Friendship Village continues to serve our seniors and their families with excellence, as we have for more than 40 years. Now faced with the unique challenges of the COVID-19 outbreak, we are committed to the care of our residents, and with more sensitivity than ever before.
We are taking all necessary steps to ensure our residents’ safety and are directly following the guidelines from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), St. Louis County Department of Health and Missouri Department of Health & Senior Services (DHSS). In addition, we have on staff our CDC-trained infection preventionist who is a wonderful resource.
AS OF MARCH 22, 2020 FRIENDSHIP VILLAGE COMMUNITIES update:
St. Louis County has issued a Stay at home order – Effective Monday, March 23 at 12:01am for 30 days until April 22.
This means Friendship Village transportation to all stores has been cancelled for the next 30 days. Family can still drop off groceries and supplies for residents at the main access doors. Our staff is available to help with online ordering and deliveries of supplies. Our dining rooms remain open with modified hours and procedures.
Residents can move within the Village with proper social distancing. Residents can still enter and exit any door. We strongly encourage they follow the stay at home guidelines but going outside for a walk is good. We are here to help! We are here for you.
AS OF MARCH 19, 2020, at 8PM – FRIENDSHIP VILLAGE COMMUNITIES WILL BE CLOSED TO NON-ESSENTIAL VISITORS for all residents.
The health and well-being of Friendship Village residents and employees is our first priority. We’re closely monitoring the situation and, in accordance with the CDC and other health agencies, are continuously evaluating our policies and taking extra precautions to protect our residents and staff. In addition to the measures outlined in previous updates, we are further restricting access to our communities to essential visitors only.
Examples of essential visitors include:
- Family members of residents who are in imminent end-of-life situations. Access in these cases will also be restricted to resident apartments only.
- Vendors who provide essential services (pharmacy, food, supplies, maintenance, movers and healthcare providers including hospice and physical therapy)
- Individual private duty aides/companions
Examples of non-essential visitors include:
- Family members of residents not in imminent end-of-life situations
- Entertainers
- Volunteers
Additionally, we are restricting entry points and screening all employees and essential visitors. We continue to monitor new developments and evaluate our precautions daily. We’re committed to protecting our residents and staff during this time, and we will continue to take all necessary precautions with their health and safety in mind
AS OF MARCH 17, 2020
As of today, there are no confirmed cases of the virus in our communities.
Health officials recommend that people over the age of 60 with weakened immune systems or health conditions remain at home, away from large groups and public places.
We are strongly discouraging residents from leaving the Independent Living community, especially to visit high density crowd gathering locations such as shopping centers, theaters and churches. We are required by regulation to discharge residents from the Village Care Center who choose to leave for these reasons to be discharged and not return to the Village until restrictions are lifted.
As it is imperative that we take measures to mitigate the spread of the virus however possible, we are asking that only essential visitors enter our communities.
All necessary visitors, staff and vendors will be screened with a health questionnaire and are required to scrub-in with hand sanitizer. (Questionnaire includes questions regarding any travel in the last 14 days, individual symptoms and any potential exposure to others with symptoms consistent with flu, COVID-19 or any respiratory illness).
Further Steps We Are Taking:
Information regarding the transmission of the virus is rapidly changing, and the consequences are potentially severe. We are fortunate to have one of the area’s leading Infectious Disease Specialists on staff, Lynn Meyer, RN, MPH, CIC, and our professional team is working around the clock to meet and exceed government guidelines.
We are urging all family members and friends not to visit their loved ones at this time. If you believe a visit is necessary, upon arrival you will be required to complete the questionnaire mentioned above to determine whether you pose a risk of transmission to our residents.
- We are suspending the use of outside volunteers and entertainers.
- We are temporarily discontinuing group outings and social gatherings.
- We are limiting community transportation, but we will continue to provide transport to necessary, non-emergency medical appointments, grocery stores and pharmacies two times each week.
- We are asking residents to keep the appropriate social distance.
- We are keeping dining rooms limited to the max number of residents allotted by the CDC.
- We are continuing our dining program with table service for meals but have ceased the use of any self-service stations and buffets.
- We are offering room service to residents.
- We are NOT allowing guests to dine in the dining rooms at this time.
- We are removing all high-touch items from the tables and they will be served as needed to residents (S&P shakers, creamers). Tablecloths are not being used in high-turnover dining rooms. Tables are spaced out in dining rooms to meet the required distance.
Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation:
- All visitors are restricted at this time. Only in cases of end-of-life situations or significant changes in health condition will the Administrator specifically permit a visit from a family member.
- Video visits using FaceTime or Skype are available by calling the appropriate reception desk and scheduling a video-visit time.
- All employees, as well as any specifically-approved visitors as noted above, must scrub-in with hand sanitizer (we provide at all entrances), must answer a set of questions, and will have their temperature checked for fever.
- As always, the staff will notify family members of any changes in condition of your loved one.
Assisted Living and Memory Care:
- All visitors are restricted at this time. Only in cases of end-of-life situations or significant changes in health condition will the Administrator specifically permit a visit from a family member.
- Video visits using FaceTime or Skype are available by calling the appropriate reception desk and scheduling a video-visit time.
- All employees, as well as any specifically-approved visitors as noted above, must scrub-in with hand sanitizer (we provide at all entrances), must answer a set of questions, and will have their temperature checked for fever.
- As always, the staff will notify family members of any changes in the condition of your loved one.
All above recommendations are subject to change as the government agency recommendations change. We will continue to provide updates as needed as this situation is changing rapidly.
We also must emphasize that residents and family members should let us know immediately if they feel ill or think they might have been exposed to COVID-19. We have the ability to act quickly to offer intervention, however necessary.
You are not alone. We are here for you. Thank you for your support as we work through this together. Keep washing your hands and keep practicing social distancing in the meantime!
– Terry Walsh, President and CEO, Friendship Village