COVID-19
Bucks County Department of Health, in tracking outbreak cases, published a Positivity Rate of 6.5% on Friday which is reflecting a continuing down trend, much to our delight. As you recall the threshold for opening is five percent or lower, which is in view and will mean permitting increased visitation.
Also, checking in on the Personal Care community’s sustained positive case: the related quarantine is ending tomorrow, Tuesday. The related requisite testing of all Personal Care residents and associated staff yields unanimous negative, the best of all possible results. So, thanks for the work and attention of Personal Care staff, leadership and residents.
It is important to reflect on how far we’ve come. Though conditions remain the same for the moment, good news is emerging.
BUILDING & PROPERTY
Risk Management. Keep in mind that the pendant systems are provided for your safety as a way to alert the right persons if you experience distress. The leadership sees this officially as Risk Management which is an array of efforts to minimize dangerous situation. We’re interested in residents being able to avoid danger as a moral concern but also as a way to reduce risk to you. The new Status Solutions pendant system provides this kind of safety net. But it is not yet fully featured. It will have the capacity to not only allow you to call for assistance but tell us where you are even if in the parking lot (but only on our property). The MAPPING function has not yet been activated which we expect to happen in the next month.
Housekeeping. Due to our current staffing levels we have yet to go to back to a set schedule for housekeeping. You will see multiple housekeepers in your apartment at one time to complete the cleanings and because of this it will be completed in less time than you may have been accustomed in years past. The intent is to reevaluate how best to schedule this service once staffing levels have returned to a stable level. In the meantime, any disruptions due to call offs, vacations or other staffing issues will be communicated to residents as quickly as possible. As always we will continue to recruit and plan strategically to help elevate all staffing issues moving forward.
Finally, on Friday, we took delivery of the new conversion van. The Chrysler Voyager is wheelchair enabled and will work well for short trips. No scratches please.
We have just received the go ahead for a major capital project which calls for a new Heating Plant. The main boilers will be replaced, a project that will be Mike Rohrbach’s key priority for the next several months.
FLOOR CHATS
The Executive Director continues with resident floor chats this week. Tomorrow, Tuesday, May 11th at 11am, is designated for 6th floor residents on that floor’s lobby. Then the Friday Chat, May 14th at 11am, will be on floor 5.
Steven T. Cherry, nha
Interim Executive Director