Juniper Village at Forest Hills senior community to begin proactive coronavirus testing

Juniper Communities, a senior housing company with sites in Forest Hills, Meadville, State College and eastern Pennsylvania, will begin taking a proactive approach to the coronavirus pandemic by testing residents and staff.

“Senior living communities are the first line of defense for 3 million citizens most at risk for complications and even death from this virus. They and their families rely on senior living to keep them healthy and safe,” said Lynne Katzmann, Juniper’s CEO and founder.

Staff well-being is also a primary concern.

“Our associates come to work every day dedicated to providing care to the residents, and we want to minimize the risk to them and those they care for,” she said.

Recent data from the Centers for Disease Control indicated that between 31-70% of covid-19-positive patients over the age of 85 require hospitalization, while people ages 65-84 are also at risk of needing hospital care (31-59% of this age group).

New Jersey-based Juniper said its senior living communities focus primarily on those at-risk ages.

Katzmann said the company is using tests bought from private and commercial vendors who use CDC-qualified materials and who operate under the Food & Drug Administration’s Emergency Authorization. The tests will allow the company to “have actionable data to build a comprehensive and proactive plan.”

“We are not taking needed tests away from state health organizations, medical providers, or hospitals,” she said. “The opening of the pipeline by the FDA is making greater testing available to everyone.”

Juniper officials said the tests are not 100% accurate, but that “even a 70-80% accuracy rate should improve outcomes,” according to a news release. “There will be need for ongoing testing and surveillance, particularly with staff who go out into the wider community after their shifts.”