Dear Residents & Families of Abbotswood at Stonehenge,
I have a couple of updates for you regarding the dining room reopening and mail delivery at the community.
Just a few days after reopening the dining room for daily meal service, the decision was made to close it temporarily while we responded to some COVID-19 cases among 3 individuals who work for and with our residents. Recent nasal swab testing has confirmed that none of our residents have been physically impacted by these 3 cases. As a result, we are moving forward with plans to reopen the dining room for daily meal service for those who are interested.
The dining room will reopen on Monday, December 21st. While the target reopen date given at the time of closing was the 14th, the extra week will allow for another week of test results. It will also enable us to remain on our 2-week dining schedule and make the necessary preparations and staffing for the 2-week cycle that will get us through both the Christmas and New Year’s Day holidays, when the dining room is traditionally open at lunch rather than supper for the holiday meal.
On Monday, December 14th, we will begin surveying our residents to confirm those who will sign up for a 2-week commitment to eat a daily meal in the dining room at a preset time beginning Monday the 21st. We will also want to determine those who are interested in eating in the dining room at lunch (seatings at 11:30 am & 12:45 pm) on Christmas Day as well as New Year’s Day. A new 2-week schedule will begin the week of January 4th and residents will be given the opportunity to change their decision in advance of that if they so choose.
Mail delivery to the resident mailboxes resumed today. Starting tomorrow (Friday, December 11th), mail (cards & letters) will no longer be delivered to resident apartments each morning but will be available in the resident’s mailbox by the bulletin boards on C-hall downstairs. Packages and other items that do not fit in the mailbox will be delivered as always, as will any items left on the table outside for residents by families, friends and vendors. In addition, residents will need to resume checking their in-house mailboxes (located by the front desk) to pick up their community announcements. The exception will be written communications from me (like this one!), which will continue to be delivered door-to-door for now. Daily health screenings and temperature checks will continue, but just without the mail delivery.
Thank you for your patience and understanding as we continue to do our best to navigate the ever-changing scenarios presented by the pandemic. We will continue to strive to achieve the right balance of safety and quality of life for our residents in these types of decisions. I expect that we will continue to have “stops and starts” in the days ahead but please know that we are committed to the doing what we believe is best for our residents and associates. Your support means so much and is greatly appreciated.
David Sexton
Executive Director