Coronavirus Updates – Londonderry Village

Current Covid Positive Cases. Last Updated September 29, 2023

	Nursing Residents	Personal Care Residents	Staff
Current COVID-19 Positive Cases	0	0	0

August 23, 2023

Londonderry Village’s Mitigation Efforts to Prevent COVID-19

Londonderry Village’s Mitigation Efforts to Prevent COVID-19

Provide education to staff and elders regarding COVID-19 Vaccinations
Encourage staff and elder vaccination against COVID-19
Collaborating with Hershey Care Pharmacy to provide COVID-19 vaccinations for staff and elders.
All employees self screen for COVID-19 and report any signs or symptoms immediately to our Infection Preventionist
All visitors, vendors and volunteers are screened for COVID-19 and denied entry if positive.
Elders observed routinely for any signs or symptoms of COVID-19
Elders tested immediately for any signs or symptoms of COVID-19
Offer staff testing at facility for any signs or symptoms of COVID-19
Non-punitive sick leave for staff with COVID-19.
COVID-19 information binders in all healthcare areas for staff and visitors
Frequent education on Infection Control including hand hygiene.
Alcohol based hand rub throughout healthcare areas
UV light scrubbers in all common areas in nursing care
Multiple Portable UV light scrubbers available for use in resident rooms as needed
Cleaning and disinfecting high touch surfaces frequently
Supplying staff with Personal Protective equipment (PPE)
Staff training on the donning & doffing of PPE
Utilizing Transmission Based Precautions for those elders with exposure or exhibiting signs of COVID-19 immediately.
Changed 7 of our semi private rooms on Leffler to full Private rooms

Jennifer Ginder MHA, RN, NHA

Vice President of Health Services

December 17, 2021

“A Message from our President”

As I have noted on a few occasions, the circumstances that Londonderry Village is currently dealing with are among the most challenging that I have experienced in my nearly 40-year career in long term care. The coronavirus pandemic is nearing two years in length, and it continues to test our resolve and our resources. While our track record of infections and outbreaks continues to be very good, both staff and residents are understandably weary from “being careful” each and every day. As a result, several members of our staff have resigned in recent months to go work in non-healthcare industries. With infection rates still soaring in Lebanon County, we are concerned about the soon-to-arrive omicron variant that is even more contagious than the delta.

In early December, our vaccination mandate for staff went into effect. As I predicted, a fair amount of staff ultimately decided to receive the vaccination, while about 20 remained on the payroll via a medical or religious exemption. Others just decided to resign and either retire or seek employment elsewhere. We are hopeful that 2022 will be a year in which we can now go forward and rebuild our depleted staff.

A few months ago we made a decision to temporarily close the Sweigart Haven Green House due to a lack of available staff. Since that time, additional staff have resigned due to the vaccination mandate. Regrettably, we have now made the very painful decision to temporarily close the Hostetter House, effective December the 20^th. These decisions have both been made with the interests of the residents, first and foremost, as we cannot maintain our standards of care with the staff that is currently available. As Hostetter House was due for a complete interior renovation in 2022, we will use this time advantageously to accomplish the renovations without having to worry about disrupting the residents. The seven residents currently in Hostetter House will be safely relocated to other nursing care beds.

We are aggressively recruiting for additional staff, so that we may eventually re-open Hostetter House and Sweigart Haven. Given the shortages of candidates in the labor market, however, this task will take some time to accomplish. Please pray for our residents and our staff as we seek to provide the best care for our residents in healthcare. Thank you for your understanding.

Jeff Shireman, President

November 17, 2021

Family and Friends

Effective Immediately: Visitation for Residents in Healthcare no longer needs to be pre-arranged or scheduled.

We thank everyone for being so supportive and cooperative with scheduling those, as I know it was not easy.

We still have an obligation to keep all the residents in Healthcare safe.

Visitors please note and pass on to friends and families visiting a loved one in our Healthcare Areas.

(Please DO NOT visit us if you have ANY sickness at all or exposure to COVID-19)

Sanitize hands as soon as entering the house/building.
Wear a fitting mask properly when inside any healthcare area
Visitor and resident may remove the mask if they choose in the resident room only if the Resident you are visiting is vaccinated and the visitor is FULLY vaccinated.
Visit the resident in the resident room allowed designated meeting area.
- Visitors are still not to be wandering the halls or other campus areas. They are to stay in the designated meeting area
Maintain 6 foot distancing from all other staff and residents
Understand the risks and your part in keeping the residents safe during your visit
If you visit over a meal time, the resident will need to eat in their room as visitors are to be socially distanced from all other staff and residents.

For Nursing Care

Given the size of the resident rooms and the need to still have visits occur in the room or now in the Green house Den or Leffler small den, we must still discourage any group visits. We can accommodate about 3- 4 visitors in the resident room or den.

For Personal Care

Our Personal Care private rooms are slightly larger and may accommodate up to 4 visitors at one time. We still must discourage any larger group visits.

We are actively looking at creating space/room with tables and chairs for families to reserve if they want to visit with groups up to 10 max at one time. This will at least create an opportunity for a larger gathering (up to 10) to visit a loved one for the holidays or birthdays etc. I will email you the details on how to reserve those rooms hopefully by Friday. All parties would be required to wear a mask in the reserved room UNLESS the resident and they are fully vaccinated.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services put out the Vaccine Mandate for Healthcare workers with a deadline of the first dose of the vaccine be given by December 5^th. Please bear with us as we do anticipate staffing challenges with this mandate. We are doing everything we can to encourage and educate current staff on the benefits of the vaccine and actively try and recruit and hire new staff.

The best tools we have to keep your loved ones safe is the COVID-19 Vaccine, proper mask wearing, hand sanitizing and not visiting when sick.

We encourage all residents and staff that are eligible, to get the COVID-19 Vaccine and Booster, as we feel that is what will keep us from having any outbreaks amongst the residents. The transmission rates in the county are still very high and the indoor season is upon us.

Thanks for entrusting your loved ones in our care.

Jennifer Ginder

Vice President of Health Services

September 30, 2021

We will continue to keep you updated on the number of cases of COVID that we have among residents and staff. However, we will no longer use Exposure as a guidance for quarantine status, therefore the previous color coded zone table has been removed from this platform.

September 4, 2021

I am disheartened to report that we were just made aware that we had a campus visitor/vendor test positive for covid-19. This will affect Personal Care, Castagna, Stoneback and Leffler.

Please note the updates to the Exposure

Personal Care-Yellow through 9/13

Leffler- Yellow through 9/22

Hostetter- Green

Castagna- Yellow through 9/22

Fake- Green

Royer- Yellow through 9/22

Stoneback- Yellow through 9/13

We will be testing those residents in Personal Care, Leffler, Castagna and Stoneback today.

YELLOW Exposure

No in person visitation

All meals served in rooms

Only urgent medical appointments

Staff in full personal protective equipment

Individual 1:1 activities

Jennifer Ginder

VP Health Services

August 31, 2021

UPDATE AS OF 5:54PM

We had two staff members test positive for COVID today during routine testing. There are two areas affected by the positive test result, Leffler and Royer House. Leffler and Royer are in Yellow Phase.

Leffler Care will be in Yellow phase at least until September 12th due to a potential exposure. Please see the key code above for changes in a yellow phase unit.

August 27, 2021

Dear Families and Friends,

The leadership team at Londonderry Village has made the extremely difficult decision to temporarily close Sweigart Haven, one of our Green Houses. We have been compelled to make this decision in order to maximize our workforce, due to our low resident census and the extreme staffing shortages we are experiencing. Many of our colleague retirement communities (like StoneRidge Village, Moravian Village, Foxdale Village and Cross Keys, to name just a few) have already done the same with their nursing centers.

We are also faced with the recently announced mandate from the White House and CMS to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for all Long Term Care employees. LV is anticipating the departure of several nursing employees who intend to resign once the mandate takes effect. Though details have yet to be announced by CMS, that deadline is likely to take place by October.

With staff in short supply, our nursing administration team (along with some of our interdisciplinary team and even the CEO) has been working weekends and extra shifts all throughout the summer in the Green Houses and Leffler. I am indebted to these team members that have worked beside me on the floors. This has been a challenging time to be a healthcare leader, and I am sensitive to the many differing opinions on the pandemic, the vaccine and peoples’ deeply-held beliefs.

My main goal and focus is our residents, and finding a way to keep them safe and give them the care they need. We appreciate everyone’s support, as having a loved one in a nursing home during these times is not easy. We will be re-opening Sweigart Haven when the staffing situation improves. Those 7 residents that moved out will get first priority to move back in. This initial re-location took place this morning, and went well.

Lastly, I am pleased to report that all LV staff and nursing residents were COVID-19 tested this week, and all the tests were negative.

Jennifer Ginder, RN, NHA, MHA

VP of Health Services

August 11, 2021

We have had additional team members that worked in nursing who tested positive for COVID, therefore; all nursing units are in yellow phase effective immediately.

What does that mean?

All visitation is suspended unit 2 weeks of no positive cases in each area.

Groups activities are suspended.

The Dining Room will be closed and residents will be served in their room unless they are an aspiration risk.

All non-essential appointments will be canceled.

Feel free to schedule zoom visits or face time through Marcia Blatt at mblatt@londonderryvillage.org

Compassionate visits (end of life, declines in physical or mental condition will be allowed)

Sincerely,

Jennifer Ginder MHA, RN, NHA

Vice President of Health Services

August 6, 2021

A nursing resident has tested positive for COVID-19 in Leffler Care and has been moved to a red zone. Therefore, Leffler is now in a YELLOW zone and all visitation is suspended at this time.

July 22, 2021

We had an nursing employee test + for COVID-19. This employee has not been at work during the contract tracing period. No units nor staff are affected.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Ginder MHA, RN, NHA

July 1, 2021 Staff and Resident Communication

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE June 30, 2021

Dear Resident/Staff member,

Since my last covid update, Londonderry Village has continued its measured “re-opening” activities. The Main Entrance Guard Shack has been removed, and all of our campus entrances have been re-opened. Ten Accushield screening kiosks have been placed in strategic locations for staff and visitors to use. Social distancing measures are being relaxed and the maximum room occupancies for our activity spaces are being increased. Bus trips are resuming, and outdoor activities no longer require participants to wear masks. After the isolation and restrictions of 2020, it appears that normalcy is slowly returning to our daily lives.

Many folks are now wondering why we still require mask-wearing in our indoor spaces. There are two main reasons. The first is that over 40% of our staff are not vaccinated, and so a distinct possibility of viral transmission still exists as staff and residents freely intermix. There are also some residents who are not vaccinated, and an unknown percentage of visitors to our campus who also fall into the ‘unvaccinated’ category. Remember…our screening procedures focus on symptoms…they do not measure vaccination status.

The second reason for our continued mask-wearing vigilance is the spread of the so-called “delta variant”, a mutation of the covid-19 virus that increases its transmissibility and its potential for causing significant illness. Depending on where folks live, between 20% and 50% of new covid cases in the USA are now due to the delta variant. Prominent health organizations like the World Health Organization and the Los Angeles Public Health Department are urging citizens to protect themselves from the delta variant by continuing to wear masks indoors.

We all want this pandemic to be over with, so that we can go back to our “old lifestyles.” We are not there yet. It was recently reported that 23 states in the USA are reporting more covid cases in the current week than they recorded in the previous week. Not surprisingly, the states with the lowest vaccination rates are the ones who appear to be experiencing the biggest increases in covid cases. For all of us to stay safe, together, we need to maintain prudent levels of precaution. Thanks for your cooperation and understanding.

Blessings,

Jeff Shireman, President

June 15, 2021 Health Care Communication

I wanted to share some up and coming changes to the screening check point at the Wheaton entrance.

We will be transitioning this week to have all of the covid-19 screening done at a self-serve check in kiosk at each of our healthcare areas and not at the current main entrance. So you will see the campus entrances opening up and signs posted to proceed to the area you are visiting.

You MUST WEAR A MASK when you come into any interior community campus area.

You will proceed to the Green House or Leffler Reception Entrance.

If a Green House, you will ring the door bell and staff will let you in. They will show you to the kiosk. You will check in as a visitor and proceed to answer all the questions. If you PASS, you will then have a visitor badge printed that must be worn while on campus visiting.

If you are visiting someone on Leffler or in Personal Care, the Kiosk will be at the Leffler Reception area.

It will ask you for a mobile number and have you make up your own 4 digit pin. Please remember the pin for each visit. If you forget your pin, it will text it to the phone number you provided.

If you are bringing in children that do not have a mobile number, you would put in the parents or adult they are with, number into the system. Each visitor must be checked in.

If you do NOT pass the screening, you will be asked to leave. The system will alert you to this and notify campus security.

When you leave, you are required to SIGN OUT on the kiosk. This will eliminate the need to sign in and out on the paper visitor book.

You still must schedule visits with each area ahead of time. And yes, healthcare still has a 2 person per resident visitation allowance. Visits are only allowed to occur in the resident room or outside. That is the reason we must limit the amount of visitors. There are exceptions if you are bringing young children. Please remember, the rules as of today, still have not changed for healthcare facilities like it did for everything else.

If you ARE NOT FULLY VACCINATED and the resident you are visiting is NOT FULLY VACCINATED, masks must be worn for all parties during the entire visit. (unless an infant or young child)

I encourage you to visit outdoors. In between Hostetter, Castagna , Fake and Royer house, there is a path that leads to a wheelchair accessible swing. Please utilize these areas. Staff can show you how to work them .

Stoneback, Sweigart Haven and Personal Care can utilize the handicap swing at the park beside them and Leffler Unit has a beautiful outdoor area called the Rose garden with a handicap accessible swing also.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Ginder MHA, RN, NHA

Vice President of Health Services

June 15, 2021 Resident Communication

Dear Resident,

As promised in earlier communications, the Londonderry Village staff is winding down our pandemic protections for the campus. The widespread vaccinations of our residents, taken together with declining infections in the surrounding community, have created an environment where most precautions can now be safely withdrawn. I am happy to report that the Lebanon County positivity rate for new infections is down to 2%, which will allow Londonderry Village to fall back to only once-per-month testing of our (unvaccinated) employees.

By the end of this week, the guard shack will no longer be staffed for screening campus entrants, and a sign to “Proceed without Screening” will temporarily be placed there. Shortly thereafter, the guard shack will be removed from the front entrance. Concurrently, all of the campus road entrances will have their barricades removed and be opened for traffic. Also, our new electronic screening kiosks will be put into service for use by our staff, visitors, and volunteers. There will be no routine screening of independent living residents unless we experience an outbreak.

Residents are reminded that for the time being, we are still requiring masks to be worn in all common and indoor activity areas. With the Clambake later this week, Londonderry Village begins the slow phased-in reopening process for the Seasons restaurant. I will provide more details as they become known.

Many thanks to all of the staff members who helped us stay safe by manning the Guard Shack for the past 15 months. We are all in their debt.

Blessings,

Jeff Shireman

President

May 21, 2021

Healthcare Update

We are excited to see that Lebanon County’s percent positivity rating is finally coming down. Please note that much of the updated public guidance from the CDC does not pertain to Healthcare facilities. We are hopeful our time will soon come. In the interim we ask that you adhere to our current policies. As a reminder, if a fully vaccinated visitor is visiting with a fullyvaccinated resident, they can choose to remove their masks in the privacy of the resident’s room or outside only. If either party is not fully vaccinated, then masks must be worn.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Ginder MHA, RN, NHA

Vice President of Health Services

May 11, 2021

An employee in nursing tested positive for COVID-19. This employee has not worked during the infectious period so no areas are affected.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Ginder MHA, RN, NHA

VP Health Services

April 21, 2021

A team member in nursing care has tested positive for COVID-19. This team member has not worked during the infectious period, therefore there are no changes to any of the zones.

March 25, 2021

March 18, 2021

We had 1 team member in Dietary test positive for COVID-19. This team member is at home quarantining. All Areas remain in the Green Zone as the employee did not work in the healthcare dining rooms

Jennifer Ginder MHA, RN, NHA

Vice President of Health Services

March 17, 2021

Update to Visitation Guidelines for all Health Care Areas Effective Immediately

Safe, scheduled indoor or outdoor visits are permissible as long as the nursing area is in a Green Zone with no active COVID-19 case.

This update does not apply to any resident in a yellow or red zone that has covid-19 or that has had possible exposure to COVID-19

Visits must be scheduled with the house or unit

Visits will be scheduled for one hour intervals between the hours of 10am-7pm every day

There are 2 max visitors per hour slot per resident. (unless a child is visiting)

Visits should occur in the residents room or outside

Visits should not occur in indoor common areas where other staff and residents are

Visitors are not to be wandering around the units or houses

If the resident is FULLY vaccinated, they can have close contact including physical touch as long as that resident has on a well-fitted mask covering their mouth and nose.

Per CMS & CDC visitors must still adhere to the core infection control principles while visiting:

Maintain a 6ft distance whenever possible.
Wear a properly fitting mask at all times (a face shield is permissible if there is a medical condition)
Sanitize your hands as soon as you enter our buildings

Residents should wear a mask during all visits indoors unless a 6ft distance can be maintained

Any Independent Living Resident that comes to visit MUST go through the check point to be screened for COVID-19 prior to the visit.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Ginder MHA, RN, NHA

Vice President of Health Services

March 5, 2021

Effective March 1^st, Pennsylvania lifted their travel restrictions for people entering the state. This means you know longer will need to have a negative COVID-19 test or quarantine for 14 days prior to visiting your loved ones if you are visiting from out of state. Please refrain from visiting our campus if you currently are experiencing any symptoms of COVID-19 or have been exposed in the last 14 days to anyone having symptoms of, or being tested for COVID-19.

February 26, 2021

We had a nursing team member that works on Leffler test positive for COVID-19. We tested all Leffler Residents this am due to the positive staff with the Rapid POC test. All were negative.

Jennifer Ginder MHA, RN, NHA

Vice President of Health Services

February 22, 2021

The results from Tuesdays covid-19 testing just starting returning Sunday. We have 2 more pending.

We did have one positive staff member in that round that works in laundry. That person is asymptomatic currently and at home quarantining.

All Fridays rapid point of care tests on staff were negative.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Ginder MHA, RN, NHA

Vice President of Health Services

February 15, 2021

We have not posted anything for the last two weeks or so, principally because there has (thankfully) not been much in the way of “covid activity” on the campus. There are no active cases, or anybody quarantining, in our 500-person independent living community! As most everybody knows, we have been covid-testing all staff members twice-per-week since last November; I am pleased to report that there have not been any positive staff tests in the last four cycles of testing! The residents of all six Green Houses, as well of our Personal Care Unit, have all been covid-free as well! There is one resident of the Leffler Unit, who recently tested positive, and who is now quarantined. The resident is not showing any signs of illness.

Regarding restrictions, Leffler Care is currently in the “Yellow Zone” until February 23^rd, and all other healthcare units are in the “Green Zone”.

Approximately 98% of our Nursing and Personal Care residents have now had two doses of covid vaccines, and are approaching full immunity protection. The vast majority of our independent living residents have had one dose of Moderna vaccine, and will be receiving their second doses (here at Londonderry Village) on the 24^th and 25^th of this month. The “light at the end of the tunnel” is getting closer for our campus!

Stay Safe,

Jeff Shireman, President

February 2, 2021

Family and Friends,

I am deeply saddened to announce we lost our 2^nd resident that had been diagnosed with COVID-19. This resident passed away in the hospital. Our heartfelt condolences go out to the family…..

5 campus staff had positive COVID-19 tests.

1 works throughout the general campus

1 is a nurse that worked in the Green Houses

3 are CNAs. 2 from Leffler, 1 from Hostetter

Leffler – Yellow Zone until 2/14/21 (green 2/15/21) Red Zone hall continues until 2/13

Castagna – Yellow Zone until 2/12/21 (green 2/13/21)

Hostetter – Yellow Zone until 2/12/21 (green 2/13/21)

Fake – Yellow Zone until 2/9/21 (green 2/10/21)

Royer – Yellow Zone until 2/9/21 (green 2/10/21)

Stoneback – Yellow Zone until 2/11/21 (green 2/12/21)

Sweigart – Yellow Zone until 2/11/21 (green 2/12/21)

Personal Care- Yellow Zone until 2/10 (green 2/11/21)

Sincerely,

Jennifer Ginder MHA, RN, NHA

Vice President of Health Services

February 01, 2021

A message from our President;

Chaplain Mary Eller has requested that I announce her recent positive test result for covid-19. She is symptom-free and feeling fine. Mary is off this week and will return to work when her quarantine period expires.

Jeff Shireman, LV President

January 28, 2021

Two nursing staff tested positive for COVID-19. One works on Leffler and the other in the Green houses.

Jennifer Ginder MHA, RN, NHA

Vice President of Health Services

January 28, 2021

Leffler – Yellow Zone until 2/9 (green 2/10)

Stoneback – Yellow Zone until 1/28 (green 1/29)

Castagna – Green

Hostetter – Yellow Zone until 2/9 (green 2/10)

Fake – Yellow Zone until 2/9 (green 2/10)

Royer – Yellow Zone until 2/9 (green 2/10)

Sweigart – Green

Stephanie Fegley, RN, BSN
Assistant Director of Nursing

January 27, 2021

I regret to report that earlier this week, Londonderry experienced the first death (during the pandemic) of a nursing resident related to covid-19. The resident was receiving care on the Leffler Unit. While the primary cause of death was not the coronavirus, the resident had tested positive for covid-19 and so it was listed as a contributing cause for the resident’s passing. Our sincere condolences go out to the family of the deceased.

Leffler Care has, of late, seen a few cases and potential exposures among both the staff and some of the residents. Almost all of the new “positives” had received their first doses of covid-19 vaccine on January 3^rd. However, having had only one dose of vaccine, their immunity protection was likely only at a 50% level.

On Sunday January 24^th, CVS was onsite to provide second doses of the Pfizer vaccine to the staff and nursing residents. Additionally, about 25 staff members signed up to receive their first doses this past Sunday.

Today and tomorrow, Londonderry Village is holding a vaccination clinic for its independent living residents. The Hershey Pharmacy is doing this clinic and utilizing the Moderna vaccine. Over 370 residents have registered to receive their inoculations. We pray that this is the start of a year in which the ‘Village’ can climb out of the dark shadow of the coronavirus pandemic.

Jeff Shireman, President

January 26, 2021

A nursing team member on Leffler unit tested positive for COVID-19. This employee has not worked during the infectious period.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Ginder MHA, RN, NHA

Vice President of Health Services

January 26, 2021

We have 1 Independent Living resident who has tested positive for COVID-19. This person is quarantining in their home.

Mary Lee Harpel

Director of Resident Services

January 24, 2021

Nursing Care Update 1/24/2021- A nursing employee on Leffler unit tested positive for COVID-19 today.

All residents on Leffler that are not COVID-19 positive were tested this am using our Point of Care Antigen test. All tests were negative.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Ginder MHA, RN, NHA

Vice President of Health Services

January 23, 2021

Nursing Care:

Two additional residents tested positive for COVID-19 on the Leffler unit and moved to the red zone.

We are looking to perform monoclonal antibody infusions on those positive residents that fit the criteria and consented early next week.

Our 2^nd dose of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine will be given to those residents that consented and are eligible to receive on Sunday the 24^th.

We have a few newer residents that will be getting their first dose of the vaccine this Sunday.

Jennifer Ginder MHA, RN, NHA

Vice President of Health Services

January 22, 2021

Londonderry Village continues to deal with covid-19 issues as cases surge both locally and nationally. We have several independent residents who are quarantining right now…some with symptoms and others as a precaution because of possible COVID exposure. Yesterday, we registered more than 370 independent living residents for a vaccination clinic next week. That will go a long way towards stopping the potential for a large scale outbreak on the campus. However, it will take a few weeks for immunity to develop in those who receive their vaccinations.

In light of the still-present danger of community transmission, Londonderry Village will be extending its moratorium on activity gatherings for another two weeks, which will take us through Friday, February the 5^th. At that time, we will re-evaluate and announce a decision about lifting or extending the moratorium.

I appreciate everyone’s patience and understanding as we navigate through these unprecedented times, and try our hardest to keep everyone safe.

Jeff Shireman, President

January 22, 2021

Two residents on Leffler Care tested positive for COVID-19 today. These residents were moved to the Red Zone.

We are monitoring Leffler unit very closely and will retest the residents on that unit Friday.

Any resident that has tested positive this week will not be able to get the 2^nd dose of the COVID-19 vaccine this Sunday.

We continue to follow all guidance from the Pa. Dept. of Health and CMS.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Ginder MHA, RN, NHA

Vice President of Health Services

January 20, 2021

ATTN INDEPENDENT LIVING

To Our Independent Living Residents,

We are happy to announce Hershey Care Pharmacy will be onsite next week to give the MODERNA COVID-19 vaccine to any Londonderry Village Independent Living resident 65 years of age or older or those under 65 years of age that meet the criteria/conditions issued by the state of Pennsylvania. I have attached the Moderna Fact sheet for your review.

You must call in Thursday the 21^st, between the hours of 8am-4pm if you are interested to sign up. Please call 717-838-5406 extension 3885.

As soon as we have a count, you will be notified of the date, time and location of the vaccine clinic. You will need to bring your insurance cards on the day of the clinic.

Special Considerations:

If you have been exposed to someone with COVID-19 in the 14 days preceding the clinic date you may not get the vaccine next week.
If you previously tested positive for COVID-19 you must be symptom free for at least 30 days in order to be eligible to receive the vaccine. (please inquire with your physician if you should receive the vaccine)
Most people that test positive have antibodies built up in their system for 90 days from the date of their positive test and can consider waiting 90 days before getting the vaccine. (please inquire with your physician)
If you have ever had a severe reaction to a vaccine or a severe reaction to any medication in this vaccine, you should not get the MODERNA Vaccine
If you have received any vaccines in the 14 days preceding the vaccine clinic, you are NOT eligible to get the vaccine next week.
If you have any question, please discuss with your Physician if the Moderna vaccine is an option for you

Sincerely,

Jennifer Ginder

Jennifer Ginder MHA, RN, NHA

Vice President of Health Services

January 20, 2021

Family and Friends

We have one nursing team member test positive for covid-19 and 3 residents on the Leffler unit.

The 3 residents were moved to a red zone. The resident, their POAs and their physicians were notified.

We continue to monitor the situation closely.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Ginder MHA, RN, NHA

Vice President of Health Services

January 19, 2021

Nursing Care

We have been informed of 2 campus staff that have tested positive for COVID-19. Neither of these team members have direct contact with any residents, so it will not change the status of any of our licensed areas.

Personal Care

We did our last COVID-19 Point of Care Antigen testing this morning on all Personal Care Residents. All tests are negative.

Personal Care is officially back to the Green Zone

Dining room is open, activities is resuming, beauty shop can open, medical appointments are a go and visitation in the designated areas is fine as long as social distancing and mask wearing are adhered to.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Ginder BHA, RN, NHA

Vice President of Health Services

January 15, 2021

Update on Zone Colors

Leffler – Yellow Zone 1/14-1/27 (Green 1/28)

Castagna – Green Zone

Hostetter – Green Zone

Fake – Green Zone

Royer – Green Zone

Stoneback – Yellow Zone from 1/14-1/28 (Green 1/29)

Sweigart – Green Zone

January 15, 2021

Nursing Update

A nursing team member from Royer house, tested positive for COVID-19 today. This employee has not been at work during the infectious period. Royer house remains in the Green Zone at this time.

We continue to test our staff two times a week for COVID-19. Londonderry Village continues to adhere to CMS’s core principles of COVID-19 Infection Prevention.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Ginder BHA, RN, NHA

Vice President of Health Services

Lebanon Valley Brethren Home

January 15, 2021

Nursing Update

We had a total of 3 nursing team members test positive for COVID-19 today. One team member works in Royer house, but has not been at work during the infectious period. So Royer house will not be affected.

One team member worked in Leffler unit

One team member worked in Stoneback Haven

Leffler Unit and Stoneback Haven will turn to a yellow zone for 14 days.

We will be testing all residents in the affected areas weekly until 2 weeks go by with no positives.

Currently, no residents have any signs nor symptoms of covid-19

The Yellow Zone means–

Beauty shop closed

Only medically necessary appointments

No in person visitation

Meals in rooms

No group activities

We can arrange Zoom visits and face time visits.

Zoom visits can be arranged through Therapeutic Recreation.

You can email Marsha Blatt at mblatt@londonderryvillage.org

Or you can call the floor to request a face time visits.

Personal Care Updates

We performed COVID-19 testing on our personal care residents this am as part of our protocol from the positive team member last week. We used our Abbot Binax Now cards that produce results in 15 minutes. All residents were negative. No residents have any signs or symptoms of covid-19 at this time.

All the residents are feeling fine and I enjoyed talking with each of them this morning as we did the test.

All residents also continued to do well post Moderna vaccine administration from last week.

We will test one more time Monday morning and hopefully then, return to GREEN Zone on Monday.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Ginder BHA, RN, NHA

Vice President of Health Services

January 11, 2021

Independent Living Update

We are presently experiencing some covid outbreaks within our independent living population. Some (but not all) of the transmission appears to be related to residents who share the use of the same private duty aides.

In order to contain and mitigate any further spread, I am locking down (starting 1/12/21) all independent living activities for this week and next week. That would include the Fitness Center, the Wood Shop, Craft Room, Theater Room, Studio, Worship Center, Billiards Room, etc.

The Convenience Store and Café will remain open, but in both cases for “take-out” only. Staff will pre-package grocery orders for pickup.

We will not be locking doors to the main common areas as we need to preserve walking paths to the Café and Convenience Store.

At the end of next week, we will re-evaluate the status of covid infections on the campus, and make a decision about either lifting or extending the lockdown.

Thank you for your cooperation in helping to ensure the safety of our campus residents.

Jeff Shireman

President/CEO

January 8, 2021

Personal Care Update

A Personal Care Staff Member tested positive for COVID-19. Personal Care will now be a Yellow Zone until Monday 18^th.

This means:

No beautician services.

Meals in Rooms

No group activities

No visitation

Only medically necessary appointments

Zoom visits can be arranged through Therapeutic recreation. mblatt@londonderryvillage.org

FaceTime visits can be arranged by calling the nursing station.

The yellow zone will be effective until Monday the 18^th, unless any further cases return positive.

Nursing Care Update

1 dietary staff member tested positive for COVID-19

This staff member does not work in any of our licensed healthcare areas

All Nursing Care remains in the Green Zone

Jennifer Ginder RN,BHA,NHA

Vice President of Health Services

January 6, 2021

Our Covid clinic for the skilled nursing residents was successful on Sunday the 3^rd and all residents received the 1st dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine without experiencing any side effects. Personal Care Residents will be offered the Moderna Vaccine administered by Hershey Care Pharmacy on Thursday the 7^th.

Jennifer Ginder

Vice President of Health Services

January 4, 2021

December 30, 2020

Please see the most recent update on testing and vaccines below:

Nursing Care

All employee tests from last week so far have returned negative.

We have received confirmation that the COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic for staff and residents will be held this Sunday January 3^rd.

We are in the process of contacting Resident POAs to obtain consent

The vaccine consists of 2 injections spaced 21 days apart. The 2^nd vaccine clinic day is scheduled for Sunday January 24^th.

Current Zones

Leffler- Green Zone

Hostetter- Green Zone

Castagna- Green Zone

Royer – Green Zone

Fake- Green Zone

Stoneback- Green Zone

Sweigart- Yellow Zone through 12/29 then Green Zone 12/30

Sincerely,

Jennifer Ginder RN,BHA,NHA

Vice President of Health Services

December 29, 2020

From President/CEO:

CORONAVIRUS QUESTION: THOUGHTS ON FACE SHIELDS

A Londonderry Village resident recently noticed that the staff at his doctor’s office were wearing face shields. He asked me to share my thoughts on face shields.

Face shields are essentially a good second layer of protection against the coronavirus, particularly eye protection. I would not recommend that individuals wear face shields without also wearing a face mask at the same time. When both masks and shields are worn, the wearer’s eyes, nose and mouth are all protected, which are the three main entry points for the virus to enter the body and subsequently cause infection. As face shields do have air gaps at the bottom and along the sides, they are not as effective (as masks) at preventing the wearer’s own air droplets from escaping and infecting someone else.

Face shields also offer a measure of protection against virus particles that have been expelled (typically through coughs or sneezes) directly at the wearer. For that reason, you more frequently encounter face shields in environments where there is an elevated risk of viral transmission (such as a doctor’s office or a hospital or nursing home). My wife and I wore face shields (and face masks) when we flew to California last summer for our daughter’s wedding, because of the elevated risks associated with planes and airports.

Face shields do not offer 100% protection against viral transmission because they are open at the bottom. If a face shield wearer is sitting (for a prolonged period of time) in an environment where there are significant numbers of airborne virus particles, they may eventually inhale those particles. That is why environments like restaurants (indoor dining) and theaters are discouraged right now. Since it appears that the virus is principally spread through airborne transmission, it is dangerous to be in a confined space for a prolonged period of time with a large number of potentially-contagious people in that same space. In those situations, face shields offer limited protection.

Jeff Shireman, President

December 22, 2020

Nursing Care Update

Leffler – Yellow Zone until 12/23 (green to begin 12/24)

Castagna – Green Zone

Hostetter – Green Zone

Royer – Green Zone

Fake – Green Zone

Stoneback – Yellow Zone until 12/23 (green to begin 12/24)

Sweigart – Yellow Zone until 12/29 (green to begin 12/30) – Positive elder will be in red zone until and including 12/25 unless symptoms begin.

Stephanie Fegley, RN, BSN
Assistant Director of Nursing

December 18, 2020

Nursing Care

We had 1 resident test positive for COVID-19 this week in Sweigart Haven. This resident currently has no signs or symptoms of COVID-19

Here are updates to the Zones:

Leffler – Yellow Zone until 12/23 (green to begin 12/24)

Castagna – Yellow Zone until 12/20 (green to begin 12/21)

Hostetter – Green Zone Due to the county positivity rate, all visits must be window visits or outdoor visit.

Royer – Green Zone Due to the county positivity rate, all visits must be window visits or outdoor visit.

Fake – Green Zone Due to the county positivity rate, all visits must be window visits or outdoor visit.

Stoneback – Yellow Zone until 12/23 (green to begin 12/24)

Sweigart – Yellow Zone until 12/29 (green to begin 12/30) The positive elder will be in red zone through 12/25 unless symptoms develop

Personal Care

No changes. Remains in the Green Zone.

Due to the county positivity rate, all visits must be window visits or outdoor visit.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Ginder RN,BHA,NHA

Vice President of Health Services

December 17, 2020

Health Center Zone Updates:

Leffler – Yellow Zone until 12/23 (green to begin 12/24)

Castagna – Yellow Zone until 12/20 (green to begin 12/21)

Hostetter – Green Zone

Royer – Green Zone

Fake – Green Zone

Stoneback – Yellow Zone until 12/23 (green to begin 12/24)

Sweigart – Yellow Zone until 12/23 (green to begin 12/24)

Sincerely,

Stephanie Fegley, RN, BSN
Assistant Director of Nursing

December 11, 2020

Health Center Zone Updates:

We had two team members test positive for COVID-19.

One in dietary with no resident exposure, and one staff that has worked in a couple nursing areas.

See the updated Zones below.

Leffler – Yellow Zone until 12/23 (green to begin 12/24)

Castagna – Yellow Zone until 12/20 (green to begin 12/21)

Hostetter – Yellow Zone

Royer – Green Zone

Fake – Green Zone

Stoneback – Yellow Zone until 12/23 (green to begin 12/24)

Sweigart – Yellow Zone until 12/23 (green to begin 12/24)

We can offer and arrange zoom meetings, face time , or just a regular phone call with family members or friends. Please email Marcia Blatt in Therapeutic recreation at mblatt@londonderryvillage.org or call or at 717-838-5406.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Ginder RN,BHA,NHA

Vice President of Health Services

December 10, 2020

Staff Testing Update:

2 positive covid-19 team members

1 dietary employee that was tested outside of work and 1 nursing employee.

The nursing employee has helped in a couple areas resulting in the following houses/units going yellow: Castagna, Leffler, Sweigart and Stoneback.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Ginder RN,BHA,NHA

Vice President of Health Services

December 10, 2020

Dear Resident,

The last few weeks have been very difficult for the staff of Londonderry Village. With Covid-19 cases surging all across the state and country, we have had positive cases (as well as potential exposures) in almost all of our departments. Meeting the needs of our residents then becomes challenging when so many staff are forced to quarantine at home. Our cases have not been limited to just nursing staff. In recent weeks we have also had outbreaks in Housekeeping, Dietary, Maintenance and Security… departments that have frequent contact with our 500 independent living residents.

In the name of enhancing our collective security and health, I am asking for your cooperation. With coronavirus case counts rising exponentially, we are concerned about the safety of our staff when they interact with our independent living residents. Please keep in mind that many of our staff (e.g., Maintenance, Security, etc.) work in both healthcare environments as well as independent living. We want to do our best to prevent transmission of infections from one area to another.

If you have been exposed to someone who is being tested (or has tested positive), if you have tested positive yourself, or if you are having symptoms of coronavirus, please notify Patti Gingrich, RN, so that we can alert our staff to be cautious when providing services to you. If you cannot reach Patti, please notify Dawn Sternberger (x3702) in Environmental Services. For the time being, please know that staff responding to emergency calls from independent living will proactively be donning N95 masks, eye shields and gloves before entering your residence.

Thank you for your attention and cooperation. As has been the case since the pandemic started last March, we are all in this together and we all have a collective responsibility to help each other stay healthy. Keep those masks on, stay socially distant, and don’t take any unnecessary risks. Thank you.

Appreciatively,

Jeff Shireman

President

December 8, 2020

Attention Nursing Care Families:

We currently have two employees that work in nursing who tested positive for covid-19.

One employee works in Sweigart Haven and the other employee works in Castagna and Hostetter House. Castagna and Hostetter house will remain in the green zone as that employee has not had any resident contact for the last 10 days.

Sweigart Haven’s yellow zone will be extended through December 17. We will continue to update you with any changes.

Jennifer Ginder RN,BHA,NHA

December 04, 2020

Nursing Care Update:

We have 2 additional team members test positive for COVID-19.

One works in nursing in Sweigart Haven and one works in maintenance.

The facility continues to follow all of CMSs COVID-19 Infection Prevention protocols.

Reminder that indoor visits even in the GREEN ZONES are not occurring at this time. All visits in the Green zone must be conducted outside due to the county positivity rate. We stand at 14.8% today.

Anything above 10% means twice a week testing and no indoor visits. In the last 24 hours, the Dept. of Health reported over 11,763 cases. This is the most EVER since the start of the pandemic.

We must be extremely diligent right now as we are seeing community cases everywhere.

We are working on separate areas for each house/area to provide shelter for families so they can continue outside visits and be out of the elements.

Here are the zones of our areas; As always, subject to change if any positive staff have worked in the area…

Beginning 12/4, our zones will be as follows:

Fake – Green Zone

Leffler – Green Zone

Hostetter – Green Zone

Royer – Green Zone

Castagna off Yellow Zone 12/7

Stoneback off Yellow Zone 12/8

Sweigart off Yellow Zone 12/12

+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Personal Care Update:

No new cases of COVID-19 and they remain in the Green Zone

November 30, 2020

Updates for our Families and friends:

We had 2 team members test positive for COVID-19 from Fridays testing.

1 in Maintenance and 1 in the business office. Neither of these team members had direct contact with the residents.

We will be testing staff again on Tuesday and Friday.

All the residents COVID-19 tests from Wednesday returned negative.

We continue to follow CMS’s core principles of COVID-19 Infection Prevention.

Zone updates:

Fake Green Zone

Sweigart Yellow Zone off 12/8

Leffler Yellow Zone off 12/2

Hostetter Green Zone

Royer Yellow Zone off 12/4

Castagna Yellow Zone off 12/7

Stoneback Yellow Zone off 12/8

In seeking guidance from our local coalition, we are able to continue our Green Zone in Personal Care. We are however, continuing to put a hold on indoor visits due to the community transmission. Outdoor or window visits may continue. Residents are still eating in the Dining Room, walking throughout Personal Care and outside as weather permits. Engagement is allowed as long as social distancing and mask wearing are followed.

We also continue to have the ability to do zoom calls or even a regular phone call. Please email or call Marsha Blatt in Therapeutic recreation to schedule a zoom visit. mblatt@londonderryvillage.org

Sincerely,

Jennifer Ginder RN,BHA,NHA

Vice President of Health Services

November 27, 2020

STAFF COVID TESTING UPDATE

Personal Care:

We had 1 team member that works in the business office area test positive for COVID-19. This person has no contact with our Personal Care residents.

We have been blessed in our Personal Care Area to have no direct team members or resident test positive for many weeks. This has allowed personal care to be in the Green Zone.

In the Green Zone, residents can move about freely with their mask on while adhering to social distancing. They can walk indoors or outdoors. They eat their meals in the dining room and small group activities are able to continue.

One thing to note:

With Lebanon County’s COVID-19 percent positivity rating greater than 10%, even those areas that are in the Green Zone, will not be able to have indoor scheduled visits. You will be able to do outdoor or window visits.

This is at the guidance of CMS and Dept. of Health. This coincides with high, local, community spread of the virus and is another step to keep it away from the residents we care for.

According to Pa. Dept. of Health we are at a 12.7%

According to CMS we are at a 13.8%

With the Holidays, this number is expected to increase in the next 14 days.

Nursing Care:

Updates from Tuesdays testing of Team Members:

2 more positive staff members from Tuesdays testing

1 from the business office that has no contact with healthcare residents

1 Nursing staff that worked in various areas.

Updates for the zones:

Fake Green Zone

Sweigart off Yellow Zone 12/8

Leffler off Yellow Zone 12/2

Hostetter off Yellow Zone 11/30

Royer off Yellow Zone 12/4

Castagna off Yellow Zone 12/7

Stoneback off Yellow Zone 12/8

Green Zone: Residents are permitted to come out of their rooms with mask and social distancing. Out of room activities can resume. Residents can eat their meals throughout the house as long as they are socially distanced.

Staff wear surgical masks and eye protection. Outdoor/ window visits permitted. Scheduled indoor visits only allowed if Lebanon County’s COVID-19 percent positivity rating is 10% or less. Otherwise there is large Community spread in our county and visits can not be done indoors.

Yellow Zone– Residents are encouraged to stay in their room for safety. Staff must wear a respiratory, face shield and an isolation gown in every resident room. Meals are served in their rooms. Activities are individual in their room. No visits, unless compassionate care situations. Only essential medical appointments. Beauty shop closed.

Resident testing has been decreased to weekly. We tested them Wednesday. Results not back as of this email.

This is at the guidance of CMS and Dept. of Health. This coincides with high, local, community spread of the virus and is another step to keep it away from the residents we care for.

According to Pa. Dept. of Health we are at a 12.7%

According to CMS we are at a 13.8%

With the Holidays, this number is expected to increase in the next 14 days.

As always, thank you for your understanding and support during these extremely frustrating times. Your support is what helps us continue to care for your loved ones safely.

Sincerely,

Jennifer Ginder RN,BHA,NHA

Vice President of Health Services

November 23, 2020

STAFF COVID TESTING UPDATE

Staff were tested this past Friday and four of the tests came back positive:

1 in nursing that works in the Castagna and Royer House
1 in nursing that works in Stoneback Haven
1 employee that works in the business office and has no connection to healthcare
1 employee that works in the main kitchen that has no connection to healthcare

Please note that the following YELLOW zone dates. These zones can change with each testing date. A yellow zone means no visits for the area. Yellow zones also mean n95 masks, face shield and gown when in a resident room.

Fake Yellow Zone off 11/26

Sweigart Yellow Zone off 11/26

Leffler Yellow Zone off 12/2

Hostetter Yellow Zone off 11/30

Royer Yellow Zone off 12/4

Castagna Yellow Zone off 12/7

Stoneback Yellow Zone off 12/7

All areas in the yellow zone are considered to have potential exposure. So there are no appointments unless urgent medical needs. As anyone with exposure is expected to quarantine for 14 days to prevent any possible spread of the virus.

All staff and residents in personal care tested negative for COVID-19.

We will be retesting all residents and staff again on Tuesday and Friday

Jennifer Ginder, VP of Health Services

November 19, 2020

STAFF COVID TESTING UPDATE

Family and Friends,

Three team members tested positive for COVID-19 in the last 24 hours. One works in the Business Office, one in Environmental Services and one in Nursing Care.

The nursing employee works on the Leffler Unit. Leffler unit will remain a “Yellow Zone” for another 14 days at minimum. On Sunday, we tested all healthcare residents as recommended by our state coalition that guides us during the COVID-19 pandemic. All those resident tests came back negative. We will be retesting all residents and staff 2 x per week until no new cases of COVID-19. The next testing is Friday.

Londonderry Village continues to follow CMS’s Core Principles of COVID-19 Infection Prevention. In addition, we also are following all Department of Health’s orders regarding travel advisories for staff and visitors.

No out of state visitors will be permitted to visit at this time. For more information on the travel advisory, please refer to the Pa. Dept. of Health’s website.

Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services’ Core Principles of COVID-19 Infection Prevention

Screening of all who enter the facility for signs and symptoms of COVID-19 (e.g., temperature checks, questions or observations about signs or symptoms), and denial of entry of those with signs or symptoms.
Hand hygiene (use of alcohol-based hand rub is preferred)
Face covering or mask (covering mouth and nose)
Social distancing at least six feet between persons
Cleaning and disinfecting high frequency touched surfaces in the facility often, and designated visitation areas after each visit.
Appropriate staff use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Effective cohorting of residents (e.g., separate areas dedicated COVID-19 care)
Resident and staff testing conducted as required
- - - - Jennifer Ginder RN,BHA,NHA

November 17, 2020

COVID-19 RESTRICTIONS

We have all been reading and hearing about the tremendous surge in the number of coronavirus cases, both locally, regionally and nationally. New cases per day are at their highest totals since the pandemic began. We are seeing evidence of increased community spread in the number of reported exposures by our staff and family members. We have been incredibly fortunate and resistant to the ravages of the pandemic, so far, and we feel that our success has been a direct result of our active efforts to contain and mitigate the spread of the virus.

Given the increased prevalence of the coronavirus in our County, we believe it is prudent to once again take precautionary measures. Therefore, effective immediately, we are establishing the following:

Masks are required on campus whenever in the presence of others. Please wear the masks correctly, covering your entire mouth and nose areas.
Reduce number of attendees for large scheduled events.
Visitors to independent living residents will be limited to 2 visitors at a time.
On November 17^th the Wolf administration has new restrictions on travel. Londonderry Village will be restricting all visitors who either reside in another state or who have traveled outside of Pennsylvania. Also, residents, if you travel to any state outside of PA, you will be required to self-isolate in quarantine for 14 days upon return.
Visitors to independent living are restricted from using common spaces in our buildings.
The Café will remain open for service, but on a take-out basis only Jeff Shireman, President

November 13, 2020

Please see below our weekly update regarding COVID-19 testing and results.

Nursing Care Update

Two residents tested positive in healthcare: 1 in Royer House and 1 in Leffler Nursing Care. Both residents are cohorting in the Leffler Red Zone for 14 days. Neither are exhibiting any symptoms at this time.

Personal Care Update

No staff in Personal Care tested positive this week during our routine COVID-19 testing.

-Jennifer Ginder, VP of Health Services

November 12, 2020

The first day of testing this week revealed 6 positive staff members. Four of them are direct care workers, and two in environmental services.

The areas those staff work in are Leffler unit, Fake House and Sweigart Haven.

Leffler, Fake House and Sweigart House are immediately placed in the yellow zone for 14 days minimum. This means closed dining rooms, no visitors, no non-essential appointments. Staff must wear isolations gowns in resident rooms, N95 and face shield/ goggles throughout the shift on the units.

We are in contact with our local coalition assigned to us by the Dept. of Health during this COVID-19 pandemic. They will be doing an on-site visit on Friday morning to ensure all infection control procedures are being followed and to provide us continual guidance as we navigate this pandemic.

Personal Care Plan: Please click in the image below

-Jennifer Ginder, VP of Health Services

October 30, 2020

A blissfully short update, this week. We performed our mandated weekly staff testing earlier this week. 181 (out of 183 tests performed) results were all negative! We are still awaiting the results of the final 2 tests. There are currently no positive residents, and no residents with symptoms. There are no changes in our re-opening status. Have a great weekend everybody!

Jeff Shireman, President

October 23, 2020

In conducting our required testing this week, of all healthcare staff, we had one Green House Shahbaz who tested positive, and who is having some symptoms. However, this staff person has not been at work in the last ten days, and therefore there has not been any exposure to residents or other staff members.
There are 9 staff members whose test results have yet to be reported back to us by the lab.

The Royer and Castagna Houses are now back in the “Green Zone” as of this morning, and the activity and visitation restrictions have therefore been eased. There have been no changes to the status of Leffler Care or the other four Green Houses. Also, Personal Care has no active cases in the resident or staff populations.

According to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, Lebanon County’s current positivity rating (i.e., the percentage of all covid-19 tests in the County that come back positive) has risen to 8.7%! That is very concerning. If this number goes to 10% or above, all of Lebanon County would be considered to be in the Red Zone.

If that happens, this would require all of our staff to be tested twice per week, and residents that have had outside contact/appointments would need to be tested weekly. Also, per the federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, all visitations would be suspended until the county goes under 10% again.

Please pray that the numbers start to decrease, and that everyone remains safe and healthy.

Jeff Shireman, President

October 16, 2020

In conducting our required testing, this week, of all healthcare staff, we had one Skilled nursing staff member who tested positive for Covid-19. This is a staff member who has no resident contact as a part of her work duties. She is at home quarantining until she is eligible to return to work. There are no changes to visitation and opening steps for any of our nursing units as a result of this test.

In Personal Care, two staff members tested positive this week for Covid-19.

One is a direct care worker that only worked 3 hours. The other is a dietary staff member that has no resident contact. All PC residents were tested for COVID-19 as a result of these test findings. Results should be back in 2-3 days. No residents on Personal Care have any signs or symptoms of Covid-19.

As noted last week, we thank everyone, in advance, for their prayers and patience as we exert every effort to keep our elders and staff safe.

Jeff Shireman, President

October 9, 2020

Following up on yesterday’s update, the Royer House resident who tested positive yesterday is stable, with no acute symptoms. The two staff members who tested positive are self-isolating at home. All of the remaining staff test results for this week have been returned to us, and they are all negative.

Londonderry Village staff consulted with the coalition of medical advisors assigned to us by the PA Department of Health, about our latest test results. They agreed that we only need to re-impose restrictions on the affected Houses (Royer and Castagna). The other four Green Houses, as well as Leffler Care and Personal Care, may continue to progress with their re-opening plans, which would include window visitations, socially-distanced activities and dining, and services such as Hair Care and Podiatry.

Due to the positive test results, the Royer House and Castagna House will have to temporarily revert back to the non-opening stage of the coronavirus restrictions. Window visits will be suspended, and the House elders will not be permitted to congregate for dining and activities. All non-essential personnel (e.g., beautician) will be denied access to those two Houses until the Houses can be certified as free of infection.

We thank everyone, in advance, for their prayers and patience as we navigate through these latest developments, and exert every effort to keep our elders and staff safe.

Jeff Shireman, President

October 8, 2020

Earlier this week, we conducted a routine, required testing of all of our healthcare staff members. Today, we learned that two of our staff members have tested positive. Both are Shahbazim who work in our Green Houses, one in the Castagna House and the other in the Royer House. The affected individuals have also begun to experience symptoms of Covid-19 such as lethargy, congestion, headache, etc.

Based on those two results, this afternoon we tested all of the elders residing in those two Green Houses. One elder in the Royer House tested positive. That elder may or may not be having symptoms of covid, as her current symptoms are also consistent with seasonal allergies.

Out of an abundance of caution, we have restricted visitation in all of our Green Houses. We have also returned to room isolation for the two affected Houses. Londonderry Village is awaiting a return call from the Department of Health concerning guidance on further measures to take that will protect all concerned. We will update our website tomorrow (10/9/20) with additional information. Thank you for your concerns and prayers.

Jeff Shireman, President

October 2, 2020

It is hard to frame any discussion of the coronavirus epidemic, today, without reflecting on the remarkable news this morning that President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump both tested positive for the virus. I certainly wish them well and hope they recover fully and speedily. Setting aside any partisan discussions about how or why this happened, I do want to call attention to this new development because it emphatically demonstrates how difficult it is to prevent transmission of this virus. The President is arguably the most well-protected person on the planet, with incredible security and medical resources at his disposal 24 hours per day. And yet both his family and his circle of advisers have now been penetrated by covid-19. It is not an easy battle when you are dealing with an “invisible enemy” that spreads like wildfire.

Seven months and counting…Londonderry Village continues its own efforts to withstand the pandemic siege. We have no active cases, right now, in either the resident or staff population, and nobody is exhibiting any symptoms. We did not run any tests this week. Next week we anticipate testing all of our healthcare staff members, a monthly requirement for all US nursing homes. If any results come back positive, we will then have to test all healthcare residents. Those are the Department of Health rules.

There is not much to announce with regard to Personal Care or Nursing units. As of this coming week, Hair Care Salon services will be available in both Nursing and Personal Care settings, and both of our beauticians are ready to provide services in any of our shops.

In independent living, I will be announcing (at the televised Residents Association Meeting on Monday October 5^th) our plans to re-open the Café, Seasons Restaurant, the Convenience Store, the Village Boutique, and the Fitness Center and Pool.

Whether you are in the White House, or on the Londonderry Village campus, it is extremely important to adhere to all COVID-19 precautions when you are in the presence of others: Sanitize your hands frequently, maintain 6 foot social distancing, wear a face mask at all times, avoid touching possibly contaminated surfaces, and lastly, do not visit if you have had ANY possible exposure or have been in any moderate to high risk settings.

Stay safe, everyone.

– Jeff Shireman, President

September 25, 2020

Blessedly, there is not much to report this week. We were not required to test any residents, and none of our residents had any symptoms. We did test about 40 staff members from Dietary and Housekeeping; almost all of the test results have come back to us and they have all been negative. We do not have any employees exhibiting symptoms.

Given the lack of any cases, or positive test results, we are moving forward with our re-opening plans. This includes:

Personal Care: PC is now in Step 2 of our reopening plan. Residents are allowed to eat in dining rooms and gather for small group activities…both with social distancing and masking as appropriate. Window visits and outside visitations are permitted. Podiatry and Optometry services will resume toward the end of this month. As long as we keep moving forward, Personal Care would be in Step 3, October 5^th. Step 3 allows the beautician to resume services and larger group engagements as long as physical distancing and face masks are adhered to. It is nice to see more resident movement throughout personal care! The residents have been using the courtyard frequently during the nice warm afternoon days.

Nursing Care: The nursing areas are following the same pattern of re-opening as the Personal Care Unit, with the exception that Step 3 (see above) for Nursing is scheduled to start on Wednesday September the 30^th.

Independent Living: Plans are being made to re-open the Café, Seasons Restaurant, and the Fitness Center and Pool. I will be covering the details during my livestreamed presentation at the Resident Association Meeting on Monday October the 5^th.

The beginning of October we are required, by federal and state regulations, to test all Healthcare staff monthly at a minimum. We last tested all staff 2 weeks ago. Those results, and the Lebanon County percent ‘positivity test rate’ of COVID-19, will determine the frequency of staff testing after that. This is where we might see a back and forth with reopening our facility. When you test 190 staff that work in healthcare, if even one turns out to be positive, we must go back to the non-opening phase again until we go 14 days with no cases.

It is extremely crucial, that if you do a visit with your loved one, that you adhere to all COVID-19 precautions.

Sanitize your hands immediately, maintain 6 foot distance, wear your face mask at all times. Avoid any physical touching and lastly, do not visit if you have had ANY possible exposure or have been in any moderate to high risk settings.

As staff members, we are being routinely tested for COVID-19 to help ensure we do not bring anything inside to our residents. We also wear face masks and eye protection the entire shift and gloves for any type of care.

Again, thanks so much for your patience and support in these challenging times for our families, friends, staff and residents.

– Jeff Shireman, President

September 18, 2020

Healthcare:

As there have been no positive test results in nursing and PC residents (or in nursing staff) for the last two weeks, we were only required to test dietary and housekeeping staff this week. All the tests came back NEGATIVE!

Both Nursing and Personal Care areas will now be entering step 2 of their reopening plans. What does that mean in actual practice? It means that residents of those areas can start to move around more, and can come out of their room with a mask on (if able). It means that Dining Rooms will start to open for meals with social distancing (everyone will be spaced 6 ft. apart). It also means that Therapeutic Recreation (TR) activities can resume with small group activities of 10 or less with social distancing and mask wearing. We are encouraging residents to go outside if they are able. Nursing staff and TR can assist with this if residents cannot go out on their own.

Medically necessary appointments are now allowed if the residents’ attending physician feels it is necessary. Podiatry and Dental in house visits can resume, as well.

Outdoor/Window visits can resume on Monday September 21^st. We have also designated areas inside for visits during inclement weather. We will have a table out in front of each Green House, and in the Leffler reception area, and the Personal Care area, so visitors can drop off small items for their loved ones. Please ensure that the resident’s name is on any item that is dropped-off, and also please call the respective unit to let them know that an item is being dropped-off. Please refrain from bringing-in easily perishable food items.

To visit a PC or Nursing resident, please continue to call the House or nurses desk to schedule a visit. Visits will be limited to 30 minutes so that all residents have an opportunity to receive a visit every day. The visitation times will remain the same: from 1pm to 4pm, and then again from 6pm to 8pm.

The federal Center for Medicare and Medicaid services (CMS) has recently issued regulations requiring all United States nursing homes to periodically retest all residents and staff for covid-19. The frequency of the re-testing is determined by the “positivity rate” of all covid tests in the County in which the facility is located. We will be monitoring that situation this coming week.

Independent Living:

There are no presently no known covid-related concerns in our independent Living Community. On Wednesday, September the 16^th, we discontinued screening independent living residents as they entered our campus at the security checkpoint at our Main Entrance. Residents are still required to wear masks and to socially distance when in corridors or common areas. Individuals without masks will be restricted from entering our Snell and Wheaton buildings.

Jeff Shireman, President

September 14, 2020

Effective Wednesday September 16^th, independent living residents driving onto (and off of) the campus will no longer be screened by the staff members at the security checkpoint.
Please wear a mask (and keep it over your nose) at all times when in Londonderry Village common spaces, corridors, or when in the company of staff or other residents.
We have not had any positive covid-19 test results among Nursing or Personal Care residents for 2 consecutive weeks; under Department of Health guidelines, we are now permitted to accept applicants for admission into both the Nursing and Personal Care areas.

Jeff Shireman, President/CEO

September 11, 2020 – Updated Afternoon Announcement

We are still doing weekly covid-testing of all residents and staff related to our healthcare (i.e., Nursing and Personal Care) units. Last week all of the tests came back negative. This week, over 300 individuals were tested and (with most of the results now received) we had 3 new cases identified…all Dietary employees. These employees have not had any direct contact with any of our residents. Per our guidelines, those employees have been sent home to quarantine. Also, all Dietary staff are being re-educated about infection control practices, and all food production and serving kitchens will be deep-cleaned with anti-viral cleaning agents.

As in past updates, we are pleased to note that so far none of the residents or staff members (who have tested positive) have displayed any symptoms of illness.

In accordance with Department of Health guidelines, Londonderry Village will conduct weekly testing of all nursing and personal care residents and staff, until such time as no positive results are recorded for 14 consecutive days. Also per the DOH, all healthcare visiting and activity restrictions will need to stay in place.

Jeff Shireman, President

September 11, 2020 – Morning Announcement

PC families– We have 2 new positive cases of covid-19 in staff. Both of these staff members are asymptomatic and they have not had any resident contact. We expect the rest of the personal care staff and resident mass testing from this week to be back by Saturday. We will continue to provide updates as they occur.

Skilled families– We have 2 new positive COVID-19 cases in staff . Both of these staff members are asymptomatic and they have not had any resident contact. We expect the rest of the skilled staff and resident mass testing from this week to be back by this weekend. We will continue to provide updates as they occur.

Jennifer Ginder, VP of Health Services

September 7, 2020

Good news! All of the COVID-19 test results for both our skilled care and personal care areas done last week as required by the department of health on both staff and residents have returned negative! We will be conducting our next round of testing this week on Tuesday and Wednesday.

Jennifer Ginder, VP of Health Services

September 2, 2020

The test results from last week’s staff and resident covid testing are still arriving. In a previous update, I relayed that two residents and two staff members related to nursing care had tested positive. That number has increased by one additional staff person. In Personal Care, I previously reported that one staff member had tested positive; that number has also increased by one person, a resident of Personal Care. Our campus total now stands at four staff persons and three residents. Fortunately, none of the seven individuals (whose tests were positive) have exhibited any signs or symptoms of illness. All of the individuals have been isolated/quarantined.

Jeff Shireman, President

August 31, 2020

Effective immediately, Londonderry Village is changing our procedures for responding to emergency call buttons in independent living.

To prevent possible contamination issues, our staff nurses (from Personal Care and Skilled Nursing) will no longer travel to independent living residences.

Our Security staff members (or Nurse Patti Gingrich during the work week) will be the first responders to all emergency calls.

The security staff will triage each situation, with one of three possible outcomes:

(1) they will handle minor issues by themselves;

(2) they will contact a facility nurse to assess a situation via a Facetime video call; or

(3) They will call 911 if the issue is a true emergency.

August 28, 2020

After nearly six months without a case, Londonderry Village did have some positive lab tests come back this week which indicated viral infections for a few staff and residents. Blessedly, and somewhat curiously, none of the individuals (whose tests were positive) have exhibited any signs or symptoms of illness. All of the individuals have been isolated/quarantined. Details will be given in the level-of-care synopses, below:

Skilled Nursing: Two residents (out of the 75 residents who were tested) had positive lab tests for covid-19. Neither resident is ill. Both residents were re-tested, and both were negative the second time. Based on advice from our Medical Director, we will monitor the two residents for any development of symptoms and treat them as if they were positive. Based on the original positive tests, under Department of Health guidance we must now revert to the highest levels of precaution; in practice, that means residents must stay in their rooms, that residents cannot go out to external appointments (unless there is an emergent situation), and that visitation is restricted to end-of-life situations only. Also, staff will engage in higher levels of wearing PPE when providing care, including N-95 masks where appropriate. We are required to maintain these precautions, as well as to conduct weekly covid-testing until there are no further positive test results for 14 days. After our first positive result last weekend, all staff members working in skilled nursing care were also tested; two of those came back positive. These staff members are not having any symptoms, and they have been required to quarantine at home.

Personal Care: As of this date, there are no positive results for residents of Personal Care. One staff member who works in PC did test positive. That individual, also asymptomatic, has been quarantined at home. Because of that positive result, however, Personal Care residents will also now be subjected to weekly testing, and their visitation and activity restrictions will be the same as in nursing (see description above).

Independent Living: There were no developments this week related to covid-19. In light of the positive results in Nursing and Personal Care, however, we may have to reconsider some of the re-opening plans we had anticipated for September, ranging from the Café to the Wellness Center, and even the modified Yard Sale. Watch for further details as more information becomes known.

Jeff Shireman, President

August 24, 2020

On Sunday August 23rd, 2020, Londonderry Village was notified that one of our Skilled Nursing residents on the Leffler Care Unit had tested positive for covid-19. The resident was, and remains, asymptomatic. The test was conducted as part of a routine surveillance procedure that Londonderry Village has been conducting in our healthcare environments.

Londonderry Village is following all recommendations and guidance advised by the PA Department of Health, as well as the federal Centers for Disease Control.

Londonderry Village is already in the process of retesting all nursing residents and healthcare staff for covid-19. In an effort to prevent any further spread of infection, all nursing areas will be reverting back to the highest levels of restriction and mitigation; in practice, that means all meals will be offered in resident rooms, there will be no family visitation and no group activities, and residents will not be permitted to go to outside appointments unless their physician deems the appointment to be medically urgent. All nursing residents will be required to stay in their rooms as able.

Londonderry Village will issue further updates on this situation as more information becomes known to us. Thanks.

-Jeff Shireman, NHA

President

August 21, 2020

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE August 21, 2020

Not much to report this week in terms of new policies or changes to procedures.

Most importantly, …the entire campus remains covid-free, with no cases in either the resident or staff population!

Next week our Personal Care Unit will progress to “step 3” of its re-opening plan. What this entails is that in addition to having Hair Care Services available in the Salon, the activities that will now be offered will allow for greater numbers of residents to be involved in the activity group. Our staff are also finalizing preparations to create an indoor visitation area for visitation in Personal Care when the weather is inclement.

There are no changes that need to be noted for Skilled Nursing at this time.

In independent living, we are seeing some of the same trends as other retirement communities in terms of “re-opening” dining and activities. Our Wednesday evening worship services, which can accommodate about 24 residents in our socially-distanced Worship Center, are attracting only ten or so “in person” attendees. Most folks are still electing to play it safe by watching the worship services on our internal TV system. We are presently working on plans to open the Café (for take-out only) on September 8^th, and then for ‘dine-in’ later in September; we anticipate the dine-in participation will be minimal at the start. Safety is our number one concern as we slowly progress along the continuum of re-opening our campus and services.

As always, stay safe, everyone.

Keep your masks above your nose!

~Jeff Shireman, President

August 14, 2020

I am pleased to be able to make two announcements:

First, for all three levels of care…the entire campus remains covid-free, with no cases in either the resident or staff population! Yeah!

Secondly, there are no significant changes to report from last week to this week!

This past week saw the re-introduction of hair care services in Personal Care and Nursing Care. The residents were thrilled to be ‘professionally coiffed” and I am told that everyone is looking and feeling much better! There are no changes in our rules and restrictions from last week to this week.

In independent living, small groups of socially-distanced and masked residents are beginning to meet again for social activities. Events are spaced far apart on the calendar so that housekeeping can disinfect the rooms in between gatherings.

Residents who are having family and friends visit from states outside of Pennsylvania should know that certain restrictions will be enforced with regard to the visitors. Visitation in Personal Care and Nursing will not be allowed. In Independent Living, visitors will be screened and given a written list of rules that include masking, socially-distancing, and avoiding resident common spaces. Residents with visitors can also expect follow-up calls from our Independent Living Nurses to make sure no one is exhibiting any symptoms of viral infection.

As always, stay safe, everyone.

Jeff Shireman, President

August 7, 2020 – Community Update

One of the difficulties of managing a retirement community with multiple levels of care is that each level of care is regulated by a different state agency. Each agency has its own regulations, and its own terminology. During the pandemic, each agency (and level of care) is moving/re-opening at a different pace. Starting today, to try to clarify the resulting confusion, I will list the levels of care separately, and describe the stages (in plain English!) that each one is presently going through.

First, for all three levels of care…the entire campus remains covid-free, with no cases in either the resident or staff population!

Secondly, here are the individual reports:

Nursing Care (Department of Health): We will begin moving into step 3 of our reopening plan starting Monday August 10^th. . What does this mean? Dining rooms will start to open with elders being seated 6 ft. apart. Small group activities will resume with social distancing and masking. Optometry visits, hearing aide services, dental services and chaplain visits/devotions will start. Most importantly, the beautician will be resuming her services! A family member/POA may go meet the elder at appointments as long as they first come to LV and go through all the screening protocols for COVID-19, wear a mask, socially distance, and perform hand hygiene. By regulation, if at any time LV would get a positive case of COVID-19 in nursing, then the facility would have to revert back to all the restrictions that were instituted in March. Families should know that we are continually working on improving our newly designated outdoor visiting areas to make for a more conducive visit; we are also working on indoor visiting structures for when the weather turns colder!

Personal Care (Department of Human Services): During our 2^nd round of universal testing for Personal Care, completed recently, all elders and staff were negative. As long as LV remains COVID-19 free, then Personal Care will move into step 2 of the reopening plan for Personal Care Homes on Tuesday, August 11^th. What this means for PC elders: The dining room will open with 1 elder per table and social distancing. Limited activities will resume in groups of 10 or less with masking and social distancing. Residents will be transported by staff to outside appointments only if they are deemed necessary by the resident’s physician. Onsite dental services will resume. Podiatry services have already resumed. The full Personal Care reopening plan will be posted on our website by Monday. Please make sure you are reviewing the plan designated for “Personal Care”.

Independent Living (Department of Insurance): We have resumed screening independent living residents when they drive onto the campus, and that is going well. Small group activities (with masking and social distancing) are returning….please see the August Newsletter for details. We have experienced a few out-of-state family members who canceled their plans to visit LV after learning they would have to undergo a 14-day quarantine per Governor Wolf’s recent proclamation. Grocery store ordering and pick-ups are going well. We plan to re-open the Café (for pick-up and limited in-person dining) sometime in September.

As always, stay safe, everyone.

– Jeff Shireman, President

August 7, 2020 – Resident Family Update

PERSONAL CARE RE-OPENING PLAN. Please note that this is the re-opening plan for Personal Care ONLY. Please click on the image below to learn more.

August 6, 2020 – Health Center Visitors

Any visitor for healthcare (skilled and personal care) who has been to a state that is on Pennsylvania’s recommended 14 day quarantine area, will not be permitted to visit and should quarantine for 14 days as recommended. Please click the image above for a list of states.

July 31, 2020 – Community Update

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE July 31, 2020

As we enter our fifth month of the coronavirus pandemic, I am once again very pleased to report that as of today, there are still no positive resident or staff cases of Covid-19 at Londonderry Village. We have a handful of staff members who are quarantining at-home waiting for test results to come back, but so far all of those tests have been negative. One concern is that the volume of testing being conducted, both here in Pennsylvania and across the nation, has started to overwhelm the laboratory capacity in the health care system. A month or so ago, we were generally receiving the results of covid tests within 2 to 4 days of the test. Lately, we have been experiencing delays of 10-14 days (or more!) in receiving the results. That situation is exacerbating the difficulty of staffing during summer vacation season, as some of our staff are physically available to work, but technically ineligible to work until a negative test result is received.

The recently released August newsletter reveals that we will begin to reintroduce some limited in-person activities, though always with masks and social distancing required. This will include starting to make available in-person worship attendance on Wednesday evenings; attendance will be limited (on a reservation basis) to 25 persons. The services will also continue to be televised on Channel 4.

We are still at ‘Level 2’ on our re-opening plan, and have had to make changes within that structure. We felt we were getting “too loose” by no longer screening independent living residents as they drive onto campus, and so we have resumed that practice. Interestingly, many independent residents had come to that same conclusion, and they let me know they would feel ‘safer’ if we went back to screening everybody coming through the checkpoint.

We will continue to feel our way slowly as we try to re-open in a safe manner that continues are excellent track record at keeping the coronavirus outside of our walls.

As always, stay safe, everyone.

–Jeff Shireman, President

July 24, 2020 – Resident and Family Update

SKILLED NURSING CENTER RE-OPENING PLAN. Please note that this is the re-opening plan for Skilled Nursing ONLY. Please click on the image below to learn more.

July 21, 2020 – Resident Update

RESIDENT UPDATE July 21, 2020

Just announcing that Londonderry Village will be returning (as of Wednesday July the 22^nd) to our former practice of screening everybody, including independent living residents at our main entrance security checkpoint. With the progression of summer, and the gradual reduction in campus restrictions, we have experienced a significant increase in traffic coming onto and leaving the campus. With the coronavirus still very prevalent in Lebanon County, our leadership team feels it is prudent to return to screening all entrants to the campus. Interestingly, several independent living residents had also contacted me, of late, with the recommendation that we go back to screening independent living residents. Everybody seems to feel that it would add to the overall safety of the Community.

As always, stay safe, everyone.

–Jeff Shireman, President

July 17, 2020 – Community Update

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE July 17, 2020

Again I am very pleased to report that as of today, there are still no positive resident or staff cases of Covid-19 at Londonderry Village. We have nearly a half-dozen staff members who are quarantining at-home waiting for test results to come back, but so far all of those tests have been negative. Our nursing administration staff is working extremely hard to maintain staffing levels in light of the coronavirus issues, as well as the numerous staff taking vacations at this time of year.

Our deliberately slow re-opening plans continue to evolve. We are starting to see more medical transportation requests as hospitals and physician offices re-open their doors to patients. We have been using our transportation drivers for other jobs during the height of the pandemic, and they are now being pulled back into their former roles. That process will continue to expand as other staff members are gradually returned to their original positions and duties.

Starting Monday, August the 3^rd, the Convenience Store will be transitioning as well. We will no longer have the staff available to deliver groceries, and so the Store will be moving to a “pick-up” model of service. Residents will be encouraged to pre-order their grocery supplies, and then pick them up (pre-packaged) at a location outside of the store. There will still not be any ‘shopping” within the store itself.

This week our staff received (along with their paycheck) some very generous financial gifts, courtesy of the Board of Directors and also of the independent living residents. These were in appreciation for the extraordinary efforts of the staff during the height of the pandemic, efforts which helped to keep everyone safe and healthy. The staff are very grateful for these very kind and meaningful gifts.

As always, stay safe, everyone.

Jeff Shireman, President

July 10, 2020 – Resident Update

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE July 10, 2020

As of today, I am pleased to report that there are still no positive resident or staff cases of Covid-19 at Londonderry Village. As in recent weeks, we had a few “near misses” this past week, but all tested negative. As expected, folks are moving around more because of the summer weather and related vacation plans, and that is making it even more difficult to prevent the transmission of the virus. Here at Londonderry Village, we have become rather fanatical about everybody wearing a mask when in the company of others, but unfortunately that is not universally embraced (despite the Governor’s request) when going to stores, restaurants, etc., outside of our campus.

It is much more difficult to “re-open” our campus, successfully and safely, then it was to close it down starting in March. We are mindful of the states that re-opened too quickly, and are unfortunately experiencing renewed surges in cases and deaths. This past week saw the re-opening of our Community Center Hair Salon, and that has gone very well; Nicole is making sure that both she and her customers are complying with all of the safeguards needed to keep everyone virus-free.

My staff and I are in constant discussions about our next steps for re-instituting small group activities, medical services (podiatry, massage, audiology), and for phasing-in a return to service for the Café and Seasons restaurant. We intend to proceed slowly, evaluating each step to make sure that it is safe for everyone involved. Please watch for more information on our website and on Channel 4 of our internal TV system.

As always, thanks for all that you are doing to support our staff as we work to keep our campus Covid-free. Stay safe, everyone.

-Jeff Shireman, President

July 2, 2020– Resident Update

As I am sure, most of you are aware that tomorrow (7/3/20), Lebanon County will be going “green” under Governor Wolf’s re-opening plan for Pennsylvania. That circumstance will allow Londonderry Village to proceed to “Level 2” of our own campus re-opening plan. The purpose of this update is to inform you of the changes that will occur as we proceed to Level 2. I am also intending (in this message) to let you know about the things that will not be relaxed as we head into Level 2. The virus has not been eliminated, by any measure, and we still need to be vigilant.

Level 2 begins on Monday, July the 6^th. Here are the changes you need to know about:

The Community Center Hair Care Salon will open for service on 7/6/20. Operator Nicole Orifino has been making appointments and preparing for the new restrictions (i.e., maximum of two clients at a time) that will accompany the salon re-opening. Customers must wear masks, and Nicole will be masked and wear a face shield.

We will electronically unlock the entrances to the Snell Community Center and Wheaton entrances. This will simplify access for all residents to our buildings, but we are still discouraging unessential common space visitation. The coffee bar and lobby furniture will not be restored in this phase.

Independent living residents will be allowed to pass through the security checkpoint without any screenings. Staff, vendors, and visitors will still be screened. Staffing at the checkpoint will be reduced during ‘off hours’.

There will be no limitations on visitors to independent living, either in the number of vehicle occupants or in the purposes for visiting. Masks still required!!

We will slowly begin to introduce events and recreational activities for groups of up to 25, with strict occupancy limits for each size room.

We will gradually re-open the JBT bank, the Pharmacy, Woodshop, and the Craft Room.

We will gradually transition both the Café and the Convenience Store to a service where residents select their products ahead of time, and then come to a designated pick-up location. Delivery service may still be available, but there will likely be a charge for delivery.

Per the Governor’s Order, visitation and volunteering restrictions will stay in place for nursing and personal care for 28 days after the County goes green.

9. Also per the Governor’s Order, masks will be required when individuals are out in public.

– Jeff Shireman, President

July 2, 2020 – Community Update

As of today, there are still no positive resident or staff cases of Covid-19 at Londonderry Village. We have had a few “near misses” in recent weeks, typically the result of an independent living resident or staff member who found out (afterwards) that someone they had socialized with (family member or friend) had tested positive. So far, nobody (from Londonderry Village) involved in those scenarios has tested positive.

Lebanon County officially goes “green” tomorrow. This will trigger another step in our re-opening plan, as Londonderry Village enters its “Level 2” status on Monday, July the 6^th. While there are a number of changes that occur in Level 2, there are three that will have the most impact. First, the Community Center Hair Salon will re-open. Operator Nicole Orifino has been making appointments and preparing for the new restrictions (i.e., maximum of two clients at a time) that will accompany the salon re-opening. Secondly, we will electronically unlock the entrances to the Snell Community Center and Wheaton entrances. Thirdly, independent living residents will be allowed to pass through the security checkpoint without any screenings.

We have all heard of the skyrocketing number of positive cases in states that re-opened too soon and too aggressively. The number of cases has been rising in Pennsylvania, as well, as more people leave their homes to shop, socialize, and dine out. If we are going to avoid the sad fate of states like Arizona, Florida and Texas, we must act decisively to curb the spread of the virus. Even in our campus ‘Level 2’ state, there is still a requirement for universal mask wearing and social distancing when outside of your personal residence. And while most of us would not take the risk of going to crowded bars at the beach, too many of us are dropping our guard (and our masks) when visiting with family members we haven’t seen in weeks or months. Three of our most recent “near misses” have started with that exact set of conditions… a family member that nobody realized was positive. We won’t be that lucky forever. Please stay vigilant in your precautions.

Thanks for all that you are doing to support our staff, as we attempt to “save lives” by keeping our campus Covid-free. Stay safe, everyone.

-Jeff Shireman, President

June 29, 2020 – Resident Update

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

Governor Wolf announced today that Lebanon County would be moving into the Green Phase as of Friday July the 3^rd. When this happens, it will allow Londonderry Village to transition to Level 2 of our re-opening plan. Our re-opening plan is a little more conservative than the Governor’s. We will be lifting several restrictions as we move into Level 2, but not all of them. There is a tendency to think that the Green Phase is synonomous with “life as we knew it” before the pandemic, but that is certainly not the case. Until there is a safe vaccine or effective treatment for the virus, staff and residents should count on wearing their masks and maintaining social distancing for the foreseeable future.

The most-anticipated change as we move into Level 2 will be the re-opening of the Hair Care Salon in the Community Center. Stylist Nicole Orfino will be in next week to ready the shop, and to book appointments for the start of business on Monday, July the 6^th. There will be a maximum of 2 customers allowed in the shop at any given time. Another significant change as we move to Level 2 will be the electronic “unlocking” of the apartment and common space entry doors.

I will be posting additional information on our Level 2 conditions next week. As always, stay safe and keep your masks up over your nose!

-Jeff Shireman, President

June 26, 2020 – Community Update

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE June 26, 2020

As of today, there are still no positive resident or staff cases of Covid-19 at Londonderry Village. This is no small achievement, given the rising number of cases in Lebanon County the past few weeks, and in many of the states that re-opened too quickly. While we recognize that a case could pop up at any time, our success to date has been helped by extraordinary efforts by our staff, and also by our residents exercising caution and responsible behavior in their daily interactions.

It has come to my attention that some local churches are returning to indoor worship services, albeit at a somewhat reduced capacity. Frankly, I personally find this very irresponsible and I strongly urge my residents, staff and family members not to attend in person. Most churches have significant numbers of elderly members in their congregations, and those folks are at very high risk of serious illness and death if they become infected. Worship services have been shown to be very risky for viral transmission because attendees often do not socially distance, do not wear masks, and the act of singing expels virus particles much farther into the air than does merely talking.

As the surges in virus cases in the South and West have shown, we are not done with the coronavirus, and it is not done with us. A recent study states that the USA could save 33,000 lives by October 1^st if everybody would just wear masks, but regrettably many refuse to do so. Locally, we are seeing more of our residents and staff socializing with their extended families and friends, and not wearing masks or socially distancing while doing so. This is ultimately a recipe for disaster. As I have been saying for quite some time, the virus is still out there, it is still lethal to older adults, and we need to keep our guard (and our masks) up. Stay safe, everyone.

-Jeff Shireman, President

June 19, 2020 – Community Update

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE June 19, 2020

As of today, there are still no positive resident or staff cases of Covid-19 at Londonderry Village. Two weeks ago, the Cedar Haven Nursing Home in Lebanon was also virus-free; in the brief amount of time since then, that facility is reportedly now dealing with an outbreak of close to 50 resident and staff cases, including one death. That is an example of how fast this virus spreads.

It was announced today that Lebanon County would remain in the “yellow phase” of the PA Governor’s Re-Opening Plan…the only one of Pennsylvania’s 67 counties staying in the yellow phase. The County is still experiencing significant numbers of new cases. Staying in the Yellow Phase will not allow Londonderry Village to drop down to our “Level 2” category of activity and visitor precautions…we will need to stay at “Level 3”. In actual practice, that means sticking with our “2 persons per vehicle” limit for visitors, keeping our connected buildings on 100% lockdown status, maintaining the same checkpoint screening requirements for all campus entrants, and (regrettably) keeping our hair salon and retail pharmacy closed.

Last weekend, we experienced multiple significant issues in allowing the families of healthcare residents to experience window and “through-the-fence” visitations. I won’t go into details of what went wrong, but the conditions that resulted were not safe for any of the parties. We have revised our practices, since then, to be more controlled and provide infection control safety for all involved. Families are encouraged to call at least 24 hours in advance, for visitation appointments; visits will be limited to 2 persons, for a period of 30 minutes.

As I have been saying for quite some time, the virus is still out there, it is still lethal to older adults, and we need to keep our guard (and our masks) up. Stay safe, everyone.

-Jeff Shireman, President

June 18, 2020 – Community Update

Health Center Visitation Update

Effective Immediately

At Londonderry Village our role is to protect, nurture and sustain our elders in a loving and caring environment. We understand the need and desire to be with our loved ones during these uncertain times and have provided ways in which our elders can remain connected to their families. Due to some recent events, we find the need to change guidelines to our current visitation policy. Effective immediately the following guidelines are in place for our health center which includes our six Green Houses, Leffler Care and Personal Care areas.

Only window visits will be permitted. The window visit will occur at a closed window. The elder will remain on the inside of the home in the designated area and the visiting family will remain on the exterior of the building at the designated area as follows:
- In the Green Houses elders will visit with their family members at the window in the den.
- On Leffler elders will visit with their family members at the window in the dining room.
- In Personal Care elders will visit with their family members at the window in the living room across from the nurse’s station.
Conversations between the elder and their family member will be achieved via the house/unit phone unless the resident has their own phone. If you are the visitor, please bring your cell phone with you so that you can chat through the closed window.
Families are required to wear masks while on campus. No exceptions.
Appointments for window visits must be made a day in advance with each house/unit.
Families can visit up to 30 minutes per visit.
Each house/unit can only have 1 visit of up to 2 people at a time since we are using one specific area only.
There will be set visiting hours. 1pm-4pm and 6pm-8pm daily.
Only urgent supplies and medical needs can be dropped off at the security check point. No outside food or other items can be dropped off at the units directly.

We understand that these times are difficult and we appreciate everyone’s continued efforts to keep our elders and staff members safe.

Jennifer Ginder, RN, NHA

Vice President of Health Services

June 13, 2020 – Community Update

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE June 12, 2020

As of today, there are still no positive resident or staff cases of Covid-19 at Londonderry Village. Last week we were assisted by the PA National Guard, who did Covid-testing on close to 300 healthcare residents and staff members. All of those tests came back negative!! This week we are testing a small number of staff members who were not able to attend the National Guard testing; we should have those results shortly. It should be noted that in the past few days the PA Department of Health has made it mandatory for all nursing home staff members in PA to be Covid tested by July 24^th. Additionally, as stated last week, the Health Department has also announced that visitation restrictions in nursing care and personal care homes will stay in place for 28 days after a county enters the “green” phase.

I am concerned that too many folks are starting to behave like the pandemic is over. In over 20 states across the country, all of whom “re-opened” faster than PA, coronavirus cases are on the rise. In Arizona, for example, the state has asked the hospitals to execute their emergency plans as the number of admissions to ICU units is close to exceeding their capacity. Closer to home, the previously virus-free Cedar Haven Nursing Home in Lebanon now finds itself having to deal with several positive resident cases. Though we are still virus-free here at Londonderry Village, our security records show that traffic entering and exiting the campus has more than doubled in recent weeks. All of those resulting social interactions are creating more opportunities for the virus to be transmitted. If we are to continue to stay safe, we cannot let our guard down!! Wear your masks whenever in public, keep your social distance from other persons, and don’t attend large group gatherings. Thank you!

Jeff Shireman, President

June 8, 2020 – Resident and Community Update

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE June 5, 2020

As of today, there are still no positive resident or staff cases of Covid-19 at Londonderry Village. This past week we were assisted by the PA National Guard in conducting Covid-19 tests on close to 300 healthcare residents and staff members. We anticipate receiving the results by early next week. Our main concern would be whether or not we have folks on the campus who might be infected but are asymptomatic.

My staff and I have started to engage in planning for “opening up’ some of our regular services, activities and events, albeit in a socially-distanced and safe format. Very likely we will still use our internal TV broadcasts on a regular basis, but we are also envisioning small group activities (both indoors and outdoors) that would be both safe and engaging. These would be infrequently-scheduled and size-limited, to start; one of the characteristics of the post-pandemic “new normal” is that our housekeeping department needs time to properly disinfect gathering spaces in between uses.

We received notification in the past 24 hours from the Governor’s Office, via the Department of Health, that Pennsylvania will continue to limit in-person visitation to nursing homes and personal care homes for at least 28 days after the county of their origin goes ‘green’. This is being done out of an overabundance of caution, given that a majority of the Covid-19 related deaths in PA have been residents of these types of facilities. We have seen a number of families this week take advantage of our new ‘window’ and ‘through-the-fence’ visitation practices, to help counter the loneliness and isolation that our healthcare residents are experiencing.

Thanks to all who are keeping our staff and residents in their thoughts and prayers as we navigate our fourth month of the pandemic conditions.

Jeff Shireman, President

June 5, 2020 – Resident Update

What’s New With Jeff – in case you missed the June 4th What’s New With Jeff presentation on channel 4 and the web, here are the topics discussed in that meeting.

WHAT’S NEW WITH JEFF JUNE 2020

Announcements:

Census: Nursing (72), Personal Care (28), Independent Living (497). Total = 597
Model Home – concrete slab poured, framing to start soon, completion in early Fall.
Nursing Administration Building – rough electrical & plumbing finished, drywall going on. Will house 14 offices for nursing department, the Main Laundry & medical supply storage .
Hosted Primary Election Voting on Tuesday…”dry run” for Chicken BBQ traffic plan
Received a $32,000 grant from Church of the Brethren…will use for Covid expenses
We were visited in late May by team from CDC, National Guard, and PEMA. CDC is under contract with PA Dept. of Health to review Infection Control practices. The Guard is helping with training and testing (and in some cases staffing). PEMA is coordinating and helping with acquisition of PPE. We were first facility they contacted with zero cases!
National Guard medical teams here this week (Wednesday and Thursday) to conduct Covid testing on healthcare residents and staff. They do not have resources to test independent living residents and staff who do not work in healthcare. Test results take 48 hours. The State will use its own laboratory to process this first round of testing; any subsequent testing will be the responsibility of Londonderry Village. We have received over $400,000 in federal funds for covid-related expenditures.
We have published the “Level 3” campus rules and restrictions. Reminder not to let your guard down! Reminder that permitted socialization in lounge spaces still requires masking and 6-foot separations. Enjoy conversation but not card games!! Independent living may have visitors come onto the campus, but only 2 persons per vehicle. Visitors may stay overnight in your residences…the Guest accommodations are still closed. We are planning to re-open the Community Center Hair Salon when Lebanon County goes “green”!
Chicken BBQ will be held on July 25 with modifications. The Auction will be 100% “on-line,” and the BBQ will be “drive-thru”. The Friday concert is off. Chicken BBQ pre-orders have already started on our website. There is also an “I Care” icon on the website for folks who want to make a (no-chicken!) contribution to Londonderry Village.
We have lost a few more residents in the past month, and I want to convey our sympathies and condolences to the family and friends of those individuals, particularly in this time when memorial services are not possible.

Why is COVID-19 So Deadly to Nursing Homes?

Depending on whose statistics you use, somewhere between 60,000 and 153,000 residents of long term care facilities in the USA have contracted covid-19; of that total, some 26,000 residents have died from the virus.
Some 34,000 staff members of long term care facilities have also become infected with Covid-19, and close to 500 of those workers have died. Staff are literally risking their own lives by coming to work each day.
Both of those numbers will go up.
The disease is particularly lethal to older adults, particularly those with additional underlying medical conditions; that is almost everybody in a nursing home.
Top comorbidities include Weakened immune systems, diabetes, dementia, cardiac issues, and respiratory issues (like COPD).
Nursing home residents live in confined spaces, and are often 2 or more per room.
Workers necessarily move from room to room.
Staff often work at more than one facility.
Shortages of PPE (masks, gloves, gowns).
Understaffing – both before and after pandemic. Gets worse when staff become sick or are forced to quarantine at home for 14 days.
Asymptomatic spread makes this virus difficult to detect and contain.
Lack of testing capability and lack of funding for testing.
Some facilities have a record of poor infection control practices.
Some states, like NY and NJ, have required nursing homes to admit Covid patients.
Nursing homes have historically been the “stepchild” in the American health care system. When was the last time our staff was hailed in the media as “heroes on the front lines”? Nursing homes have been underfunded, and the consequently the staff are not paid the same as in hospitals.
Some facilities have been overwhelmed and also lack transparency.
Families are understandably upset over the severe visitation restrictions.
Presenteeism – coming to work when you are ill
Social and emotional toll on residents of having no visitation

May 29, 2020 – Resident and Community Update

Please click on the link below regarding a very important announcement by our CEO. Please note that these new guidelines only go into affect on Monday, June 1. Residents in independent living will be receiving this letter within their newsletter today, May 29.

june-1-covid-prevention-update-letter-from-ceo

May 22, 2020 – Community Update

As of May the 22^nd, there are still no resident or staff cases of Covid-19 at Londonderry Village. We are completing our tenth week of being in a lock-down mode, and it has served us well in terms of remaining virus-free to this point. There are relatively few senior facilities in PA that have not had a positive case in either their resident or staff populations; this week the PA Department of Health released a list of nursing and personal care homes that have experienced covid cases. The list showed the facility name and the number of resident cases, staff cases, and deaths; approximately 70% of the deaths in PA from the novel coronavirus have been residents of care facilities.

Today we were visited by a team of experts looking to help long term care communities with their covid-19 preparations and responses. The team consisted of 3 epidemiologists from the CDC, 3 medical officers from the PA National Guard, and 2 representatives from the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency. The team was very impressed with our infection control procedures, starting with the security checkpoint at our Main Entrance! They were very complimentary about our staff efforts, our Green Houses, and our use of private rooms for all nursing residents. The National Guard will be returning to help us with “fit testing” for our N-95 respirator masks, and with testing for Covid in our nursing center residents and staff. If we do eventually have a positive case, they will also help us to secure extra PPE (masks, gloves and gowns). We are very thankful for their assistance.

Best wishes to all for a safe Memorial Day Holiday. I am told that we already have over 150 orders for our picnic-themed dinner on Monday, so it should be a delicious Holiday here at Londonderry Village!

-Jeff Shireman, President

May 14^th, 2020. Londonderry Village remains Covid-free as of today!

First of all, I cannot say it enough times how nice it is to work in a facility that has done so much to protect our campus and our residents from the Covid-19 infection. Thanks to all of the Londonderry Village staff for their great efforts in keeping the virus at bay so far.

Which brings me to the second point. The Pennsylvania Department of Health (under severe pressure from the media) intends to start releasing the names of individual facilities who have positive Covid-19 cases. That could start as early as next week. It will also intensify public and media scrutiny of those facilities who are “called-out” by the disclosures. Obviously, Londonderry Village’s name will be absent from that disclosure.

Point #3. I think we are on the right track by grouping our nursing residents in small units, and in private rooms. That same experience seems to be characteristic of the Green House model. In a recent survey of 266 Green House homes, nationwide (including our 6 houses), there were only 4 positive resident cases and zero deaths. That is an amazing track record during this pandemic. That sample size is roughly equivalent to the long term care beds in Lancaster County, which to-date has recorded 578 resident cases and 159 facility-related deaths.

Point #4. Even if we do get a positive case in nursing, it should theoretically be much easier to isolate the affected resident(s) given our small units and all-private rooms.

Point #5. Facilities that have positive cases are not “bad” facilities. We are collectively fighting a highly contagious enemy that we can’t see, with no known treatment or vaccine, with an extremely vulnerable population to protect, and with many facilities having a shortage of Personal Protective Equipment. It is no wonder than long term care facilities are often in the middle of this storm.

Point #6. If we do eventually have a positive test result on our campus, it is not a failure on our part. Statistically, it is more likely that we will have positive cases than that we won’t. If we do experience a positive case, we will do the “right thing” by isolating, testing and providing the necessary care and support. It is what we do. We care.

-Jeff Shireman, President

May 8, 2020 – Resident Update

What’s New with Jeff Announcements

Announcements:

Census: Nursing (77), Personal Care (31), Independent Living (494). Total = 602
Our 5-star rating by CMS for Skilled Nursing was extended once again.
The new Nursing Administration Building is under roof and “closed-in”; should be done by early Fall. Nursing Administration staff will be temporarily housed in Tranquil Terrace.
All six Green Houses are now up and running! Leffler also open with a census of 19.
Thanks to all who turned out to cheer the parade of residents transferring to new Houses!
South Campus: Model Home starting construction at southwest corner of Grubb and Leon; Site plan review and approval will likely take longer than expected due to government shutdown; State of future housing market a concern.
Gareth Williams has joined us as our interim Food Service Director through June 30^th.
Marketing tours still occurring: only in duplexes, cottages and 1^st floor apartments with outside entrances; we unlock the door and allow prospects to tour without staff present.
Mother’s Day: Flower deliveries straight to duplexes and cottages; staff will intercept and deliver flowers to healthcare and apartment buildings. Checkpoint restrictions will be observed: one person per vehicle, and caregiver visits between 10 am and 2 pm. You can be picked up by a visitor for off-campus trip – please observe social distancing while gone!

COVID-19 Update:

No positive cases in either resident or staff population as of this date!
Not the time to ease up on our precautions. Many folks seem to be acting like the virus is no longer a factor. Lebanon County remains a “hotspot” in Pennsylvania with over 200 new cases (per 100,000 population) in the last 14 days. Most “re-opening” formulas call for less than 100 or less than 50 new cases per 14 day period.
The most active coronavirus zip codes in Lebanon County are 17042 and 17046, which is where a significant number of our employees reside.
54% of the positive cases in PA have been in individuals over the age of 50; seniors also represent a majority of the individuals who need to be hospitalized for Covid-19.
There have been 10 deaths in Lebanon County from the virus, and 5 of those deaths were related to either a nursing home or personal care home resident. In neighboring Lancaster County, 89 (or 80%) out of the county’s 112 total deaths are related to residents of long term care facilities. Over 25 Lancaster County facilities have experienced positive cases.
A survey last week of 266 Green Houses nationwide (including ours!) revealed that there have only been 4 Covid-19 resident cases, and no deaths. This is perhaps another indication that (small) size is a positive factor.
We have been buying PPE whenever and wherever we can, and the government has also sent us a few shipments through FEMA/PEMA. Thanks to our mask sewers!
The Board and staff are just beginning to have discussions about what Londonderry Village will “look like” when the pandemic subsides.

May 1, 2020 – Community Update

As of May the 1^st, there are still no resident or staff cases of the Covid-19 at Londonderry Village. It has now been a full seven weeks since the Londonderry Village campus was put on a “full lockdown” status, and we are fortunate that all of our efforts have kept us “virus-free” up to this point. Lebanon County is continuing to report numerous new cases each week, so we will keep up our vigilance as we head into May.

Staff executed a flawless series of resident moves this week as our two new Green Houses were occupied. On Wednesday (4/29) afternoon, a masked and socially-distanced crowd cheered and applauded a wheelchair processional of 20 residents being pushed up Green House Lane to their new homes. Simultaneously, a few remaining Tranquil Terrace residents were relocated to private rooms in Leffler Care. 100% of nursing care residents now occupy private rooms. Tranquil Terrace has been emptied and decertified as a nursing unit. Heartfelt thanks to the many staff members who were involved in this complicated set of transitions.

Jeff Shireman – President

April 28, 2020 – Community Update

As of April 28^th, there are still no resident or staff cases of the Covid-19 at Londonderry Village. According to the PA Department of Health, there are 3 long term care facilities in our County that have reported positive cases in their resident and/or staff populations. While the number of cases in Lebanon County may have peaked, there are still new cases being reported each day. Now is not the time to ease up on our security measures.

Plans are moving forward with our nursing care transition. By the end of the day tomorrow (Wednesday 4/29), both of our new Green Houses will be fully occupied, Tranquil Terrace will be shut down, and all of the remaining residents in Leffler Care will be in private rooms. My sincere thanks to the many staff members who are working so hard to seamlessly effect this move.

Staff are cautiously starting to discuss how and when to ‘re-open’ the campus when it is safe to do so. It will likely be a slow, gradual process, with appropriate “social distancing” practices built into our plans. It is still too early to know what the “new normal” will be like for American society and culture, but it is a fair bet that things will be different in our “post-coronavirus” lifestyles.

Jeff Shireman, President

Londonderry Village Covid-19 “rules”

[This document was originally released in early April. By request, we are posting it to our website for family members and visitors to review]

Without a doubt, we have had to impose a cascading series of restrictions and protections to keep everybody safe from the coronavirus. So far, we have been successful. So, in no particular order of importance, here are the rules (as of April the 28^th) for residents, staff and visitors:

Masks – wear a mask (scarf, bandana, etc.) whenever you are in our building corridors or common spaces, or in the presence of other people (inside or outside). You do not need a mask when taking a walk outside, as long as you keep 6-foot spacing between yourselves and others.

Stay-at-Home – the Governor has issued a stay-at-home order for all of PA. You should stay in your unit unless you need to get groceries or medications, provide care for a relative, or for a pet. You may also exercise outdoors as long as you maintain “social distancing”.

Checkpoint screening – all vehicles and persons entering the community must do so at the Wheaton entrance, where they will have a thermometer scan and a health screen. Visitors will be asked what their destination is on the campus. Anyone with a temp over 100 degrees, or a “yes” answer to the health screen questions, will be turned away. Visitors and delivery vehicles are restricted to one person per vehicle. All entrants must wear a mask at the checkpoint.

Packages – delivery services are leaving packages at the checkpoint. The boxes are disinfected, stored, and delivered by our staff the next day. Refrigerated goods are delivered immediately.

Food Deliveries by outside Vendors – deliveries for apartment residents will be accepted by staff at the checkpoint, and delivered by staff. Deliveries to cottages and duplexes will be permitted, as long as the delivery persons pass the temperature and health screening requirements.

Visitation – visitation in Nursing and Personal Care is prohibited (by state and federal regulations) except in “end-of-life’ situations. In independent living, family visitation is allowed only for purposes of personal caregiving or with regard to delivery of groceries and/or medications. Family visitation is restricted to one visitor. All visitors must go through the security checkpoint. We ask that family caregiving visitation take place between 10 am and 2 pm each day.

General: No social gatherings in hallways, lounges or lobbies. Grocery deliveries can be accessed by calling x3653, and prepared food deliveries by calling x3612. Please do not subvert the checkpoint protections by meeting your family members at alternate campus entrances. The Londonderry Village Board of Directors is reserving the option of imposing monetary fines on residents who willfully violate the rules. This virus is deadly, and our collective safety is everyone’s responsibility.

April 22, 2020 – Community Update

CORONAVIRUS UPDATE

As of April 22^nd, I am pleased to report that Londonderry Village has not had any Covid-19 cases in either its residents or its staff. Our success to this point is likely related to our many preparations and precautions. We have been very stringent about discouraging non-essential visitation to our campus, and very disciplined in screening all entrants at our Main Entrance checkpoint. Masks are now required for all staff, residents and visitors while onsite.

Our original plans to move nursing residents into our two new Green Houses were put on ‘hold’ when the pandemic struck. We are now moving forward with that transition, which will take place on April 28^th and 29^th. Filling the new Green Houses, and relocating the remaining Tranquil residents to Leffler Care, will help to contain any Covid-19 outbreaks that might occur in nursing care; when the transition is complete, all nursing residents will be housed in private rooms, and within very small units.

As always, thank you for your support, and for your prayers. Stay safe!

Jeff Shireman, President

April 16, 2020 – Resident Update

April 16, 2020 – Community Update

Per the guidance from the PA Department of Health, effective Sunday, April 19th, all persons coming to campus under the current guidelines will be required to wear a mask. Persons attempting to enter without a mask will be turned away at the checkpoint.

April 1, 2020 – Resident Update

It has come to our attention that scam phone calls are coming in to some of our residents regarding the government stimulus checks. These scam phone callers claim that they represent banks and that they need your banking information along with your Social Security Number in order to process your government stimulus check into your bank.

These are scam phone calls. Do not give them any information. If you should receive a phone call like this, please hang up the phone immediately.

March 25, 2020 – Community Update

COVID-19 Update: How Are Things Going at Londonderry Village?

Jeff Shireman, CEO

Checkpoint Access Control is going well; we have had some mechanical issues with thermometers and with I/L residents who didn’t think the checkpoint restriction applied to them.

Our COVID-19 efforts are being made more difficult by a rising number of regular flu cases in both the resident and staff population; community physicians are basically telling their patients to stay home and ride it out.

We are starting to see some staff attrition due to self-isolation related to interactions outside of work; that takes the employee out of circulation for several days or even weeks.

COVID-Testing sites are now in operation at both Hershey Medical Center and Good Samaritan Hospital; turnaround time (often 4 or more days) on the test results is still a problem.

We feel we are still in the beginning stages of this outbreak; now is not the time to relax our restrictions on visitation or public gatherings. We need to prepare for an extensive period of restrictions on social gatherings. We still feel it is likely that a “shelter-in-place” proclamation will be declared in PA.

Café meals for delivery: went from 15 orders on Monday to 30 orders on Tuesday. If numbers continue to climb, we may have to limit menu choices to make production easier. We may also have to shift to delivering meals for multiple days during a single delivery.

Grocery delivery services are much appreciated by residents, and are increasing in number as well.

Availability of masks is still a concern, though we have had some positive developments on this issue, of late. CDC is now recommending use of ‘homemade’ masks as better than no masks”. We have volunteers, church ladies, Board members and Auxiliary members sewing masks for us. Shopes Gardens, our renovation contractors, brought in 50 N-95 respirator masks that they had obtained at various Sherwin-Williams paint stores! Also, we are starting to receive shipments of colorful “neck gaithers” that can be pulled up over one’s nose and used as a mask.

Health Center Visitation: only for “compassionate care” cases, and only one family member at a time. Restricted to spouses and adult children, only. This is both to prevent transmission of the virus, but also to conserve our limited supply of masks, gowns and gloves.

During this time of restricted visitation, our staff are prepared to assist healthcare residents with using computer tablets to do video chats (using Skype or Zoom) with their families and friends.

We extend our condolences to those residents and families who have recently experienced the passing of their spouse and/or parent. We also share in their grief over not being able to use our Worship Center for Memorial Services at this time.

All Elder Day Care centers are shut down by order of Governor Wolf

Construction is continuing on the Nursing Administration Building; that is allowable because of its relationship to “health care”. It looks like Shopes Gardens may also be allowed to continue with renovation work because it is taking place in a “residential care facility for seniors.”

There are 146 nursing homes across the country that have reported a positive COVID-19 case in their buildings. We do not, yet. Should one occur, the person testing positive will be quarantined in their room.

Please take this seriously. The virus is known to have a much higher mortality rate for people over the age of 70 (which is most of the folks on this campus); and it is highly communicable. Folks who are infected may have no or mild symptoms, but they can still pass it on to others.

Thank you for the many notes and e-mails that I have received from residents, expressing their appreciation for the way staff is serving them during this unusually stressful time. I am very proud of the my staff and their dedication to our Community.

March 23, 2020 – No other updates to provide at this time. Please continue to check in on this page for updates as they become available. If you have specific questions, please use this email to direct your questions: LVresponse@LondonderryVillage.org.

March 20, 2020 – Resident Update

Recent Developments in our Campus COVID-19 Responses:

There were 10 residents who ordered prepared food from our Café, today, and had it delivered to their door by staff members. That service can now be accessed, 7 days per week, by calling 838-5406 ext. 3612 between the hours of 9-11 am. Menus will be posted on our website, and on TV starting next week.

Similarly, there were 14 residents who placed grocery orders through our Convenience Store, and had the groceries delivered to their door by our staff. That service will be available Monday through Friday. Please place grocery orders between 8 and 11 am, by calling 838-5406 ext.3653.

Our controlled access program has been working well in its first 24 hours. All folks coming onto the campus are being asked to submit to a health screen and temperature check. The daily mail delivery by the Post Office will stay the same as it has been. Other delivery services are being allowed onto the campus as long as they submit to the screening.

Everything we have been doing in the past 2 weeks has been with the intention of deterring the entrance (and spread) of the coronavirus onto our campus. We are asking (as is the Governor and the President!) residents to isolate themselves as much as possible. This pertains to all living units, not just the ‘connected buildings’. This virus is deadly to older and frail adults. For your own benefit, as well as the health and safety of everyone on this campus, please do your best to minimize interactions with other people!

One last thing…this is not the time to have your grandchildren visit the Village, nor for you to be providing babysitting services. It is not safe for them or you.

Stay Safe! Jeff Shireman, President

March 19, 2020 – Video Statement

As I noted in my letter posted yesterday (3/18) on our website, the coronavirus situation is constantly evolving, and new developments are taking place every hour. Yesterday, it was reported that positive tests for COVID-19 were recorded for individuals in both Lebanon, Berks, York and Lancaster Counties. If there was any doubt that COVID-19 was coming to our communities, that doubt has now been erased.

We are anticipating that Governor Wolf will be issuing a “shelter-in-place” proclamation for Pennsylvania, possibly within the next 24-48 hours. That will likely shut down the few restaurants that are still open doing delivery and take-out services. Grocery stores and medical facilities would still be open under that type of proclamation. But the strategy is clear…keep people away from other people, so as to eventually choke out the disease by denying it new victims.

With the virus now literally “at our door”, it is time to close the door. Starting at 4 pm today (3/19), I have instructed our security staff to barricade all but one of the entrance roads onto our campus. The Wheaton Entrance off of Grubb Road will be the sole access point into Londonderry Village. All of our residents, staff, vendors, etc. will be directed to come through that entrance, where they will all undergo a brief health screen before being granted access to the rest of the campus. We will then discontinue screenings at our Wheaton, Snell and Leffler entrances, as that would be redundant. The controlled access point will be staffed on a 24-hour basis.

In our efforts to remain “airtight” against the virus, we will also be closing the Convenience Store and the Café, effective 3/20. We will be releasing information, very shortly, about how residents can phone in orders for both groceries and prepared food from the Café. Londonderry Village staff will deliver those orders to your residence. If you have a single family member or friend coming to Londonderry Village to bring you food and/or medicine, they will only be allowed entrance to our “connected buildings” from 10 am to 6 pm (7 days per week). If they are coming to a duplex or cottage, they may visit anytime, but they will be subjected to the health screening at our sole access point.

I am so grateful for the dedicated efforts of our staff during this time of crisis. I am also thankful for the cooperation and understanding of our residents and visitors as you willingly comply with the hardships caused by these many restrictions. We are all in this together, and together we will get through this…but it won’t be easy, and it won’t be over anytime soon. As always, your prayers for our staff and for our Community are very much desired and appreciated. Blessings.

Jeff Shireman, President

March 18, 2020 – Community Update

If you have been watching the news, lately, then you are aware of the mounting issues related to the coronavirus (Covid-19) pandemic. In our Health Center, alone, the federally proscribed guidance has gone from one of “discouraging visitation” to nursing homes to the present guidance of “restricted visitation.” Our physicians have advised us that Covid-19 is very likely already present in Lebanon County, but that no cases have been confirmed due to the lack of testing capabilities.

A week or so ago, the federal government was discouraging large group gatherings (1,000 or more) from taking place, which resulted in the cancellation of a lot of sporting and social events. The latest guidance is to prohibit gatherings of ten or more folks in one area. Additionally, Pennsylvania has followed the lead of other states in shutting down all non-essential businesses for the next 2 weeks. This is a serious situation.

Londonderry staff have been meeting frequently throughout this crisis to frame appropriate responses. In most cases we have acted proactively, taking steps that preceded the eventual government announcements. We feel that we need to take additional steps at this time to prevent an infection from taking root on our campus. I am writing to inform you of these new developments.

Starting Wednesday 3/18, all entrance doors to our connected buildings will be locked down, with the exception of the Wheaton, Snell Community Center, and Leffler entrances. There will be stations at these 3 locations for staff to do a health screening (including a thermal scan) prior to them reporting for work; anyone with a fever of 100 degrees or more will be sent home. This screening requirement will also apply to paid caregivers that are coming in to assist our independent living residents in their homes.

Effective Thursday 3/19, a Visitation Restriction will be imposed for independent living. That restriction is already in place for nursing and personal care. Visitors to the campus for social purposes will be turned away at the entrance lobbies. We will allow a single family member to visit for “caregiving” purposes in terms of bringing food and/or medicines to a resident; in these cases, the single visitor will have to pass the same health screen process that employees are subjected to.

Effective 3/18, we will also be temporarily suspending the provision of outpatient therapy services and individual housecleaning services to independent living residents.

I thank you in advance for your cooperation with these temporary restrictions. For those of you who use our in-house TV system, please pay attention to Channel 4 for additional announcements and programming. We will also be periodically posting information on our Londonderry Village web site.

Jeff Shireman, President

March 17, 2020 – No other updates to provide at this time. Please continue to check in on this page for updates as they become available. If you have specific questions, please use this email to direct your questions: LVresponse@LondonderryVillage.org.

March 16, 2020 – No other updates to provide at this time. Please continue to check in on this page for updates as they become available. If you have specific questions, please use this email to direct your questions: LVresponse@LondonderryVillage.org.

March 13, 2020 – Community Update

We are providing an update with what we, as a facility, are doing to keep our elders safe and healthy.

As per guidance from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services for Nursing Facilities, at this point, as of 3PM on Friday March 13, all visitation is Restricted.

This means that family, visitors, friends etc. are not permitted entry to any healthcare area.

There will be situational exceptions that must be approved by nursing administration. (Example would be a change of condition of a loved one.)

There will be only one entrance for the Personal Care, Tranquil Terrace and Leffler Care visitors. That entrance will be through the Leffler entrance. If you are permitted situational access, you will be screened upon entry for COVID-19. Those symptoms are: fever, cough and shortness of breath. Also, if there has in the last 14 days been contact with someone with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19, or contact with someone that is under investigation for COVID-19 or has traveled internationally or within the U.S. to any area were sustained community transmission has occurred, entry in to any healthcare area will be denied.

All non-essential travel through the Personal Care and Nursing Units will not be allowed until further notice.

Entrance to the Therapy Department will be through the Leffler Care entrance.

All activities in our healthcare areas will be postponed that involve outside entertainment. Our Therapeutic Recreation department will continue to do activities. Nursing and Personal Care Elders will be restricted from engaging in any Independent Living activities at this time.

IL resident activities are cancelled at this time and our dining venues for Independent Living will offer limited take-out bag lunches. Updates will be broadcast on channel 4 and the common area televisions. Visitors to Independent Living residents are discouraged; however, anyone visiting the campus should follow the guidelines of the Center for Disease for Control to protect the health and wellbeing of our residents.

Further updates will be posted on the Londonderry Village website: www.LondonderryVillage.org. Questions can be directed to LVresponse@LondonderryVillage.org.

March 13, 2020 – Community Update

To the Residents and Staff of Londonderry Village,

We are clearly living in unprecedented times. The mounting concerns over the coronavirus (COVID-19) have now resulted in a travel ban, suspension of professional sporting events, closing of the Disney amusement parks, and widespread cancellations of college semesters and church services.

In the absence of a vaccine, there is only one way to defeat a viral outbreak: isolation. Victims of the virus must be treated in strict isolation so that the virus cannot spread to others. However, the more important strategy is to quarantine those of us who are currently virus-free. If the virus is contained and not allowed to spread, it will eventually die out.

Please read the letter that accompanies this one. It provides details on the specific steps that Londonderry Village will be taking to actively deter the transmission of the virus on our campus. We will be doing all that we can to prevent a viral outbreak in the health center, where our most vulnerable residents live. We have all read about the tragic outcomes in Kirkland, WA, when a COVID-19 outbreak took root in a nursing home.

Compliance with the isolation and quarantine precautions will require sacrifices. There will need to be a drop-off in social activities; events and communal dining will be restricted. I am confident that we will see widespread support for our precautions, in the interests of protecting the overall health of all of our residents and staff. We are privileged to serve “The Greatest Generation”, a cohort of residents who endured great sacrifices during World War II, and many thereafter. I know that we can get through this successfully with everyone’s support and cooperation. I thank you in advance for that support.

Sincerely,

Jeff Shireman

President

March 13, 2020 – Community Update

We are providing an update with what we, as a facility, are doing to keep our elders safe and healthy.

We have initiated screening of all visitors, staff and vendors that come into the health care areas for any flu or COVID -19 symptoms. Those symptoms are: fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat or runny nose. Also, if a visitor has in the last 14 days had contact with someone with a confirmed diagnosis of COVID-19, or contact with someone that is under investigation for COVID-19 or has traveled internationally or within the U.S. to any area were sustained community transmission has occurred, entry in to any healthcare area will be denied.

As per guidance from Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) for Nursing Facilities, at this point all visitation is DISCOURAGED. If you must visit, please be mindful of our community and do your due diligence to keep everyone healthy.

The current guidelines are:

Limit the surfaces you touch when visiting

Limit your movement throughout the facility

Limit physical contact with your loved one

Try to maintain social distances of 6 feet

Wash your hands

Do not visit if you have any respiratory symptoms.

Avoid large social gatherings

Our visiting hours at this point will be from 9am-7pm. Please try and visit around these hours. If you need to come outside of visiting hours, you will have to ring the door bell and wait for a staff member to answer. Visitation may change to limited or restricted, at the guidance of CMS, if a COVID-19 positive case is found within the geographic region surrounding Londonderry Village.

There will be only one entrance for the Personal Care, Tranquil Terrace and Leffler Care visitors. That entrance will be through the Leffler entrance. You will be screened upon entry. All non-essential travel through the Personal Care and Nursing Units will not be allowed until further notice. Entrance to the Therapy Department will be through the Leffler exterior entrance.

All activities in our healthcare areas will be postponed that involve outside entertainment. Our Therapeutic Recreation department will continue to do activities. Nursing and Personal Care Elders will be restricted from engaging in any Independent Living activities at this time.

All large social gatherings of residents on our campus will be cancelled. Visitors to Independent Living residents are discouraged; however, anyone visiting the campus should follow the guidelines of the CDC to protect the health and wellbeing of our residents, staff and community.

Further updates will be posted on the Londonderry Village website: www.LondonderryVillage.org. Questions can be directed to LVresponse@LondonderryVillage.org.