Dear Residents and Families of Heritage Greens:
At this challenging time, we will continue to be open and transparent with our residents and families. I wanted to provide you with an update on our two positive cases in Assisted Living. One has now tested negative and both have been discharged from the hospital and are at a local Rehabilitation Facility. In Memory Care we have three residents who tested positive, each resident had contact with the first resident who tested positive in memory care. We have tested all residents and all associates common to their care in this memory care neighborhood. We received word today that two of the Residents’ conditions are improving with one already testing negative at the hospital and both expected to be discharged to a local Rehabilitation Facility before returning to Heritage Greens. We continue to monitor, test, and address any individuals based on our tracing review.
We want to remind you to please visit your loved one responsibly. At VerraSpring, this means residents should have patio doors closed during visits. For the entire community, residents should only be leaving for essential reasons such as medical appointments. Dropoff tables should be utilized rather than having your family member meet you at the front entrance in Independent Living. This is a team approach as all individual decisions impact the community as a whole.
In order to minimize exposure from outside providers and public venues we would like to enlist your partnership on determining essential medical needs. Please call our community to speak with a member of our care management team (Melanie, Charity, Imane, or Jennifer) to discuss current and upcoming needs requiring an outside provider or off-campus medical visit. We would like to consult on the safest options to receive essential services, share any relevant care notes to help determine timing, and reduce the risk of contact exposure. Again, please utilize out team as resource and help us keep our community contained.
We realize how important social interaction is to the overall health of our Residents and our Wellness Team here at Heritage Greens is second to none. Every day they are coming up with new and creative ways to connect with our Residents while continuing to follow safe social distancing guidelines. I encourage you to follow us on Facebook to see all the wonderful things your loved ones are engaged in on a daily basis including exercise, spiritual programs, mind challenge games, music, and socially distant group games.
We are maintaining our safety protocols to maximize containment and safety for all. These measures, if followed diligently, should provide a low risk for spread and give us all confidence that we are doing everything we can to maintain a sanitized, safe environment. We are keeping the following changes to our operating procedures in effect:
- All AL and IL residents will shelter-in-apartment and will not be leaving unless for needed medical
- AL MC residents will shelter within their own neighborhood and in apartment when
- Assisted Living/Memory Care Associates providing close/Direct carewillusefullPPE
- All Other Associates – Must always wear masks and gloves throughout the community
- A core team of care associates has been implemented to care for residents with COVID-19 positive
- results to prepare for future isolation measures in case
- The best ways to avoid catching the virus is to wash your hands, avoid touching face, and for us all to wear masks which prevents spread and helps you not touch your Lastly, when having close/prolonged time with a resident, using full PPE provides high protection.
- All medical providers/essential outside guests are required to wear masks and gloves at minimum and full PPE if working closely with
- We have suspended move ins and transfers to Assisted Living and Memory Care, all new move ins do require two negative Covid 19 tests one prior and one post move in during a required 14-day shelter-in-place period.
- We will continue to offer in-room dining and wellness opportunities to help our residents feel as engaged and connected as
- We continue to sanitize all high-touch surfaces such as rails, doorknobs, elevator, and packages delivered to residents every 2 24/7.
- We will continue to check all associates temperatures daily and ensure anyone with temp over 99.6 does not work.
Our team continues to focus on the important balance of keeping our campus safe while making a difference every day for our residents. I will continue to send updates like these sharing the most recent information about our Covid-19 status and protocols. As the public around us may loosen restrictions, we will continue to follow guidelines intended to keep seniors and congregate living safe while maximizing enjoyable experiences for our residents. We appreciate your support!
Sincerely,
Jeramy Reid