Dear Residents, Associates, and Family Members of Drake Terrace:
I would like to update you on the status of last week’s COVID-19 testing. We completed testing on Saturday 9/12/2020 and unfortunately, we had two positive cases from our associates. The first case was identified prior to all the results coming in when an associate from the Assisted Living department reported being exposed outside of work to someone who tested positive and was directed by her provider to test with her personal provider. This associate’s results came back positive and again just like the case prior to this although proper PPE was used and the definition by exposure not being met Marin County Public Health insisted any residents visited by this associate to shelter in place. The second case was from our housekeeping department no resident exposure was identified by us or Public Health. Both associates were quickly placed off work and are recovering at home. We continue to not have any active positive cases among our residents and will continue to do weekly testing until we go two weeks without a positive case at which point, we will resume surveillance testing of 25% of our community each week.
I have been asked by residents and family members about flu shots and if we plan on doing them at the community like years past. The answer is yes, we have arranged for CVS to come in on September 29th to do non-Kaiser flu shots. We will post and send out a flyer as a reminder with a date, time and location. For all the Kaiser members, we are still trying to connect with Kaiser and pin down a date, I will send out an update once a date is scheduled.
It was nice to finally have an opportunity to see clear blue skies even if it was just for a short period of time. With the poor air quality coming back we will continue to offer the lobby lounge area for indoor social distance visits. I also have talked with some residents and families regarding the need for an indoor private location to have urgent medical virtual meetings. We have designated the private dining room as the indoor private location and this location will also be by appointment only. The front desk associates will disinfect after each appointment. Please remember that masks must always be worn and please practice social distancing as much as Possible. I wanted to also inform you that due to some scheduling conflicts the generator test was not preformed this week, but it will be tested this coming Monday September 21st at 8:00 a.m. We will print and distribute another inhouse reminder on Sunday. This testing is estimated to only last about an hour or two and will only impact the main building.
I also had the opportunity to sit in on the food forum this Wednesday and while I was told the attendance was not what it typically was both Hemant and I were very grateful for the feedback we received. Hemant our Dining Services Director has created and will distribute his resident food survey to all resident apartments and give all residents the opportunity to share what they would like added or removed from the menu. As stated, before we know this is your home and we want to ensure you enjoy the meals being served everyday so please fill out your survey.
Lastly, this week was National Assisted Living Week, a week dedicated to all the heroes who choose to help and serve residents in senior living communities like Drake Terrace. We at Drake Terrace provided our team with different treats or snacks every day as appreciation for all they do. If you would like to send a message of appreciation, please use this link to share the messages during our morning meetings with the team. We remain focused on the safety, health and happiness of you and your loved ones
who we have the honor to care for.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns you may have.
Respectfully,
Ricardo Romero
Executive Director