Friendship Village Senior Services’ Update and Response to COVID-19 as of Saturday, May 2, 2020
Dear Friends, Residents and Families of Friendship Village:
Greetings on this warm Saturday, May 2, 2020. Soon, the weather will decide which season it’s going to be.
Residents on both campuses have been out enjoying some sun today.
We are unhappy to report that we are going to need to batten-down the hatches a bit more on the Chesterfield campus, as a precautionary measure, beginning today.
While the Sunset Hills campus has been blessed and fortunate to be clear of the COVID-19 coronavirus, we have had a bit of a different situation on the Chesterfield campus. This morning, a single resident outside of the skilled nursing facility was reported to have tested positive for the virus. It is unknown if any other residents have contracted the virus and no residents have reported any symptoms. We do not know if the resident contracted the virus on campus or off campus or from where. Strictly as a precautionary measure, we are asking all residents to self-quarantine for a period of time until we are able to detect the presence or absence of the virus among any other residents or staff. Essentially, holding still for a little while until we can determine if the virus is anywhere else. All services any resident may need will be provided directly for them in their living units. Communications regarding details are being distributed today. Regular and constant contact between residents and our nurse care navigators and infection prevention specialist have been in place for many weeks and certainly will continue as we work to monitor the presence of any symptoms of the virus. All hands are on deck. We regret having to impose these restrictions but we feel it is important to limit movement and interaction at the moment. If all is clear and determined that this was truly an isolated incident, we will all be very thankful. If it is not, we will know that measures have been taken to contain it, and we will also be very thankful.
Please know that festivities being planned for Mother’s Day at Chesterfield will be rescheduled for a future date and we regret that this must be the case. In light of this development, our Community Life Services Team (the “entertainment team”) are heavily engaged in using all of the technological means at their disposal to keep residents engaged and as active as possible, even within the confines of their accommodations, while our food service teams are keeping everyone well-fed.
We ask that you join us in praying for God’s protection for all of our Residents and Staff as we all join together in our battle with this invisible foe.
No Visitor Policy Still in Full Effect
As many would expect, all of the security and no-visitor policies remain in full effect at all locations as we continue to combat the coronavirus. We appreciate the cooperation and understanding of all involved, Residents and families alike.
Although the State of Missouri will begin lifting some stay at home orders in the coming days, St. Louis County is not yet scheduled to do so, and neither is Friendship Village. We plan to maintain our measures and vigilance as we are currently until a time when we feel there will be an opportunity to safely begin relaxing some of our measures, but that time is not now. Our No-Visitor Policy remains in effect until further notice. We appreciate your continued understanding and cooperation.