May 10, 2020 | Community
Today is #MothersDay! This past Friday, team members at Moravian Manor Communities prepared 144 flower arrangements for all residents (not just moms) in our skilled, PC and AL neighborhoods in celebration of Mother’s Day. These bouquets were delivered over the weekend to brighten the spirits of residents who were unable to personally visit with family.
“It is humbling to watch our staff operate as they genuinely care about the emotional side of this time of social isolation, particularly for the residents in our care area,” remarked David Swartley, CEO & President.
We wish all mothers out there a very happy Mother’s Day…today we celebrate you!
“A Mother’s Love”
~ Helen Steiner Rice (1900 – 1981, American religious and inspirational poet)
A Mother’s love is something that no one can explain,
It is made of deep devotion and of sacrifice and pain,
It is endless and unselfish and enduring come what may,
For nothing can destroy it or take that love away,
It is patient and forgiving when all others are forsaking,
And it never fails or falters even though the heart is breaking,
It believes beyond believing when the world around condemns,
And it glows with all the beauty of the rarest, brightest gems,
It is far beyond defining,
it defies all explanation,
And it still remains a secret like the mysteries of creation,
A many splendored miracle man cannot understand
And another wondrous evidence of God’s tender guiding hand.
May 8, 2020 | COVID Update
TO: Residents and Staff
FROM: David Swartley, President/CEO
DATE: May 8, 2020
RE: Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Update #12
In my update on Monday, May 4th, I shared the fact that our first employee tested positive for COVID-19. This employee is self-quarantined at home and feeling fine. Fortunately, at the time of this writing, there have been no additional employees and no residents who have tested positive.
This morning, I had the opportunity to have a ZOOM call with 14 other Life Plan Community leaders from Lancaster County. For all of us, these are challenging times. There was a spirit of fortitude, and “we will get through this together.” A lot of great ideas were shared during our discussion. Undeniably, the community does matter on many levels.
A significant part of the conversation was regarding the activities and concerns of our Residential Living residents. There is an increased restlessness among this group that leads to increased exposure opportunities. Some facilities have been able to shut down their entire campuses to visitors as they have restricted access to one way in and one way out. These communities are committed to this procedure ongoing through at least the end of May. As part of the broader Lititz community, we do not have that as an option. This means the hard work of compliance falls back to you. Please continue to comply with the Governor’s “Stay At Home Order.”
The other topics of conversation are about the shortages and expense of securing Personal Protective Equipment (PPE). This is a struggle for all facilities, including Moravian Manor Communities. It is hard to comprehend that given the high risk of COVID-19 spread in the skilled areas, this is not a top priority. Yesterday, Senator Martin gave an impassioned plea on this subject at a hearing held remotely in Harrisburg. Thus far, we have been able to protect our staff and residents with appropriate PPE, but not without a lot of work behind the scenes.
Mark Twain stated, “My mother had a great deal of trouble with me, but I think she enjoyed it.” Mother’s Day is on Sunday. It is a time that we revere the women who have raised us or have provided maternal nurturing for other folks in need. It is and should be a time to hold those dear to us in reverence and honor. I learned from my father very early in life one thing that would never ever be tolerated in our home…disrespect for mom, as this type of behavior would lead to a shortened lifespan. Rightly so. The challenge to you and your family members is to find creative ways to honor them without physical visitation!
In celebration of Mother’s Day, several staff members are preparing flower arrangements for all residents in our care areas. These will be delivered through the weekend (to all residents regardless of sex). It is humbling to watch our staff operate as they genuinely care about the emotional side of this time of social isolation, particularly for the residents in our care area.
Thank you for your generosity in supporting our staff with the May Day Fund. Through May 7, over 200 gifts have been received totaling over $28,000. Thank you! Thank you!
My most recent “read” is “A Gentleman in Moscow” by Amor Towles. I was struck by the following sentence toward the beginning of the book. “With so little to do and all the time in the world to do it, the Count’s peace of mind continued to be threatened by a sense of ennui – that dreaded mire of the human emotions.” Ennui is defined as a feeling of listlessness and dissatisfaction arising from a lack of occupation or excitement. You can see why this grabbed my attention.
Jennifer Shutt, along with some residents, formed a subcommittee to explore additional activities that could occur as we work through this lockdown. Having events to anticipate is vital for our mental health. This past week, I learned that my fifteen-year-old son’s youth group service project in Puerto Rico was canceled. I also learned that a family gathering in Colorado is most likely not going to happen. For a short time, I did find myself succumbing to ennui!!!
Please continue to find ways to stimulate your mind and your soul. This takes work and creativity but will be necessary until we are through the mire.
For those of you seeking additional information regarding COVID019, continuous updates are available at the following websites:
- Pennsylvania Department of Health: www.health.pa.gov
- Center for Disease Control: www.cdc.gov
Special thanks to each of you for your participation in the weekly ZOOM meetings, employee recognition activities, and of course, your economic support of our employees as well.
Stay safe and stay well!
May 5, 2020 | Planning for Retirement
The decision to sell your home and move can be both exciting and overwhelming. You may have lived in your home for a long time, creating many memories as well as acquiring numerous possessions. Fortunately, you can take your memories with you. Moving also is a good opportunity to sort through your belongings, pass family heirlooms on to your loved ones, and get rid of things that you no longer need or want. Preparing your home to sell is a big job. Working with a professional stager can ease some of that stress and burden for you and your family.
Increasingly, more homes are being staged prior to putting the house on the market. In fact, buyers are beginning to expect it, regardless of the house price. Most people now do most of their initial house shopping on the internet. For that reason, realtors and their clients want the house to be photographed in the best possible way to encourage prospective buyers to physically visit the property and make an offer. Staging helps to provide those fantastic marketing photos!
It’s important to understand that there is a difference between interior design/decorating and home staging. When decorating your home, you want to infuse your personality into the place you live. You want it to reflect your life and that of your family. Staging is using furniture and decorative accessories to highlight the house itself in a way that will appeal to the widest number of prospective buyers. We want the focus to remain on the features of the house, such as a fireplace, windows, woodwork, room sizes, an upgraded kitchen or perhaps a beautiful view or some other unique element. The goal is to have buyers walk through the house thinking about them living there, and not thinking about it being your home.
Staging tips and trends
Curb appeal:
Driving up to the house is a visitor’s first impression. Keep it positive by cleaning up the landscaping, power washing sidewalks, siding and porches. Add color with pots of flowers or bright cushions on porch furniture. Make the house inviting, but keep it simple!
De-personalize and de-clutter:
Keep the focus on the house. People are distracted by family photos, knick-knacks, and collections. You don’t want to remove everything that’s decorative, just keep it simple. Pack up family photos, items that focus on you or your family, anything that is smaller than a softball and anything that is fragile or valuable.
Color:
Add color to the house with art, area rugs, pillows, and other accessories. Keep flooring and walls a neutral color. Painting can be one of the most effective and economical way to quickly update and improve a home. Prospective buyers probably have spent time and money preparing their own house to sell. They want a house that is ready to move into.
Lighting:
Let the sunshine in! A current decorating trend that is also great for staging is to minimize window treatments. Keep any drapes or blinds light weight, neutral, and simple. Remove valances and heavy drapes which can block light coming through the windows. Be sure there is good lighting in each room. Where possible, have a combination of overhead lights as well as lamps.
Less is more:
The house needs to be inviting. You don’t want rooms to feel bare and boring, yet they shouldn’t be crowded with furniture and accessories. Be sure there are comfortable walking paths within and between rooms.
Add plants:
Plants (real or silk) add great natural color and warmth to any house. It shouldn’t look like a jungle, but one or two plants in each room can make a big difference.
Clean sells:
It is not possible to clean enough. In addition to the usual things you do, also pay attention to ceiling fans, vent covers, baseboards, and windows.
Decorating trends to avoid
There are some trends in decorating that can be great if you are staying in your home, but should be avoided if you are thinking about selling your house.
Mixing multiple metal colors for lights, door handles and hinges, cabinet knobs and handles, etc. in one room. It’s not necessary to have everything matching throughout the house, but too many different finishes can be overwhelming for some buyers.
Colorful accent walls: If an area of the house looks better with an accent wall, keep it in the same neutral color family as the rest of the room, but perhaps a shade darker. Adding a different color can be a good decorating decision, but not ideal for staging.
Wallpaper: Photos of rooms with wallpaper can stop potential buyers from coming to your house. We have all either had bad experiences ourselves or heard scary stories about how hard it is to strip wallpaper. Wallpaper is currently being used more in interior design, but is still something to avoid when selling your home.
At Lancaster Home Staging we have over a decade of experience helping people with all aspects of preparing their homes for sale, as well as arranging and decorating a client’s new home. In staging, there is a fine line between too much and too little in each room. The house needs to maintain warmth and remain inviting, without feeling cluttered and disorganized. It also needs to continue to be comfortable for you to live there while the house is on the market. We work with you to find a good balance and ease some of the stress of selling, downsizing and moving.
May 4, 2020 | COVID Update
TO: Residents and Staff
FROM: David Swartley, President/CEO
DATE: May 4, 2020
RE: Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Update #11
As I’ve discussed in my earlier updates, Moravian Manor Communities has been rigorously following all infection control protocols stipulated by the PA Dept. of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for dealing with the new Coronavirus. But despite our best efforts, efforts, on May 3, 2020, a staff member in skilled nursing tested positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by this Coronavirus.
There is no reason for panic – while our staff and fellow residents have worked tirelessly to prevent this highly contagious virus from entering our community, we have also been preparing for this possibility. The team member tested was asymptomatic (no symptoms); a sick family member at home was the impetus for the test.
Our staff has been using appropriate Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to protect both residents and staff. The Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH) has been notified and we are taking every step possible to limit future exposure. We will continue to monitor residents and team members following state and federal guidelines. Our team member is doing very well and is self-isolating at home.
Moravian Manor Communities has long had a robust infection control system in place, and we have been updating our control measures as new information becomes available. We will continue to restrict visitation to the facility, and aggressively screen staff and other essential personnel for any signs of exposure before and after each shift. We will also continue to limit the contact of necessary care personnel to specialized areas within the facility and to advance our heightened hygiene practices. Lancaster County is known for our senior care, and we are fortunate to be part of a quality health care system. I ask that you continue to do your part with our visiting restrictions and the Governor’s “Stay At Home” order.
Our Medical Director is keeping us apprised of the latest recommendations from the CDC and the PA Department of Health. For those of you seeking additional information, continuous updates are available at the following websites:
- Pennsylvania Department of Health: www.health.pa.gov
- Center for Disease Control: www.cdc.gov
May 1, 2020 | COVID Update
TO: Residents and Staff
FROM: David Swartley, President/CEO
DATE: May 1, 2020
RE: Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Update #10
Today is May 1, 2020. I hope the new month rings in hope and optimism as we rapidly move into the sunny part of the year. As of this morning, Moravian Manor Communities does not have a case of COVID-19; for which I continue to be grateful.
I have experienced a new sense of restlessness as the weeks turn into months. Yesterday, during our Residential Living ZOOM meeting, I shared some of the following points related to restlessness.
- At this time, we are still officially in a lockdown mode. Even if you do not personally see the need for social distancing, please respect the order for the good of the broader Moravian Manor Community. The most significant issue we see in Residential Living is visitors showing up at resident homes.
- Moravian Manor Communities will not be accepting deliveries for food or flowers in our main building; Founders Campus. However, we have decided to provide all residents in Skilled Nursing, Assisted Living, and Personal Care with individual flower arrangements for Mother’s Day weekend. This way, we can control delivery and let them sit outside for a few days in the sunlight to ensure they are safe to deliver to our care rooms. Our team desires to provide “brightness” for our residents who are constrained to their rooms.
- Effective today, construction is permitted to begin in Pennsylvania. In the coming weeks, you will see additional activity at the intersection of Sixth Street and Woodcrest Avenue as they prepare to construct the roundabout.
- Effective today, golf courses are permitted to open. If you thought the shutdown was frustrating, wait until you experience your first swings of 2020! Good luck!
- Our employee and resident questionnaire has been updated based on new guidance from the CDC (Center for Disease Control).
In the following paragraphs, I share this week’s update to our employees. Thank you for your overwhelming support of our excellent team. They are exceptional.
Greetings. I am writing to check in and see how you and your families are enduring the pandemic?
First, thank you for your dedication and endurance. Living through a pandemic on the front lines is not easy. A board member recently sent me a quote that said, “Adversity is like a strong wind. It tears away from us all but the things that cannot be torn so that we see ourselves as we really are.” – Arthur Golden
This past weekend I felt like the emotions of the past two months landed upon me in one day. It was Sunday, our family listened to an online sermon and had a ZOOM sharing time with the congregation. Sorry, this past Sunday, it just did not work!
I found myself angry and ready to be “done with it all.” I finally grabbed a David Baldacci novel, and by 11:30 p.m. that night, I had completed the book. I needed a distraction. By Monday morning, I felt pretty good.
I hope that during this time, you find a few minutes, by yourself, to own the feelings you have deep within. Often, they are quite different from what we display publicly. For our team members who are “gowned up” in full PPE all day, I am sure there are times when you are emotionally screaming!!
I Peter 1:5 says, “Be glad about this, even though it may now be necessary for you to be sad for a while because of the many kinds of trials you suffer.” I have found this verse to make about as much sense as a screen door on a submarine. However, a deeper dive may yield a bit more thoughtful perspective. Today, there are experiences we can enjoy. Usually, I would NEVER have enough time to read an entire book in one day; I should rejoice in that opportunity. Also, note the words “for a while.” As endless as this all seems right now, at some point, it will have been temporary.
Thank you again for all your hard work on behalf of our residents. They truly do appreciate your efforts. I am proud of all you are doing.
So, while we endure this “sadness for a while,” try to find aspects of your life that generate gladness.
In addition to the David Baldacci novel I also read, over the weekend, Where the Crawdads Sing, by Delia Owens. Both books were purchased at the resident book sale!
Thank you all for your tremendous support. I find myself very proud to be part of the incredible residents and team members.
Have a wonderful weekend.
