COVID-19 Community Update

March 10, 2020

Dear Residents/Families:

In an effort to protect our frail resident population, we are asking for your cooperation and requesting that only essential personnel and immediate family will be allowed entrance to our community until further notice.

While this may seem extreme, we must do everything to protect our residents. We have consulted with our Medical Director and he has advised us to take this action.

We are advising all residents to avoid crowds as much as possible and to wash your hands with soap and water as often as possible. Hand sanitizer is at the front desk, and at the entrances. Please remember to always use it upon entering the building.

We are screening all visitors, vendors, delivery people, etc. prior to allowing them into the building. We ask that you notify your family and friends that only immediate family will be allowed in IF they haven’t returned from a trip out of the country or are exhibiting flu or cold like symptoms. If you wish to visit friends, please consider visiting with them by phone to let them know there will be limited access to the community for a temporary period of time.

We are going to have the HC entrance staffed from 7am = 7pm to ensure compliance at that entrance and ensure that all visitors to HC and Assisted Living are filling out the forms and using the hand sanitizers.

We are putting germicidal wipes in the vehicles and bus and have instructed drivers to use after every trip.

Our Medical Director advised that no children should be allowed to visit during this period of time. We know it’s Spring Break for many of your grandchildren but again, if you want to spend time with them, please consider doing so off site.

We updated our screening form at the front desk. Previously we were told to ask visitors if they had returned from a foreign country in the last 14 days, however, the CDC issues changes and updates daily at noon and we have since had to change and ask if anyone has traveled on an airplane, bus, or any mass transit including a cruise ship in the last 30 days and whether they have developed any signs of respiratory illness.

We are asking for your cooperation and patience while we continue to be vigilant in protecting each of you to the best of our ability.

The #1 thing to remember is to wash your hands with soap and water for 20 seconds often throughout the day and especially when you touch surfaces that others have touched.

Some questions asked:

1. Can I have my adult grandchild here to visit?

Answer: Immediate family only and we are defining immediate family as son, daughter, son-in-law and daughter-in-law.

2. How long will this be in effect?

Answer: No one knows. We receive information from the CDC daily at noon.

3. Are outside activities/trips cancelled?

Answer: Phyllis will handle this on a day-to-day basis.

4. Will transportation still take us to appointments?

Answer: Yes unless something changes.

5. What will you do if a resident shows signs of the virus? Where will we go?

Answer: A resident showing any signs of the virus would be quarantined to the apartment.

The Health Dept. would be notified that there is a possibility of infection and they would administer the test (at this time no tests are available to Retirement Communities). The resident would likely stay in their apartment, be treated in their apartment, brought food daily, checked on as necessary until they tested negative (clean). The symptoms of the virus are mild for many people and they do not require hospitalization. IF a resident required hospitalization, we would make arrangements for transport to the hospital.

6. What about the Salad bar? People handling the tongs, serving utensils, etc.

Answer: We are looking at this situation and determining what is the best solution to this potential problem.

Sincerely,

The Hallmark