Senior living administrator shared how community is working to keep residents healthy during Covid-19
Friendship Village’s Assisted Living Administrator, Nicole Summers, recently attended a virtual National Roundtable for senior living communities where she served as a panelist to talk about how Friendship Village is helping keep its residents healthy during COVID-19 and how other communities can do the same.
The group of experts came together to discuss their solutions to current problems within their field of work. This format allowed other interested parties to listen in to gain insight and ask questions to the panelists. To view the National Roundtable click here to watch the recorded discussion.
Throughout the event, Summers and her fellow panelists discussed the issues and successes each of their senior living communities has faced throughout COVID-19. Summers highlighted Friendship Village’s ability to give exceptional care to its residents, as well as educate employees and family, because it has an on-staff Infection Preventionist. Summers noted that at the community, when a staff member or healthcare provider is around a resident, a mask, and gloves when appropriate, must be worn to help prevent the spread of germs. She also noted that the senior living community is beginning to implement the practice of virtual doctor visits if the resident’s doctor allows.
Summers and her fellow colleagues noted that communication is key to outside family members and residents to reassure them that residents are receiving the best care possible, and that they are staying up to date with the latest information.
Not only did this group of panelists discuss the actions they are taking to keep their residents safe, but Summers touched on how Friendship Village is taking extra measures to keep their residents engaged. Through video chats, Friendship Village residents are able to talk to their friends and family. Summers shared that the community is also taking the initiative to upload videos to YouTube, and stream through their in-house channel different activities residents can do in their rooms and various crafts they can create with a kit delivered straight to their door.
A program that Friendship Village uses is IN2L (It’s Never 2 Late), which their Life Enrichment staff can use to provide activities to residents. “This is a mobile cart that staff can take throughout the buildings and let residents pick any activities they would like to engage in and stay connected.” This is really great for our Memory Care neighborhood, because there are lots of different sensory applications for our residents to pick from,” said Summers during the Roundtable.