Friendship Village Senior Services’ Update and Response to COVID-19 as of Monday, May 4th, 2020
Dear Friends, Residents and Families of Friendship Village:
The weather was beautiful this weekend and now today in St. Louis and at Friendship Villages on this Monday, May 4th, 2020.
Both a lot and a little was happening on our campuses over the weekend.
Still, on the Sunset Hills campus, there are no COVID19-positive Residents or Staff and we continue to thank God for that. In the meantime, many things continue to happen for which we are thankful. Construction is still moving full steam ahead on our new skilled nursing facility which will give us the advantages of private rooms as soon as we gain access to the building this winter.
On our Chesterfield campus, much has happened over the weekend since we noted in our Saturday report that a single resident in independent living had tested positive for COVID-19. We have asked all residents to voluntarily self-quarantine for a while so that we can detect whether or not the virus has spread to anyone else. So far, no one else has shown symptoms, and we are very thankful for that, but it takes several days for symptoms to appear so we’re still at the beginning of the observation period. In the meantime, our staff is doing everything that can be done to ensure our residents are well-cared-for, catered-to, accommodated, engaged, and as vibrant as possible, even within the confines of their living quarters. We have even begun daily phone-tree calls to each of our hundreds of residents to check up on them and to make sure their needs are being met and to brighten their days. Even the CEO gets a rotating group to call each day, as well, which is a fun surprise for some residents.
The COVID Care Center, within the skilled nursing facility at Chesterfield, graduates 2 more symptom-free patients today who are returning to their normal living accommodations. They have been anxious to graduate and so has the staff. There will be 6 residents in the COVID Care Center at the end of the day, waiting their turn to graduate in a few days. There are also 6 residents being treated in local hospitals and we look forward to welcoming them back to our campus as soon as their hospital treatment is complete. Our largest contingent of COVID-19 residents are the recovered graduates, with a total of 7, including our 107-year-old resident who has been in news stories around the world over the past several days. And, as we know, there have been 5 residents who have passed-on whose other conditions had been exacerbated by symptoms of the coronavirus, and we mourn their passing. There are currently no other residents who have shown symptoms and who are awaiting test results, and that is a good sign. Pray with us that this remains a good sign.
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 has begun lifting some stay at home orders, St. Louis County has not, 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.