Dear Residents and Families,

I hope you had an enjoyable weekend!  The warm sunny weather was much needed after the power outage and a bad weather week.  We are now in YELLOW/Phase II and residents residing in Independent Living have been venturing out to grocery and pet stores, pharmacies and take out restaurants.  Like many of the staff early on, you are now experiencing social distancing in lines, masks on everyone and some bare shelves or limits on purchases.  Our world has changed in 3 months!

The letter you received last week indicated that with new opportunities comes responsibilities.

The following practices are expected of all WEL UM Residents:

  1. Wearing a mask on campus at all times.  Please know if you do not have a mask on, you will immediately be requested to return to your apartment to retrieve your mask.
  2. If you repeatedly do not wear your mask, or keep your mask pulled down in public, we will issue a warning letter for failure to follow the WEL policy for masking in public.
  3. Social distancing (6 feet or more between residents/staff)
  4. Partaking in a verbal and temperature screen when leaving or entering the main building.
  5. The Main Lobby doors are the ONLY doors to be used for entry and egress. This is how we monitor compliance and mandated screenings.
  6. There is No Eating and No Drinking in Common Areas. 
  7. There is limited seating in the Bistro (1 person per table) for drinking only; no eating is permitted. 
  8. Drinking a beverage is permitted outside on the WEL UM campus but social distancing is important, and required, while your mask is pulled down to drink.
  9. When staff are working in your apt you will be required to put on your mask & practice social distancing with them while they are working in your apartment.
  10. Frequent handwashing with soap and water or using an alcohol based hand sanitizer is essential for infection control. 

We know it is not easy to wear a mask, to use the Main Lobby doors and to refrain from eating in public.  It is inconvenient, burdensome and sometimes downright aggravating.  The residents and staff have worked hard to keep our campus free of COVID 19 since March 11th.  We don’t want to waste this good work.  We have to unite in a sustained effort to keep our campus healthy and limit the spread of COVID 19.  By following the CDC and Department of Health guidelines, we can keep ourselves, each other and our campus healthy and happy.  Communal Dining began today for residents residing in Personal Care and they will be able to leave beginning June 15th.

We understand that this is new for you and the social distancing and masking is learned behavior.  Know that I have asked the staff to remind you how to properly wear a mask, to social distance and to enforce the Main Lobby as the only entrance/egress.  Please do not be upset with them if they reinforce the above stated practices.  Staff (and residents) have reported doors in the Wesley Building and the Personal Care entrance being blocked or propped or residents letting in other residents.  This will not be tolerated; it is not only a violation of our current practice but it is a fire safety hazard as well.

If we work together, we will get through this YELLOW/Phase II healthy and can move to GREEN/Phase III safely and timely.