We know that right now everyone is struggling with missing their loved ones and wanting so badly to see them, hug them, sit with them, and talk face to face. Right now, the restrictions are tight and that is taking a toll on all of us. The reason for the strictness of the visitation restrictions and the restrictions on dining, group activities, and even movement throughout the building is based on safety. This illness moves quickly through communal settings like ours, so limiting that exposure is the current guidance from the CDC. Additionally, we know that our aging population here at The Gardens has the most serious and life-threatening outcomes related to this illness. Keeping safety at the forefront of our thought process, we are working hard every day to advocate for regulatory changes that make sense for our population and help ease these restrictions even slightly. We will continue to keep you abreast as changes occur. Some things to note. We have worked very hard to keep everyone (residents and staff) healthy. We are keeping ill staff out of the building, regardless of the illness. We are monitoring residents’ multiple times a day for even the slightest change in health status and have the ability to test at a moment’s notice if needed. We are utilizing isolation precautions for even the possibility of exposure. We have staff wearing PPE every day and using full PPE for contact with all those on isolation. A big piece of this is our PPE utilization strategy which includes sourcing and maintaining a stock of PPE. We have done a good job at this and are at a good place for our current status. Things that are still hard to find that we will most likely need more of in the future include; hand sanitizer, cloth masks, and washable gowns. We may not know exactly what the future holds, but we are all in this together and standing strong. Thank you for all your doing to support our residents, families, and staff!
Jenna Gardner, MA-g, MBA, LNHA | Executive Director