating our supply of personal protective equipment (PPE), implementing the newest protective protocols and promising practices, and acquiring new technologies available to help us in this fight.”

As an example, in addition to using both state and corporate laboratories for testing residents and staff, we have now added an in-house antigen testing system that increases our ability for rapid testing.  We have formed an interdisciplinary “Family Connections Task Force” that is working to improve our residents’ connections with their family and friends; these connections are critically vital to both mental and physical health. We want to ensure both groups feel connected to support agencies, each other, and themselves.

All residents and staff at both Homes are being tested weekly, unless conditions change; then testing will occur more frequently. All residents who have tested positive are in isolation. All staff members who tested positive are self-quarantined at home. Those who test positive must have two consecutive negative test results before they may transition back from the isolation unit or return to work. 

The State Veterans Homes continue to work multiple local, state and federal partners, including the Nevada Office of Public Health Informatics and Epidemiology to support contact tracing necessary to mitigate the spread of the virus.

COVID-19 phone lines at both Homes provide the latest information:  SNSVH (702) 332-6705 and NNSVH (775) 418-5026.

For more information and resources on Nevada’s response to COVID-19, please visit http://nvhealthresponse.nv.gov