Coronavirus Memo - 03/16/2020Brandermill Woods independent living angle

Coronavirus Memo - 03/16/2020

Monday, March 16, 2020

As many of you know, our environment is changing day-to-day with the current COVID-19 pandemic. In order to protect our residents and staff, it is crucial that we remain flexible for the foreseeable future. Please note that our COVID-19 procedures may change frequently to keep up with this changing environment.

As stated on the CDC (Centers for Disease Control) website: The CDC, in accordance with its guidance for large events and mass gatherings, recommends that organizers (whether groups or individuals) cancel or postpone in-person events that consist of 10 people or more throughout the United States. Events of any size should only be continued if they can be carried out with adherence to guidelines for protecting vulnerable populations, hand hygiene, and social distancing.

Since we are an organization with a vulnerable population, Brandermill Woods has implemented the following changes for the health of residents and staff:

  • Dining: For your safety and until further notice, management has decided to discontinue in-house Dining at The Bistro, Oscar’s and Lounge (i.e. Happy Hour). Take out “To-Go” services only. You will have a choice of 3 entrees, and the salad, fruit and dessert will be chef’s choice. Menus will be posted daily on BWTV channel 970. For take-out orders, please call one of the following extensions: 251, 252 and 288 between 11:30 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. on Sundays. Allow 30 minutes until your meal will be ready for pick-up in The Bistro. Delivery, for a charge, is available for those unable to pick-up. Dining Services are only offered to residents.
  • Activities: All Activities and events are cancelled; Residents are encouraged to follow “social distancing.” The definition of social distancing is: deliberately increasing the physical space between people to avoid spreading illness. Staying at least six feet away from other people lessens your chances of catching COVID-19.
  • Fitness: Land and aquatics fitness classes will be not be held. Some of Jess’s recorded Fitness classes are available under the Fitness Icon on Resident Apps. One-on-one sessions will be discontinued. Fitness center and Free Swim will remain open.
  • Transportation: Medical Appointments, Genesis Therapy, Pharmacies, Banks, Grocery Shopping trips and Shuttle will continue. All other transportation is cancelled (i.e. Tuesday trips, church, symphony, Brandermill Walkers, lunch and dinner out). In lieu of the Tuesday trips, we will be adding a trip to Food Lion at 1:00 p.m. for 3/17, 3/24, 3/31. Food Lion will replace Walmart on 3/18 and 3/27. Trips will be limited to 10 residents. Shuttle will run Mon-Fri 8:30 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. Please check with your doctors’ offices prior to making medical transportation requests because many medical offices are cancelling or rescheduling appointments.
  • Maintenance: Only urgent work orders will be completed (i.e. appliances not working, light bulbs), monitored by Louise at ext. 285. Non-essential work orders (i.e. hanging pictures and touch-up paint) will be completed at a later time.
  • Housekeeping: Service hours will continue as usual.
  • Accounting: If you have a billing question for Accounting, please call ext. 278 (Kendall), 279 (Danita), or 253 (Cary). Their office will not be open for in-person visits.
  • Wellness Nurses: Service hours will continue as usual.
  • Front Desk: Service hours will continue as usual.
  • Beauty Salon: Elaine will continue to be available Tuesday-Friday.
  • The Clubhouse Front Door Main Entrance is locked. Residents may enter with a fob. A phone will be located outside the Clubhouse Front Door for anyone trying to visit the Clubhouse. There will be posted instructions for non-residents, medically necessary visitors to call the Receptionist (or Security after hours) to be screened prior to entering the building. Residents, approved visitors and employees will not be allowed to enter the building if they have a temperature of 100.4 or greater or if they fail the Screening Questions.
  • We are restricting ALL visitors to our community (INCLUDING Cottages) unless medically necessary (i.e. home health assistance).
  • Any medically necessary visitors are not permitted to visit any of the common or dining areas.
  • We will be closing the West Addition entrance to medically necessary visitors. Residents may still use this entrance.
  • If residents plan to travel outside of Virginia, they will be required to contact Kristen and quarantine themselves in their units for 14 days upon their return to assure they have no COVID-19 symptoms. Travel within Virginia will be reviewed on a case by case situation based on the current testing in the state of Virginia. Contact Kristen with any of your travel plans.
  • Guest Quarter reservations and rollaway beds are discontinued until the end of May or until further notice. It is the resident’s responsibility to notify their family of our recommendation.
  • We recommend this homemade solution for cleaning and wiping down surfaces on a regular basis: 10-parts water to 1-part bleach.
  • If you think you may have a fever or COVID-19 symptoms, please call your physician first and then notify the Wellness Nurses.

Additionally, we are restricting all visitors to The HCC, Haven and AIL at this time except for ILU residents who have therapy. For those ILU residents who have therapy, we would like you to use the hand sanitizer at the entrances when you arrive and when you leave. As a courtesy to the residents at The Haven, if you have ANY respiratory symptoms, please do not come to therapy until you have been symptom free for 48 hours. If you are feeling sick, please go to your physician to be tested for the flu. Thank you for your cooperation while we try and contain the symptoms.

We are updated daily from the CDC and VA Department of Health regarding these viruses and will continue to update you as needed. Please stay tuned to BWTV as we will continue to provide updates as we receive them. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact Kristen Moore, ILU Administrator at 521-8273. Please continue to wash your hands and use hand sanitizer located at the entrance doors. If you are not feeling well, please do not visit the common or dining areas. Thank you for your assistance in keeping our community safe and healthy.