Covid Response
COVID-19 RESPONSE
At Rowntree Gardens, we are committed to providing the best care and quality of life for our Community Members. Since March, we have been diligently working to minimize the risk of COVID-19 exposure by following all CDC safety protocols as well connecting with local and state authorities to ensure additional safety measures are implemented. However, Rowntree Gardens has never viewed care as limited to physical care only. We know how important the mind, heart and spirit are to a person’s overall well-being and, even in a pandemic, they cannot be neglected. So, our dedicated team has been coming up with creative ways that our Community Members can maintain safe social connections. Please take a look below at more details of the work that’s being done to keep our Community Members physically safe and emotionally thriving.
Safety Protocols & Cleaning
We are in constant contact with local, state, and federal authorities to make sure we are up-to-date and in compliance with the latest safety guidelines so that we can best care for the seniors within our campus.
We are providing health screenings to all employees and essential visitors to our community. All staff must wear face masks during their shifts as well as frequently washing/sanitizing their hands.
In addition to cleaning and disinfecting common areas more frequently, our handrails and doorknobs are cleaned/disinfected 2x a day and our elevators and breakrooms are also cleaned/disinfected 2x a day.
Joy is a Choice
We are choosing to follow all of the CDC safety guidelines in a JOYFUL way.
HYGIENICA
In order to provide the highest level of safety through cleanliness for our Community Members and Staff, we have purchased a HYGIENICA Electro-Hygiene System. HYGIENICA technology systems are designed to atomize the disinfectant as it is applied to surfaces and are proven highly effective at eliminating 99.99% of all viruses, pathogens and bacteria.
As an added precaution, we have hired a professional Disinfect and Protect company to treat large areas of the community.
Health & Wellness Clinic
We are pleased to be able to limit our Community Members’ COVID-19 exposure by having our 24-hour Health and Wellness Clinic right on our campus. This negates the need for our Community Members to have to leave campus (and increase exposure) for any kind of routine Doctor visits. They can simply walk over to our Health and Wellness Clinic and get taken care of then and there.
Care Cottage
If a Community Member tests positive for COVID-19, they will be transferred to our Care Cottage which is separated from our main buildings but still incorporated within our overall campus. The designated staff at the Care Cottage have been assigned to only work with COVID-19 positive Community Members to minimize cross contamination. However, these are still long time staff of Rowntree Gardens which maintains the benefit of continuity of familiar care for any of our Community Members who might have to be transferred to the Care Cottage.
Community Member Experience
Our Community Members are encouraged to get outdoors and enjoy our beautiful gardens. Our staff and our Community Members take pride in making sure our gardens stay maintained. Our outdoor areas feed our souls. To be surrounded by the beauty of nature every day is truly a gift.
Community Members are still able to participate in a variety of socially distanced activities throughout the week. Our Activities Department has gotten creative with everything from individual activity packets to door bingo to hallway bowling that all maintain the social distance guidelines while meeting the need for human connection and fun!
Community Members are required to wear masks when out of their rooms. Signs are posted around campus to remind Community Members of the latest safety protocols.
All new Community Members must have a negative COVID-19 test within 7 days prior to admission. In addition, new Community Members are placed on contact isolation precautions for the first 14 days.
Meals
Our staff delivers customizable meals from our full menu directly to community members rooms three times a day. Snacks are also available throughout the day if requested.
Activities & Opportunities
We are offering several opportunities each week for our Community Members to learn how to best utilize their tablets, phones and/or computers in order to facilitate connections with family and/or friends through Zoom or other conferencing platforms.
We know how much our Community Members are missing the in-person visits from their friends and/or family members. It’s been tough to have to keep our campus visitors restricted to essential personnel only. We’ve tried to find ways to ease the loss of connection. We created drop off zones for any fun notes or cards or gifts or treats that folks want to give to let their loved one know they are thinking of them. We’ve set up several Car Parades that have been HUGE hits with our Community Members. We’ve had local businesses that have done Card Writing Campaigns that have brought big smiles across our campus. As we work toward reopening, we’ll continue to make sure our Community Members know they are seen and loved.
While this is certainly an unprecedented time for all of us, at Rowntree Gardens we are finding that our goals really haven’t changed. We have always been focused on making sure that the seniors who have been entrusted into our care continue to thrive at every season of life….and this will never change. Our dedicated staff doesn’t come to our campus for a job, they come to our campus because they love our Community Members and want to do all they can to see them smile. Sure, there is a global pandemic going on, and that certainly brings some challenges, but we already have so many programs in place to deal with these challenges. We are proud to be a Montessori Inspired Lifestyle Community where we focus on our Community Members’ abilities and desires in order to make sure that they are involved in decisions and in their care. We have Integrated Palliative Care that goes beyond just pain and symptom management and strives to connect with ALL of our Community Members at every stage of their lives to find ways to enrich their life experience.
Then there is our Stephens Ministry that comes alongside our Community Members and/or Staff who are hurting or grieving for any reason because we recognize that grief is a very real part of life and we should hold space for those that need to process this grief. And we also have a vibrant and active Employee Engagement program to support our amazing staff. Because without these dedicated and compassionate employees we couldn’t care for the Physical, Emotional, and Spiritual Well-Being of our wonderful Community Members.
At Rowntree Gardens, we are proud to offer not only the best clinical care but the best overall quality of life and this will continue to be our goal as we focus on being a Daily Blessing to everyone we encounter.
