From: David Swartley, President/CEO Date: December 11, 2020 RE: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update #33
I am writing to given an update on the latest information regarding COVID-19 cases at Moravian Manor Communities.
Residential Living cases remain at eight total cases, all on the Founders Campus. Two residents were hospitalized for reasons other than COVID; one resident has returned to our skilled nursing area while the other is being treated in the hospital for health issues beyond COVID-19.
As of Friday, December 11, we have had twenty residents test positive for COVID-19 in our Herrnhut neighborhood. Since my last update, three residents have died from COVID related illness. Currently, four other residents on Herrnhut are very ill from the COVID-19 virus.
This time of loss is a painful time for our families, residents, and staff. Our thoughts and prayers are with the family members and staff as they grieve the loss of a loved one. Our Medical Director, Dr. Howse, and our clinical team continue to provide compassionate care for our residents who have contracted the COVID-19 virus.
In the past few days, we have had no additional residents test positive for COVID-19. Since Lancaster County’s positivity rate remains above ten percent, we continue with twice weekly testing for our staff and residents. This week, for our second round, we implemented Point of Care (POC) testing. POC testing gives us results almost immediately, and our first round has gone very well. Testing this week has yielded no additional positive tests; however, some tests from our first round of testing earlier in the week are yet to be resulted.
One concern at all health care facilities is the positivity rate of employees. We have had numerous employees test positive over the past several weeks. Any positive test or direct exposure to someone testing positive requires employees to self-quarantine for up to fourteen days (symptom-free) before returning to work. These quarantines create additional strain on the remaining staff who need to fill the open shifts. I am now one of those employees working from home due to COVID exposure. Employee absences put a heavy load on those employees still able to work.
Our hospitals are full of COVID + patients. This morning, Wellspan Ephrata had thirty-five COVID + patients, and Lancaster General’s COVID census was one-hundred and eight.
Our Medical Director keeps us apprised of the CDC’s latest recommendations and the PA Department of Health updates. Moravian Manor Communities continues to follow 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.
For those of you seeking additional information, continuous updates are available at the following websites:
From: David Swartley, President/CEO Date: December 8, 2020 RE: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update #32
I am writing to give an update on the latest information regarding COVID-19 cases at Moravian Manor Communities (MMC).
Residential Living cases remain at eight total cases, all on Founders Campus. Two of the eight were hospitalized for reasons other than COVID; we expect all eight residents to recover from COVID-19.
We have nineteen COVID+ residents in our Herrnhut neighborhood. These residents are being cared for at MMC and have experienced various sickness levels from the virus. One resident was hospitalized with other health issues, tested positive at the hospital, and subsequently died. The hospital will record this as a COVID related death. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family as they grieve the loss of a life well-lived. Our Medical Director, Dr. Howse, and our clinical team have provided outstanding care for our residents during this time. While we are not yet through the crisis, it appears that the treatment protocols being administered are beneficial.
Lancaster County’s positivity rate remains above ten percent. If the county is over ten percent, it triggers twice a week testing for our staff and residents. Our team’s cooperation with this requirement has been nothing less than exemplary.
One concern among at all health care facilities is the positivity rate of employees. We have had numerous employees test positive over the past several weeks. Any positive test or direct exposure to someone testing positive requires employees to self-quarantine for up to fourteen days (symptom-free) before returning to work. These quarantines create additional strain on the remaining staff who need to fill the open shifts.
Our hospitals are full of COVID + patients. As of this morning, Wellspan Ephrata had forty-four COVID + patients, and Lancaster General’s COVID census was one-hundred and five.
In the weekend LNP, there was a compelling article written by a nurse at LGH. Hearing about the daily battle highlights the importance of us taking common-sense measures. Social distance, wear a mask, and wash your hands.
The good news is that the vaccine is on its way. Current information would suggest that our older, frail residents will be the first to receive the vaccine. The vaccine news is very encouraging!
Thank you all for your concern for your neighbor and your support of our team. I have been watching the resident gifts come in for our team members in the last couple of weeks. At the time of this writing, we are sixty-one percent higher than last year. What an incredible response. What a testimony to the appreciation of our staff.
Our Medical Director keeps us apprised of the latest recommendations from the CDC and the PA Department of Health. Moravian Manor Communities continues to follow all infection control protocols stipulated by the PA Dept. of Health and the U.S. Centers for Disease Control (CDC) for dealing with the Coronavirus.
For those of you seeking additional information, continuous updates are available at the following websites:
From: David Swartley, President/CEO Date: November 30, 2020 RE: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update #31
I trust that you had a lovely Thanksgiving; albeit, for many of us, the day was much quieter than most years!
I am writing to give an update on our COVID-19 situation at Moravian Manor Communities (MMC). Since my last update, we are experiencing numerous positive COVID-19 results in our skilled nursing area. Currently, eleven residents have tested positive; all reside in our Herrnhut (memory care) neighborhood. Most of the residents have mild symptoms; however, three are currently in the hospital.
We also learned of our sixth residential living resident on the Founders Campus who has tested positive. The resident is experiencing some symptoms; at this point, they are resting at home.
The Lancaster County positivity rate of over ten percent requires us to continue testing all staff. An additional challenge is staff that has tested positive or have been directly exposed to someone who tested positive; causes more staff absences as they quarantine at home.
As I have shared with our team, while this is disappointing news, we should not be surprised. We have been preparing for this time and feel confident that we are doing all we can to keep our residents physically safe. Keep our residents and caregivers in your thoughts and prayers as we face this challenge and the upcoming winter months.
Due to this outbreak, we will also be making changes to enhance the safety of our residents. Over the weekend, our clinical team has been in constant contact with LGH’s Regional / RHCP (Regional Response Health Collaboration Program). I liken the RHCP to a COVID-19 SWAT team. They have been accommodating in assisting with additional PPE needs and picking up the cost of our testing in December. Per their work this weekend and our recent experience, we will be implementing the following restrictions:
Garden Court dining area will be closed to sit down dining. We will continue to provide take-out meals. If you need your meal delivered to your Garden Court home, we will use our wait staff for this task.
Owl’s Nest dining area is also closed to sit-down dining, but you can order take-out meals and have curbside pickup.
The Smart-Fit studio will be closed. Please continue to enjoy Jennifer’s ZOOM fitness programming as well as enjoy the great outdoors.
Group resident programming/meetings are postponed.
Woodshop and other ancillary areas are closed.
A la carte housekeeping services and non-essential maintenance services remain on hold.
No external housekeeping services are permitted.
Beauty shop/salon closed to residential living residents.
Transportation services for residential living residents will continue for essential medical appointments. Masks and eye protection will be required for the transport and visit.
While this is not the news I want to share, our goal is to do whatever we can to slow the spread. You will note that in Update #30, I stated that LGH had sixty-six patients with COVID-19. As of this morning, that number has risen to ninety-five. While not all ninety-five are in the hospital due to COVID-19, the rapid growth is concerning as we need to keep our hospital treatment protocols in mind as we make our personal decisions. The good news is that if you become ill, the treatments available are markedly better than eight or nine months ago. With improved medicines and vaccines on the way (as noted below*), I am quite optimistic about a much better 2021; however, the next couple of months will likely be hard work for all of us.
One of our managers passed on a quotation from their pastor. Erma Bombeck’s one book is entitled, “If Life is a Bowl of Cherries, What am I doing in the Pits?” Perhaps a better perspective is, “Instead of looking at the bowl of pits, think about the pie baking in the oven.”
While it is challenging to be optimistic in this environment, remember that this is a season. It will pass, and life will regain a sense of normalcy.
*Moderna is working with the U.S. CDC, Operation Warp Speed, and McKesson, a COVID-19 vaccine distributor, contracted by the U.S. government, as well as global stakeholders to be prepared for the distribution of mRNA-1273 in the event that it receives an EUA and similar global authorizations and approvals,” according to a news release posted Monday. “By the end of 2020, the Company expects to have approximately 20 million doses of mRNA-1273 available in the U.S. The Company remains on track to manufacture 500 million to 1 billion doses globally in 2021.
From Tansy Rodgers, FNTP (Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner), Health and Lifestyle Coach, Personal Trainer, Fitness Instructor, and Physical Therapist Assistant
With the holidays right around the corner and the season of gratitude upon us, this is the perfect time to practice more gratitude in your daily life!
Feeling grateful is not just an emotion — it is a way of being that can bring you health and abundance.
To truly start to live a life of more joy and happiness, you have to change your inner being—your emotions and ways of thinking that govern how you will respond and react in your everyday life. This is all about influencing your energy.
What Is Energy?
Energy is everything — literally everything. Whether it be a human, plant, chair, or thought, everything in our existence is part of an interconnected web of electromagnetic vibrational frequencies. Some people refer to this as a “life force” or a “soul.”
It is the energy of you that makes you vibrate. These vibrations are the oscillating movement of atoms and particles that you are made up. Even solid objects like tables are actually made up of microscopic vibrating atoms that receive, store, and emit energy.
All humans and objects have an energy field that has its own vibrational frequency, or how fast those atoms and particles are oscillating and vibrating. This is measured in hertz (Hz) units. If an atom is vibrating at a faster rate, it would be considered higher frequency. One that vibrates slower is considered lower frequency. Understanding the difference is important to understanding how they interact and how that affects your health.
According to work done by Bruce Tainio, a researcher from Tainio Technology, a normal healthy body resonates at a natural frequency of 62-75 MHz. When your frequency drops to 58 MHz the disease process has more ability to take hold. The higher frequency we can get, the better.
Gratitude vibrates at 540 MHz. Being grateful falls on the same level as love — it is one of the highest vibrational frequencies you can be at. The more time you can spend in gratitude and love, the more your body’s frequency raises and the healthier your body becomes. You also have more energy, happiness, and fulfillment.
20 Ways to Practice MoreGratitude
1. Help someone in need
2. Create a gratitude board
3. Journal your gratitude
4. Read books on being more grateful
5. Place a gratitude-provoking card in plain sight so you see it everyday
6. Pick an inspiring object and keep it near you at all times to remind you to be more grateful
7. Find the value, meaning, and purpose in ALL outcomes
8. Thank your body for all it’s hard work with a hot bath or a massage
9. Send notes, cards, and letters of gratitude
10. Appreciate your body by dancing and moving to music or whatever makes you happy
11. Give a gift just because
12. Say thanks with a random act of kindness
13. Before bed, give gratitude by saying one thing you were grateful for that day
14. Send a prayer of thanks to people who inspire you
15. Give gratitude and thanks for your meal
16. Make a gratitude garland, tree, or jar
17. Say and write gratitude affirmations daily
18. Acknowledge and give thanks for how amazing you are
19. Start each day with a prayer of thanks
20. Pick one thing you are grateful for and 5 reasons why you are grateful for it
From: David Swartley, President/CEO Date: November 23, 2020 RE: Coronavirus (COVID-19) Update #30 & Other news
I am writing to give an update on our COVID-19 situation at Moravian Manor Communities (MMC). As you all are aware, the cases in Lancaster County and across the nation are spiking.
Our last round of universal testing (11-17/11-18) yielded one positive employee test. The employee is asymptomatic and self-quarantined for 14 days at home. We continue to complete universal testing weekly for the foreseeable future.
Unfortunately, we have learned that two additional residential living residents on the Founders Campus have tested positive. One of the residents was hospitalized for treatment, and has been discharged home. The resident has responded well to treatment. Our two residents I referenced in my former communication are feeling well and are through their quarantine period.
Currently we have four other employees who have tested positive and are at home self-quarantining. Several employees who tested positive in the past will return to work shortly. Our laboratory returns have slowed down in the past few weeks; we have learned that the lab has employees who tested positive and are quarantining at home. We continue to watch the hospital numbers as well. As of this morning, LGH had sixty-six patients being treated for COVID-19 and Wellspan’s number was thirty-six.
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania issued new travel guidance this week. There is a lot of concern about the holidays and spiking community spread of the virus. Please take time to make well-thought-out decisions. I was dismayed and unaccepting of the fact that my daughter (living in VA), would not be able to join us for Thanksgiving. These decisions are painful, but will enable us to stay well during this season of life.
Our COVID-19 Task Force decided this morning that our housekeeping service and non-essential maintenance services will be paused through December 4. Part of this decision is due to decreased staff in these departments during this surge. If our staff is delivering an item to your home, they will call before the delivery and place it on your front porch. Also, please remember that you are not to enter the main building on the Founders Campus; no matter how much you miss seeing Kelly!
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:
On Friday, November 20, the Pennsylvania General Assembly passed Bill #1737. This bill offers temporary limited liability protections to health care providers and other businesses. This is a significant step in protecting the financial integrity of institutions such as Moravian Manor Communities. We need your help for the Governor to not veto this bill.
Below I have listed the three ways to contact the Governor’s Office to show your support of this crucial bill.
Send a letter to: Office of the Governor 508 Main Capitol Building Harrisburg, PA 17120.
I have attached a page of talking points from our State Association if you desire to contact Harrisburg.
Staff Update:
It is with deep regret that I share with you that Gary Gaissert, VP of Operations, has decided to resign from the Moravian Manor Communities to pursue other opportunities. Gary’s numerous accomplishments while at MMC will always be appreciated; his work has prepared us well for the future years. I wish him the best in his future ventures. Gary will be with us into January; a yet to be determined date.
