Dear Cardinal Residents and Family Members,
Yesterday, North Carolina reported the highest, single-day number of new cases of COVID-19 since the pandemic began with a total of 2,885 new cases. Our state continues to see a steady rise in the number of positive COVID-19 cases, which is discouraging, and currently 1,181 people across the state are hospitalized. Reports from this week also indicate that North Carolina is experiencing trends of increasing clusters across the state due to more social and community gatherings, including religious settings. This week’s positivity rate is hovering around 6.4%. Increased adherence to prevention strategies is vital at this time to slow down the spread. These prevention strategies include wearing a mask at all times, maintaining 6 feet of social distancing, washing your hands, and expanded contract tracing when needed.
Surveillance testing at The Cardinal continues to go well and all test results this week have been negative. During the first week of pooled saliva PCR testing, we had approximately 70% resident participation. While we are encouraged and pleased with this percentage, it is still slightly lower than our target of 85% participation or higher. If you did not participate in the pooled testing process this week, we strongly encourage you to do so next week and going forward. This type of surveillance testing will allow us to identify any possible risk sooner to help better protect our residents and associates. As the Resident Advisory Board of Directors says, “Let’s do this!”
Next week, we will begin testing all personal service providers via the pooled, saliva PCR testing process. This week, a letter was handed to every personal service provider as they signed in at the front desk, alerting them to this new process, and instructing them where to be and when. This new process will be much more accommodating and easier for our PSP’s to participate as the schedule is very flexible as to when they can provide a sample. If you have a personal service provider and would like a copy of the letter that is being given to them, please pick one up at the front desk or email Mary Casey for an electronic copy.
The Resident Association Meeting will take place this Monday afternoon, November 2nd at 3:30pm in the Media/Gathering Room and will be recorded for viewing on K4 and Channel 1341. The meeting will not be live streamed. On Sunday evening, the meeting agenda and Tom’s talking points will be delivered to resident apartments so they can follow along when watching the recording of the meeting.
Election Day is finally upon us! If you have not yet exercised your right to vote and would like to do so on Election Day, we will be providing transportation to the polls. The transportation sign-up sheet is at the front desk and you will need to reserve a spot on the bus. Please call the front desk to sign up prior to Tuesday.
We hope everyone had a Spooktacular good time at our Monster Mash celebration this afternoon. Thank you to everyone who participated in the costume contest and pumpkin carving contest this year! We had some extremely creative entries this year.
The winners of the Associate Costume Contest are:
• 1st Place: The Wellness Team COVID Busters
• 2nd Place – The Spice Girls (Delinda Eubanks, Liz Taber, Cassandra Griffo, Robyn Penick, and Mary Casey)
• 3rd Place – The Wizard of Oz – Legacy Healthcare
The winners of the Resident Costume Contest are:
• 1st Place – Kisco Prison Inmate Denise Adsett
• 2nd Place – Dr. Hall and his Pre-Covid Ladies of the 5th Floor
• 3rd Place – a Three Way Tie
1. The Cardinal Wicked Witch Mimi McKinney
2. The Scariest Wicked Witch Marie Best
3. Dr. Chimento, the bone doctor, and his pink-haired RN
The winners of the Pumpkin Carving Contest are:
• 1st Place – Dr. Archie and the Wellness Team (Witch)
• 2nd Place – Legacy Healthcare (Baby Pumpkin)
• Cardinal Healthcare Management Team (Stay Puff Marshmallow Pumpkin)
Congratulations to all of this year’s winners!! Tomorrow afternoon, please come out and join us outside in the front courtyard for a live musical performance with Mike Davis at 2:00pm. Next Wednesday, November 4th we will be holding our annual Chili Cookoff, so bring your taste buds to the Front Courtyard at 3:00pm, and vote on the recipe you like the most.
This weekend, we have two Management Team Members taking on the role of Manager on Duty. Saturday, October 31st, Facilities Management Director, Ernie Kastner will be here and Tom Ford, Executive Director, will be here on Sunday, November 1st to hold down the fort. As a reminder, we “fall back” this weekend so please remember to set your clocks back one hour on Saturday night. We hope you all have a wonderful weekend and Happy Halloween!
Sincerely,
Tom Ford, Executive Director and Mary Casey, Assistant Executive Director