Important Status Update from Charmaine Preiss, Executive Director 12/31/2020
Independent Living Community (ILU)
This morning, we were informed that another ILU resident tested positive for COVID-19 after being hospitalized due to illness. Kristen, ILU Administrator, together with our Infection Control Preventionist, are in the process of completing our contact tracing. We will notify all residents and employees who need to be quarantined and/or need to monitor their symptoms and temperatures. We are happy to report that three ILU residents who tested positive are recovering at home, and the six ILU residents on quarantine due to exposure tested negative and are no longeron quarantine.
On December 30, 2020, Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) website posted Chesterfield County’s positivity rate has once again increased to 17%. We are extending the cancelation of some activities for another week. Please refer to the December23, 2020 updated ILU Protocols for specific updates for fitness classes and activities. We encourage you to monitor our website www.brandermillwoods.com for all updates and stay tuned to BWTV. Your Resident apps are also a great source of new information.
All approved medically necessary visitors and caregivers are still required to provide us with a negative COVID-19 test result once a week before they are allowed to come to the ILU community. This requirement will continue until further notice as recommended by the Virginia Health Department.
CVS has confirmed that our vaccination program for The Haven residents and all Brandermill Woods employees is scheduled for January 14, 2021and the second round on February 4, 2021. We are encouraged with speaking to our CVS representative that the residents at the Assisted Living Community and Memory Care could possibly be vaccinated on the same schedule. Currently, a vaccination program for all ILU residents who wish to be vaccinated is not scheduled. We will keep you updated.
Please be aware that the lifting of restrictions on visitation, reducing the use of PPE and regular testing will not occur immediately. The protection of vaccination on our resident and employee populaces will not truly be felt until, not only the long-term care community, but the community at large has been immunized and the threat of COVID-19 infection is lessened.
2020 is a year for the record books. This year, we all experienced constant highs and lows. Resilience is the quality that was activated in us by all the challenges of 2020, and it is also the quality that is going to carry us forward into 2021. Thank you for your continued support, encouragement and faith in all our employees!
On the eve of a new year, I wish for all that 2021 will be so much better, safer and kinder.
