Friendship Village Senior Services’ Update and Response to COVID-19 as of Friday, May 22nd, 2020
Dear Friends, Residents and Families of Friendship Village:
Ahhh. On the doorstep of Memorial Day weekend at Friendship Villages on this Friday, May 22nd, 2020.
Of course, we know that Memorial Day began as an observance for Soldiers lost during the Civil War and, over the years, for all Soldiers lost in battle.
At Friendship Village, we have lost some Residents who fought in the current and ongoing war against COVID-19. They are our Soldiers. We remember them. We mourn for their loss. And, our staff are our Soldiers, as well. They “ride to the sound of the guns” to fight-for and protect those living on our campuses, even though they know and accept the risks they, themselves, face every day. We remember the lost and we celebrate those still in the battle. We will win this fight.
At our Chesterfield campus, there are two Residents winning the coronavirus battle in the COVID Care Center, well-supported by a dedicated team of warriors fight alongside and for them. There are eighteen who have fought the battle and won and recovered. There are ten Residents who have tested and came out negative and dodged the bullets. And there have been nine brave Residents who have passed, 2 in the facility and 7 in the hospital, where COVID-19 was somehow involved with other conditions these Residents were facing, or they were already on hospice, or for other complications. These are our Memorial Day honorees and we pray for them and their families.
At Sunset Hills, there are currently five brave Residents fighting COVID-19, supported by a wide array of support staff warriors who are fighting alongside them. They are all engaged in the battle. And, while there have been no COVID-19 casualties at Sunset Hills at this point, everyone is fighting their hardest to make sure there won’t be any. Please pray for our Residents and our staff for success in winning this battle.
Some Residents in our skilled nursing facilities and assisted living facilities will be excited to see some family members through the window or over the balcony railing this weekend (coordinated visits maintaining all of the precautions we insist on following).
We place strong emphasis on reminding our independent living residents that the No Visitor policy remains in effect and that we continue to highly discourage non-essential trips off campus and none to visit family and friends where there is even the slightest risk of contracting the COVID-19 virus. Please pray that adherence is maintained and that all of our Residents remain COVID-19-free.
There has been no change in any of these policies for Independent Living Residents and all of the policies of the past several weeks remain in place.
As always, please pray with us for God’s intervention in preventing Residents and other staff from contracting the virus.
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 and St. Louis County has lifted stay at home orders, Friendship Village must still adhere to our protocols and the guidance provided by the CDC and the Departments of Health as prescribed for senior living communities. We will 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.
Gift-Giving in Appreciation of our Staff is Open on our FriendshipVillageSTL.com website:
Many family members and Residents have inquired as to how to donate a gift of appreciation for the staff for their service during the time of the COVID-19 pandemic. Our website at FriendshipVillageSTL.com now has an easy-to-use tab to use in making contributions for the staff and we thank all of you for considering a gift. As funds are collected, we will identify the best use of those funds in order to do the most that can be done for our employees. Every gift is appreciated, large and small.
As always, all of us thank you all for your continued prayers as we continually ask our Lord Jesus Christ to enable us to do our best to fend-off the COVID-19 coronavirus and to maintain the safety and protection of our Residents and staff.