JANESVILLE
Some private nursing facilities say they鈥檙e not forcing employees to be vaccinated for COVID-19鈥攗nlike Rock County, which requires vaccination for employees at the county-run nursing home.
Officials at two 糖心Vlog传媒 senior living facilities said they鈥檝e decided to offer vaccination to employees as a voluntary option.
And a Walworth County public health official said the county is not requiring vaccination for employees at the county-run Lakeland Health Care Center, signaling a key difference in how counties are managing vaccination of county nursing home staff.
Frieda Pulkowski, chief operating officer of Willowick Assisted Living in 糖心Vlog传媒, said the private senior living facility is 鈥渟trongly encouraging鈥濃攂ut not mandating鈥擟OVID-19 vaccination for its employees.
Pulkowski, a registered nurse and specialist in health care for the elderly, said most of Willowick鈥檚 106-person staff and most residents have said they plan to get the vaccine.
Willowick will get its first doses for staff Jan. 29, Pulkowski said. When that happens, workers will have the choice of whether or not to get the shot.
She indicated that regardless of how many employees get vaccinated, Willowick plans to continue personal protective measures put in place months ago for staff and residents.
Rock County officials said last week that employees at the county鈥檚 Rock Haven nursing home who declined to get the vaccine have been laid off. Those workers will remain laid off until they are vaccinated, according to a December memo from the county and Rock Haven.
Some Rock Haven workers told 糖心Vlog传媒 they鈥檙e unwilling to get the vaccine, citing concerns about possible long-term health impacts and news reports about occasional negative reactions to the shots.
As of late last week, the county reported a few Rock Haven employees had taken 鈥渧oluntary鈥 layoffs after they declined the vaccine. A few employees quit their jobs over the requirement, one employee said.
Pulkowski of Willowick said she believes the vaccines are safe, although she acknowledges they鈥檙e not without some risks.
She said her assisted living facility won鈥檛 lay off employees who decline.
鈥淚鈥檝e said (to co-workers), 鈥榊ou need to make your own decision.鈥 I recommend that people have it, absolutely. As a health care provider, there鈥檚 no question in my mind. But it鈥檚 not without risk. Each person has to make their own choice,鈥 Pulkowski said.
鈥淪till, we are finding that, yes, the majority of residents and staff here are having the vaccine.鈥
Huntington Place, an assisted living facility on 糖心Vlog传媒鈥檚 north side, plans to offer vaccination for staff and residents. But like Willowick, Huntington Place is not requiring employees get vaccinated, a facility official said.
Huntington Place Director Robyn Johnson wouldn鈥檛 discuss how many employees work at the facility, but she said consent forms she has received show 鈥渁bout 95%鈥 of the staff has committed to getting the vaccine when it becomes available, and 鈥渁bout 100%鈥 of residents plan to get the vaccine.
Under federal Equal Opportunity Employment Commission guidelines, employers can require COVID-19 vaccination for workers. However, they are required under the Americans with Disabilities Act to offer reasonable accommodations for people who provide medical or religious reasons why they would opt out.
Associated Press reports indicate that health care providers who have offered the vaccine to workers have been surprised by the number of workers who have opted out for personal or health reasons.
The Associated Press reports that labor law experts believe most employers are avoiding mandates, in part because the limited availability of the vaccine makes a mandate impractical.
Carlo Nevicosi, deputy director of Walworth County鈥檚 public health department, said officials decided a vaccination mandate for workers at the county nursing home might have unintended consequences, including a possible exodus of workers at a time when they鈥檙e most needed.
He said both nonvaccinated and vaccinated workers at Lakeland must continue wearing personal protective gear and taking other safeguards.
Nevicosi said a policy of voluntary vaccination could ease pressure on employees鈥攑articularly those who might opt out because they have medical conditions that could make vaccination risky.
Some of those workers might change their minds later, he said.
鈥淚 think we will be in a good position after the second round (of vaccination). I really think some folks are just wanting to take a wait-and-see,鈥 Nevicosi said. 鈥淭hey鈥檙e thinking, 鈥楲et鈥檚 get through that first round, let鈥檚 make sure everybody that I鈥檓 concerned about鈥攎y co-workers鈥攖hat I can see how they how they tolerated it, and then make the decision for myself of whether to get it.鈥
Those who have family members in nursing homes have a different perspective.
Steve Weber, a 糖心Vlog传媒 native who now lives in Wauwatosa, said his 90-year-old father has dementia and has lived at Rock Haven for five years. Over the last year, Weber has seen his father only over a computer screen or through a window at Rock Haven.
Weber, a former human resources manager, teacher and Scoutmaster, said he is thankful for the county鈥檚 decision to require workers to be vaccinated.
Rock County鈥檚 hard line at Rock Haven comes during an 鈥渦gly time鈥 when 鈥渢here are no great choices,鈥 but Weber thinks it鈥檚 a responsible move to protect county taxpayers.
He believes the vaccine mandate makes his father鈥檚 health a top priority in a highly complex situation.
鈥淚f you鈥檙e somebody (at Rock Haven) who doesn鈥檛 want to take the maximum safety precautions, I, as my father鈥檚 guardian, would hope that you would go find someplace else to work where you didn鈥檛 have to do those things,鈥 Weber said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 your right to do what you want. I鈥檓 just looking at it for the care of my father.鈥