Dear Residents, Families, and Associates of First Colonial Inn,
This letter is part of our continuing communication during the COVID-19 pandemic. We thank you for your continued support and understanding as we navigate through this difficult time.
This afternoon our Governor announced that the state is cautiously moving towards Phase 1 in its Three-Phase plan to ease restrictions. The intent is for Phase 1 to begin on May 15th and is expected to last two to four weeks depending on health metrics.
As has been documented, our resident population is the most vulnerable to this virus. While Virginia and other states are looking to gradually lift general public restrictions, the senior living industry is cautioned to take a slower and more careful approach to any changes. Senior living will most likely lag behind the general public from a timing perspective, so that we can continue to keep our residents safe and healthy here at First Colonial Inn.
Therefore, we want to remind everyone that the safe practices and protocols that we put into place earlier, remain in place. We continue to restrict visitors to Essential Visitors which means only those providing direct medical support services and end of life situations. We will continue to monitor all associates, residents, and essential visitors for signs/symptoms, and we will continue the use of Personal Protection Equipment (masks, gloves, eye protection, etc.). Residents are asked to continue self-isolation protocols, which include quarantine measures as necessary, not gather in groups, utilize our transportation for essential medical appointments and utilize our Pantry program and/or Instacart ordering services for groceries and supplies. In addition, we will continue to deliver meals, the fitness center will remain closed and the Wellness team will continue to provide programs via Channel 1960 and door to door.
We understand that the limitations and restrictions can be very frustrating, yet we are sobered by recent news shared of other Virginia Beach senior living communities who have recently experienced COVID-19 related deaths and outbreaks. I am very happy to share that we have had another healthy week here at FCI. Since the April 3 announcements we have had no further active or pending cases nor any further potential exposure encounters. We continue to consult with local, state and national agencies, and Kisco Senior Living on appropriate actions and next steps. We are hopeful that once we move into Phase 2 of the Governor’s plan, there may be opportunities to ease some of these restrictions in a safe manner. We will continue to keep you updated as things progress.
The bright spot to Phase 1 is that it appears that we will be allowed to open the beauty salon with strict guidelines to adhere to include, but not limited to, appointment only 1:1 service, social distancing standards, and PPE usage. Michelle, from Silver Strands, and I have set up a time early next week to discuss a plan. We will keep you posted as I know that getting a haircut will make a lot of people happy!
We will continue our focus on adding bright spots as much as possible through this journey together. Below is some more “bright spot” news:
- The FCI Coffee Baristas continue to be a big hit with their flavored coffee offerings, and this week a fresh popcorn delivery was enjoyed by many. On Tuesday dinner was accompanied by a Cinco de Mayo margarita and today the 3rd floor was treated to a mobile happy hour! These pop-up deliveries will be rotating throughout the community on different days/times—we hope you enjoy!
- We are currently working on a plan to allow for scheduled indoor/outdoor face to face visits by setting up an area near one of our Chesapeake Dining Room windows. Residents will be able to sit inside while a friend or family member sits outside. We will provide the start date and details once we have worked through the logistical set-up. Just a reminder that we do have Google Duo and Zoom set up as an option for families and residents to have “face to face” virtual visits. We have tablets set up that we can drop off to residents to use for 30-minute increments between 1p-6p each day. We will have the call all set up, so all the residents need to do is to enjoy the visit! Families, we ask that you call at least a day ahead to secure a time slot and to provide us with the email address and phone # of who we will be calling.
- Residents will soon be contacted by Liz, our Sales Coordinator, to see if they would like to participate in a Senior to Senior Graduation Advice video. We would love for as many of our residents to share some helpful hints to our local high school and college seniors. As you know, these students will not be able to enjoy a typical graduation so we thought this would be a special treat to share with them!
If you have any other “bright spot” ideas, please don’t hesitate to share them with us. Our continued positive thoughts and prayers for everyone’s good health and well-being during this pandemic situation are with each of you.
While we continue to monitor the latest news and guidance, we commit to keeping you informed of any additional changes. We will communicate these changes as often as needed via overhead PA announcements, door postings to residents, and with emails to residents and families. If you would like us to add another family member on to the email distribution list please don’t hesitate to let us know. Please let me know if you have any concerns or questions.
Sincerely,
Chrissy Driscoll
Chrissy Driscoll, Executive Director
757-428-2884 (office) 757-292-0182 (cell) christina.driscoll@kiscosl.com
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
http://www.vdh.virginia.gov/surveillance-and-investigation/novel-coronavirus/