Live Update to Residents-April 28, 2020
Daily Live updates to residents on our in-house TV970 have become a popular way for us to stay in touch while social distancing! Today’s update featured John Burns, President and CEO; Glendon Kemp, Manager of Security; Will Blackwell, Vice President Health Services; Jessica Goldberg, Manager Courtesy Services; Julie McElduff, Fitness Specialist; and Logan Augustine, Chaplain.
The following updates were shared during the live briefing on TV970.
John Burns
There are more than one million cases of COVID-19 in the United States and more than three million globally.
As of this morning, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) reports:
• 82,753 people have been tested for COVID-19.
• Total positive COVID-19 cases are 14,339
• 2,165 have been hospitalized
• 492 total deaths
• 1,914 have recovered
Thank you to our staff who are doing a great job throughout our coronavirus response. Your work has helped us to do well and keep most people safe and healthy so far. Please continue to keep up your guard by wearing a mask, washing your hands, keeping your distance from others, and staying home and staying healthy when you are not at work.
Residents are asked to please be careful when walking on campus, especially in parking lots, and avoid walking in the Employee Parking Lot. We have had a close call of a resident walking throughout the lot when employees are leaving campus at the end of their shift.
Glendon Kemp
Glen shared an update on the Incident Command structure being used to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. Incident Command is a group of around 20-25 leaders who have been assembled to meet every morning, six days a week, to manage our pandemic response. This group initiates, implements and evaluates every policy and procedure regarding the outbreak. In the daily morning meetings, certain topics are always covered: confirmed COVID-19 cases on campus; data from VDH; supplies such as PPE; day-to-day challenges such as move-in processes, contractor management, mail, food delivery, mask policies and screenings.
One example of a challenge is our screening process for everyone entering campus. Employees get a temperature screening in a tent, where we have to ensure accurate temperature checks and social distancing. We are reviewing implementation of new technology for this process and constantly evaluate and improve processes.
Thank you to employees as we work to make sure screenings are efficient while continuing this important process that keeps everyone safe and healthy. We appreciate your patience when there are delays.
A big thank you to staff as we work to make screenings efficient while continuing this important process. Thank you also to the Security team who have been implementing many changes with grace.
Will Blackwell
Assisted Living
Sloan Verlander shared that residents have been enjoying music therapy sessions virtually through iPads. It’s a lot of fun for residents to experience this programming while maintaining social distancing.
Parsons Health Center
Yesterday, Will shared information from Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) and VDH that apply to the Parsons Health Center. The CMS memo on April 24 included information on communal dining for Parsons Health Center and Assisted Living. This does not apply to Dining in Independent Living, where common areas are still closed.
Will shared an additional FAQ from the memo that can be found in its entirety here:
https://www.cms.gov/files/document/qso-20-28-nh.pdf
Q: Is a negative test for COVID-19 (SARS-CoV-2) required before a hospitalized patient can be discharged to a nursing home?
A: No. For patients hospitalized with COVID-19, decisions about discharge from the hospital should be based on their clinical status, the ability of the accepting facility to meet their care needs and the infection control requirements specified below. Decisions about hospital discharge are distinct from decisions about discontinuation of Transmission-Based Precautions.
For patients with known or suspected COVID-19, decisions about discontinuing Transmission-based Precautions can be based on either a test-based or non-test-based strategy as outlined here. Test-based strategies are preferred but not required and might not be possible due to limitations on availability of testing.
If the patient has not met criteria for discontinuing Transmission-based Precautions, they should be transferred to a facility with the ability to adhere to infection prevention and control recommendations for the care of COVID-19 residents including placement in a unit or area of the facility designated to care for COVID-19 residents.
If the patient has met the criteria for discontinuing Transmission-based Precautions but has persistent symptoms (e.g., persistent cough), they should ideally be placed in a single room, be restricted to their room, and wear a facemask during care activities until they have returned to baseline or until 14 days after illness onset, whichever is longer.
If the patient has met the criteria for discontinuing Transmission-based Precautions and does not have persistent symptoms, they do not require additional restrictions.
Patients hospitalized for non-COVID-related illnesses whose COVID-19 status is not known can be transferred to a nursing home without testing. However, to ensure they are not infected, nursing homes should place them in Transmission-Based Precautions in a separate observation area or in a single room until 14 days have elapsed since admission.
Jessica Goldberg
Transportation
Transportation is scheduling limited trips for doctor’s appointments and bank visits only by calling Ethan Wilburn at ext. 6263. Both the resident and the driver wear a mask during the trip. Bank trips are limited to the drive-through teller only, so before scheduling the bank trip, please call ahead to confirm that your banking can be conducted through the drive-through.
Grocery Ordering Update
Westminster Canterbury will partner with Publix for our grocery ordering program. This change will allow us to serve more people each day, lessen turnaround time and keep more staff on campus. The new process will begin on Monday, May 4:
• You may place PHONE orders beginning at 9 a.m. each weekday by calling ext. 6262. There is no email for this program.
• The phone line will close each day once 25 orders are received.
• Orders received Monday – Thursday will be delivered the next day.
• Orders received Friday will be delivered the following Monday.
• Do your best to categorize items by Produce, Dairy, Meat, Canned, Frozen, etc.
• Limit your list to 15 items.
• Some items are not available or the brand requested is not available. Please let us know if you will accept substitutions of the item for something similar, or if you would prefer us not look for substitutions.
• Publix will fill the order by shopping for you.
• Groceries will be picked up and delivered by Westminster Canterbury staff.
• Resident accounts will be charged, including an additional $5 shopping fee for this service.
Other options for groceries include:
• The Azalea lot drop off for friends and family every Monday, Wednesday and Friday from 1-3 p.m.
• Dining’s Pantry service where you may order common items by dialing ext. 1510.
• Ukrop’s Food Delivery Orders through the Touchtown Community Apps or by visiting: https://ukropshomestylefoods.com/shop/
If you have any questions, please call Jessica at ext. 5107.
Julie McElduff – Wellness
Julie shared recommendation for how to make the exercises on TV970 and during briefings appropriate for everyone. If you feel any pain or feel the movement is not right for you, try these three things:
1) Slow the movement down
2) Reduce the range of motion, make the movement smaller
3) Change your foot position
Watch the video for a demonstration of CV19 challenge exercises.
Logan Augustine – Pastoral Care
Worship service will be aired live on TV970 on Thursday starting at 10:30 a.m. The Rev. Deacon David Curtis will be preaching. The bulletin for the service can be found in this week’s Tales, at the Tower Desk, and Center Business Center and on Touchtown Community Apps.
“All powerlessness stems from failure to understand this point: the key to empowerment, personal and collective, is the understanding that although darkness stalks light, the light will always reassert itself. No matter what is happening, the universe is invested in healing. Night is followed by morning. Crucifixion is followed by Resurrection. God always has the final say.”
-Marianne Williamson, a reflection for Easter Day in Prayers for Healing
Prayer
Loving God,
At the beginning of Creation, You calmed the chaos of the world. Be present now to those whose lives are suddenly filled with chaos. Grant them the grace of calm in the midst of confusion. We pray to the Lord.
You have always shown us the way from darkness into the light. For those struggling now to see the light, we ask that You shine it a bit brighter in our world. Grant us all the grace to see a way forward through the present darkness. We pray to the Lord.
Throughout history You have raised up leaders to care for your people. May those who are called upon to lead now in this time of despair be given the grace to do so with conviction and compassion. We pray to the Lord.
You are truly a God of abundance. Open our eyes so that we may see how our ministries can use the abundance with which we have been blessed to help those in need. Grant us the grace to move with humility and prudence in all that we do. We pray to the Lord.
You are also a God of wonders. We have often struggled to imagine the breadth and depth of what is possible with You at our side. Grant us all – those directly affected and those holding them in prayer – the grace of creativity in our response to this event. We pray to the Lord.
The Psalmist sings, “Be strong and take heart, all you who hope in the Lord.” Let it also be our song this day. May we, and those we pray for, truly hope in the Lord. And may that hope give us all the strength and heart we need to move from darkness into light.
Amen.