Dear Residents, Families, and Associates of First Colonial Inn,
I am happy to share that we made it through the fast-moving storm, Isaias, safely today. We had some tree branches come down, but that was the worst of it. I hope that all our FCI families stayed safe and were spared of any damage as well. Regarding COVID-19, three of the four associates who had previously tested positive have recovered and returned to work. We currently have one associate who remains home recuperating. Since these associates were affected, we have had no new positive cases among our associates and our residents remain COVID-free.
As shared recently we will soon implement an ongoing surveillance testing of associates and employees from Silver Strands and Genesis Rehab. Our partners at Mid-Atlantic Long-Term Care, the physician group that serves as the primary care physician group for many of our Assisted Living residents, will be assisting us with the administration of the on-site testing. The testing, which we plan to begin the week of August 24th will occur every two weeks and will include a random selection of 25% of our associates and the employees of Silver Strands and Genesis Rehab. We are also working on a plan to include essential visitors in this testing as well. If at any point we receive a positive result we will conduct a thorough review to determine if there is a need for wider testing. This ongoing surveillance testing will allow us to keep a “pulse” on any potential COVID-19 activity in the FCI community. While we are very relieved to have no new positive case information to share, we are also aware that each day presents new opportunities for exposure to the virus. The current safety practices and protocols in place at FCI will remain in place. It remains important for us all to remain diligent with wearing masks, washing hands, social distancing, and daily health screenings.
Our top priority is and will always be the health and well-being of our residents and our associates. We do understand, though, that what we are facing is frustrating. While current COVID safety protocols and practices currently in place will remain in place, we are committed to find ways to make the days as enjoyable as possible in a safe manner. One thing we are currently working on is the modification of our Visit Station. We are going to be installing a plexiglass barrier so that we can maneuver the sitting areas to allow for residents and their visitors to sit closer together. In addition, we have some great outdoor concerts coming up this month as detailed below in some of our “bright spot” highlights below.
- Dot Brewer recently celebrated her 95th birthday with lots of love showered on her! Friends and families made sure she felt extra special by treating her to her very own parade. They serenaded her will driving their decorated cars by her window.
- Judy and Ken Bagby recently celebrated their 51st anniversary! Our Dining Team treated them to a delicious seafood dinner while they reminisced about the amazing memories they have shared through the years.
- Hip hip hooray to Norman Clark! Norman, a Maintenance Tech, recently made the decision to retire after dedicating 12 years to FCI. He is looking forward to being able to spend more time with his family. While we are sad to see him go, we are happy for him as he begins this wonderful new chapter in his life.
- The Dining Team is dedicated to making your meals as enjoyable as possible. We welcome any feedback that you would like to share. They have enjoyed showcasing dishes on Tasty Tuesday, such as last week’s Rack of Lamb. Today the highlighted dish is Jumbo Fried Soft-Shell Crab. Enjoy!
- Recently fifty residents enjoyed an outdoor concert showcasing Chuck Moebus. Juleah, our Wellness Director, has a great line-up for August to ensure all residents get to enjoy some live entertainment! She will be sending out invites, rotating by floors, as seating is limited to 50 per show. This month we will enjoy the sounds of: Frank Sings Frank on August 12th, The Kings Choir on August 20th, and Lyle and Linda on August 26th.
Thank you for the continued support of FCI as we navigate this pandemic together. Our continued positive thoughts and prayers for everyone’s good health are with each of you. Please let me know if you have any concerns or questions. We appreciate your questions, feedback, and support.
Sincerely,
Chrissy Driscoll, Executive Director
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