Live Update to Residents-May 4, 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; Tracey Powell, Infection Preventionist RN; Debra Jacobsen, Administrator Resident Services; Sherry Grady, Vice President Facilities Management; Taryn Young, Fitness Specialist; and Lynn McClintock, Director Pastoral Care.
The following updates were shared during the live briefing on TV970.
John Burns
Nationally, there are 1.17 million cases of COVID-19 and 68,000 deaths. As of this morning, the Virginia Department of Health (VDH) reports:
• 122,788 people have been tested for COVID-19, with 3,723 tests since yesterday.
• Total positive COVID-19 cases are 19,492 with 821 new cases.
• 2,700 hospitalizations
• 684 total deaths
• 2,547 have recovered
• Locally, Henrico has 964 cases, Chesterfield has 601 cases, and Richmond has 419 cases.
We are beginning to develop a plan for a phased reopening of Westminster Canterbury that will incorporate guidance from the Governor and Virginia Department of Health. The Governor laid out his plan for Phase 1 during his briefing today. The data is headed in the right direction, so Phase 1 may begin as early as next Thursday. Dr. Danny Avula, Director of Public Health for Henrico and Richmond, spoke to Westminster Canterbury’s Board leadership this morning. Every phase of reopening will bring increased risk for senior living communities. We have no timeline for when we will begin to reopen our campus.
We continue to proceed with an abundance of caution as we hear about outbreaks at other communities just like Westminster Canterbury. One example is a large community in Maryland. As the pandemic began, they allowed Independent Living residents to come and go from campus, which went well for the first few weeks. A resident went off campus to visit family, contracted the virus but never got sick. Upon returning to campus, this resident visited with neighbors. One of their neighbors developed a cough but thought it was allergies and did not report it to the campus administration. Another neighbor friend took the resident to the doctor. As of yesterday, 36 residents are currently positive with 14 more suspected and 16 deaths. When restrictions are lifted, it will cause more illness and put us at greater risk. To steal a phrase from Governor Cuomo, please think of WE not ME! The longer we stay a closed community, the safer we are.
Tracey Powell
Tracey shared about her role as the Infection Preventionist RN, where she serves as the Infection Control Chief for the Coronavirus Incident Command Team. On a daily basis, she checks the Virginia Department of Health website to get current numbers regarding COVID-19 testing, cases, hospitalizations and deaths. At the daily Incident Command meetings, she shares those numbers and learns what is going on campus wide. She advises on infection control standards as the team creates new guidance. She attends the daily Parsons Health Center stand-up meeting, where they review residents in Parsons Health Center, discuss symptoms and who may need to be put on isolation precautions and decide if we need to test anyone for COVID-19. The nursing team developed a decision tree to help with those decisions.
Tracey stays in close communication with the Virginia Department of Health to make decisions about next steps. Nursing leadership at all levels of care at Westminster Canterbury is engaged and makes decisions collaboratively. We work diligently to keep COVID-19 off our campus. Thank you for helping prevent infection on our campus! It is very important to continue washing your hands frequently, using hand sanitizer and maintaining social distancing. If you would like a mask, contact Resident Services at ext. 6082, and we will get one to you. For Independent Living residents, if you feel any new symptoms of COVID-19, please notify the Clinic at ext. 6231. The CDC recognizes COVID-19 symptoms including fever, dry cough, shortness of breath, chills, repeated shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and new loss of taste or smell.
Debra Jacobsen
Chadwick’s Orchids
If you would like your orchids to go to Chadwick’s, they will pick them up on Wednesday, May 6, at the Azalea Parking Lot pick up time. Please call Ethan at ext. 6263 if you want to take advantage of this service. Ethan will ask you to deliver the orchid to the Center or Tower Desk, and our Transportation staff will meet Chadwick’s for pick up.
Azalea Lot Deliveries/Westbrook Paving
During the Westbrook Avenue paving taking place this week, family members may need to use Brook Road to enter the Azalea Lot to drop off groceries.
Publix Grocery Ordering
Today was the first day of our new Publix Grocery Ordering day. Please be patient as we institute this new service.
• If you were not able to order today, please choose a day later in the week to place your order.
• The Publix grocery ordering line (ext. 6262) will be open Monday through Friday, beginning at 9 a.m., and take 25 orders each weekday. The line closes each day once 25 orders are received.
• Once you place your order, you will get your groceries the next business day. For example, if you order on Wednesday, you will get your groceries on Thursday.
• If residents are able to spread their orders throughout the week, we will be serving more people with a quicker turnaround time.
• We will continue taking orders each morning this week. Thank you for your feedback as we refine our grocery ordering system.
Absentee Voting
There is a memo in resident boxes today to give more details regarding voting. Independent Living residents are responsible for filling out an absentee ballot application if you want to vote. You should have a received a hard copy that you can fill out and place back in the mail. There is also an option to do this on the computer. Please call your social worker or Resident Services at ext. 6082 if you need assistance.
Sherry Grady
Westbrook Paving
Westbrook Avenue paving began today. It will continue from 9 a.m.-9 p.m. daily until complete.
Grounds Update
• Summer flowers will be installed the week of May 11.
• The Grounds team will no longer water resident plantings in the Todd and Huxley Greenhouses. It is the responsibility of residents to water their plant materials.
• The Grounds team will continue to water the interior plantings throughout the property. Please do not water these interior plantings. When plants are overwatered, they show signs similar to not having enough water. If there are concerns for specific interior plantings, please call Kathleen Pender at ext. 6045.
• On the Tower Green, trees, shrubs and perennials will begin to be installed this week.
Foundation Hall Carpet
The carpet in Foundation Hall will be replaced tonight.
Taryn Young – Wellness
If you completed the exercises every day of the April CV-19 Calendar Challenge, please tell the Wellness team at ext. 6669 or mmarkey@wcrichmond.org. During the May I-Spy Challenge, write down what you find on the calendar provided, in a journal or on a Post-It note to place around your home. Studies show that writing things down helps us not only be present but also remember where to focus our thoughts and energy.
Watch the video for a laughter yoga demonstration.
A new exercise video is available on TV970 and Touchtown Community Apps. This program is geared toward strengthening your core, which includes everything between and including your hips and shoulders. Watch the video for tips on working your core.
Taryn shared Monday Motivation about Edwina Broklesby, 76-year-old triathlete. She did not exercise at all until age 50, when inspired by a friend, she decide to train for a half marathon. She ran her first full marathon at age 53 and completed her first Triathlon at age 58. At 76 years old she is the UK’s oldest Ironman Triathlete. Everyone is encouraged to keep moving every day.
Lynn McClintock – Pastoral Care
One person’s view of a future bedtime story from England: “The Great Realisation”
From @probablytomfoolery
Sometime in the future, a son asks his father for a bedtime story:
“Tell me the one about the virus again, then I’ll go to bed.”
The father replies: “Ok, snuggle down my boy, I know you know full well, the story starts well before then, in a world I once would dwell…It was a world of waste and wonder…of poverty and plenty. Back before we understood why hindsight’s 2020.”
An excerpt from “The Great Realisation”
You see the people came up with companies to trade across all lands.
But they swelled…and got much bigger than we ever could have planned.
We’d always had our wants, but now it got so quick…
You could have anything you dreamed of… in a day….and with a click.
We noticed families had stopped talking
That’s not to say they never spoke.
But the meaning must have melted…and the work/life balance broke.
And the children’s eyes grew squarer…and every toddler had a phone.
They filtered out the imperfections…but amidst the noise, they felt alone.
And every day the skies grew thicker, ‘till you couldn’t see the stars.
So we flew in planes to find them…while down below, we filled our cars.
We’d drive around all day in circles.
We’d forgotten how to run.
We swapped the grass for tarmac…shrunk the parks…till there were none.
We filled the sea with plastic, because our waste was never capped.
Until each day when you went fishing, you’d pull them out…already wrapped.
But then, in 2020, a new virus came our way.
The governments reacted…and told us all…to hide away.
But while we all were hidden…amidst the fear and all the while,
The people dusted off their instincts
They remembered how to smile.
They started clapping to say thank you.
And calling up their mums.
And while the car keys gathered dust…they would look forward to their runs.
With skies less full of voyagers, the earth began to breathe
And the beaches bore new wildlife…that scuttled off into the seas.
Some people started dancing, some were singing, some were baking.
We’d grown so used to bad news…but some good news was in the making.
And so when we found the cure…and were allowed to go outside,
We all preferred the world we found…to the one we’d left behind.
Old habits became extinct… and they made way for the new.
And every simple act of kindness was now given its due.
“But why did it take a virus to bring the people back together?” The son asks.
The father replies: “But sometimes, my boy, you have to get sick before you start feeling better.
Now lie down, and dream of tomorrow, and all the things that we can do. And who knows…if you dream hard enough, maybe some of them will come true. We now call it the Great Realisation…and yes, since then, there have been many…that’s the story of how it started, and why hindsight’s 2020.”
Job 12:12
With the ancient is wisdom; and in length of days understanding.
Prayer
Gracious God, you call us to fix our eyes on things unseen. In this time of great realization for our world, may we come to know that “out of your fullness we have all received grace in place of grace already given.” (John 1:16) Give us the courage to act upon it, we pray thee. Amen.