March 20, 2020
Dear Residents, Team Members, Family and Friends;
As we continue to hear breaking news regarding COVID-19, we want to keep you fully updated about our safety precautions. Federal and state agencies continue to add more stringent orders and protocols around visiting senior living communities, including the frequency in screening anyone who enters the community as well as residents. There are also new guidelines pertaining to the recommended number of individuals to be present at one time in a group setting. We have elected to update our protocol in the interest of protecting residents and team members.
Effective immediately, all team members will be screened at the beginning of each shift. Temperatures will be taken on all team members and essential healthcare personnel entering the community. Residents will also be screened daily for symptoms and exposure. We strongly discourage any resident from leaving the community. Leaving the community increases the exposure of COVID19 to the resident who left the community, therefore, increasing the likelihood of bringing COVID19 into the community. This would create an extreme threat to all other residents living in the community by increasing their likelihood of contracting COVID19 and transmitting it to others. Any resident who has underlying conditions such as heart disease, pulmonary disease, liver disease, cancer and many more illness increases the risk of them being able to combat COVID19 successfully, if contracted. Any resident who still chooses to leave the community, will be discouraged from doing so and screened upon each re-entry to the community.
We are taking steps to implement activity programs and dining meal that minimize the number of residents in one group setting at a time but rather focus on small group or individual activity and engagement. We continue to restrict all visitors from entering the community with the exception of essential healthcare personnel. Essential visits would include our team members, private caregivers and outside healthcare for providers such as skilled nursing or therapy groups who provide services to residents necessary for their continued well-being, family members of residents who are on Hospice and end of life care, and essential deliveries of goods and services to the communities. The individuals who meet these criteria continue to go through our screening for symptoms and travel questions with every visit before being permitted to enter the community.
We continue to work closely with state and local authorities as well as our vendors in accessing the necessary Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) that is needed. We are currently executing on plans to ensure the communities have the necessary PPE to keep each resident and team member safe.
We recognize the difficult situation this if for many of the residents and family members. Each community is dedicating time to ensure family members and residents who wish to connect via phone, Face time or Skype are provided the opportunities and support to do so.
We continue to meet daily and are staying informed and implementing recommended directives and guidelines to avoid the transmission of infection as much as possible. Our COVID-19 response team is available for any questions or concerns and will continue to update you as new information comes out. We appreciate your support, patience and cooperation during this challenging time.
For updates on our preparations for coronavirus, please visit our News page.
Rebecca Townsend, Chief Operating Officer
Lorie Dancy, MSN, RN, CRNP, SVP of Wellness/Chief Compliance Officer
