Live Update to Residents-October 8, 2020
Live updates to residents on our in-house TV970 keep us informed and connected on Tuesdays and Thursdays at 3 p.m. Today’s update featured John Burns, President and CEO; Pat Kawana, President of Residents Association; and Lynn McClintock, Director Pastoral Care.
The following updates were shared during the briefing.
John Burns
COVID-19 Update
On Tuesday, October 6, Westminster Canterbury Richmond learned that a Security employee tested positive for COVID-19. We expect that the risk of exposure is low, and anyone who may have encountered this employee was contacted directly. Currently, we have two employees who continue to recover in quarantine.
Residents who are in quarantine in Parsons Health Center First Floor are doing well. This week we are testing those residents and all Parsons Health Center employees. We are waiting for some results, but so far, everything has come back negative.
Core Principles of COVID-19 Infection Prevention
Please continue to follow the principles that have kept us safe and healthy so far. Wear a mask. This is required of all residents, staff, visitors and everyone who enters our community. Please keep it on at all times when around other people. Wash your hands frequently and use hand sanitizer. Always maintain social distancing of at least six feet. Anyone entering our community must be screened, and you will not be able to visit if you have signs or symptoms of COVID-19. Stay home if you do not feel well. For residents, if you have visitors in your home, make sure you follow enhanced safety and disinfection protocols.
Visitation
Westminster Canterbury has been working on plans for expanding visitation. Independent Living residents have family members coming to visit from out of town who they would like to be able to stay in their apartments and homes. Overnight Visitation in Independent Living will begin on Monday, October 12. We hope to share the details in writing tomorrow and at Tuesday’s Live Update.
In the meantime, Resident Services is working with individual families on these details. If you have questions about overnight visitors coming to campus beginning next week, please call ext. 6082. If you want to plan for a visit later than that, please wait for the details to be released before calling with questions.
We also hope to expand daily visitation in all areas of living to include more general visitation from friends and others. Assuming things go well, this will begin on Monday, October 19. We will share details next week.
Our success with visitation depends on residents making sure guests know they need to be screened and in good health when visiting. If we have problems or an outbreak, we will need to contact trace who visited and be prepared to suspend visitation.
Please remember that visitation is contingent on having no new cases of COVID-19 in our community. If we have a confirmed case, these guidelines could change quickly. We will communicate this as soon as we are able. Please encourage your visitors to check our website, www.WCRICHMOND.org, prior to their visit.
Vaccination
Virginia Department of Health is actively preparing for COVID-19 vaccination. They are surveying facilities to learn about intentions for vaccinating residents and staff. They are establishing processes for delivering the vaccine when available, resupplying as needed and requiring compliance reporting regarding who will be vaccinated. It is anticipated that we will not see a vaccine until early next year.
Bank
According to BB&T, there are no plans to reopen the on-campus branch in the near future. For lockbox issues, please contact Peggy at the Lakeside branch. She has been helpful working with residents who need to access their boxes. We will share updates as we have them.
Employee Christmas Fund
Pat Kawana, President of the Residents Association, shared the following remarks on behalf of the Residents Association in support of the Employee Christmas Fund.
Beverly Beck is the Chair of the 2020 Employee Christmas Fund Committee. Bev and her committee members, Bucky Bear, his kids and all residents know that our employees have always been very good, every year!
We also know that this year, the year of COVID-19, our employees have been exceptionally good! We know that because we see so many of our employees every day and all day. They are actively providing us with the services needed to keep 850 residents well – physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.
Did you know that for all the employees we may see, there are an equal number of other employees that are working behind the scenes? These are employees that we do not see very often!
Westminster Canterbury has about 619 employees now, according to Windley Gravatt, Vice President of Workforce Services. I spoke with her and a few managers of our larger departments to get an idea of how many of our employees are working behind the scenes.
Dining Services probably has the most behind-the-scenes employees! They provide 3,000 meals each day to all residents, wherever they live at Westminster Canterbury! Dining employees include food purchasing, cooks, dish washers, sanitation staff, servers, leads and supervisors.
Health Services – Who would take care of us when we are sick without our many CNAs, LPNs and RNs who work days and evening shifts in the Clinic, Parsons Health Center, Avalon, Monticello and The Gables? Many employees are also needed to keep up with the paperwork and documentation required, such as federal and state surveys, medical records and Medicare!
Housekeeping Services – Who would keep our apartments and public areas clean, neat and looking good, 365 days a year, without our many Housekeeping employees? These women and men clean our apartments and public spaces, set up for meetings and events, collect and empty trash and move furniture. This department also includes day and evening shifts.
Laundry – We rarely see these employees. They are part of Housekeeping Services. Without these eight employees, we would miss that supply of clean and fresh linens for our apartments, as well as supplying Health Services and Dining Services with linens they need.
We also have employees in many other smaller departments who perform important functions behind the scenes to keep Westminster Canterbury operating smoothly.
Finance and Accounting – Twelve employees keep residents financially secure by planning, budgeting, paying bills and writing employee paychecks.
Human Resources Workforce – Only the best employees are hired, trained and oriented to “The Westminster Canterbury Way” by processing through this department of seven employees!
Support Departments have employees we seldom see. A few others include Engineering, Buildings and Grounds, Purchasing, Central Stores and Mailroom, Communication Specialist, Information Technology, Child Development Center, Security, Public Relations, Foundation and all Administrative support staff! I apologize to the ones I may have left out.
Today my purpose is to shine some light on all our behind-the-scenes Employee Heroes! They are like “The Wind Beneath the Wings” of the Employee Heroes we do get to see more often throughout the year and especially through this COVID-19 journey.
Many of our employees and their families are experiencing health and financial hardships due to the coronavirus, and yet they try to be cheerful when they come to work to take care of us residents. We are so grateful for all they do for us! In closing, my wish to all residents is: Please give generously to the Employee Christmas Fund!
Lynn McClintock
A Sermon for Every Sunday will air on Sunday, October 11, at 4 p.m., on TV970. The program will feature Rev. Carla Pratt Keyes, Pastor, Ginter Park Presbyterian Church. The text will be Matthew 22:1-14, The Parable of the Wedding Banquet.
A Service of Dedication for the Spiritual Center will be shown Sunday, October 18, at 4 p.m., on TV970. A Sermon for Every Sunday will not be shown that day. The service will be rebroadcast at 7:30 p.m. on TV970 during the week.
2020 Peters Lecture
The 2020 Peters Lecture will air on Wednesday, November 11, at 4 p.m., on TV970. Heath Hardage Lee, author, will present A League of Wives, her latest book, featuring the true stories of the wives of Vietnam Veterans. Several copies of A League of Wives are available in the Spiritual Library. After reading, if you have a question to ask the author, please contact Vanessa Perry at ext. 1502 or vperry@wcrichmond.org. Mrs. Lee will answer some of the submitted questions as part of a Question and Answer segment after her lecture.
Proverbs 3:5-6
Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make straight your paths.
A Prayer at the time of an election
Under your law we live, great God, and by your will we govern ourselves. Help us as good citizens to respect neighbors whose views differ from ours, so that without partisan anger, we may work out issues that divide us, and elect candidates to serve the common welfare; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Book of Common Worship, p. 432