FROM: David Swartley, President/CEO DATE: July 21, 2020 RE: Coronavirus (COVID-19) – Update #22
I am writing to give a brief update on the status of Moravian Manor Communities regarding COVID-19. At the time of this writing, we have had no resident cases and remain at two employee positive tests (the two positives were from over a month ago).
Last week, our facility participated in the mandated testing ordered by the Pennsylvania Department of Health (DOH). All skilled care, personal care, and assisted living facilities are required to participate in universal screening. Moravian Manor Communities tested three-hundred-seventy-three (373) staff and residents. It was a busy week! We have had no residents or staff members who tested positive (however, there are still six tests that have not yet been resulted). These results mean our team is being incredibly careful and diligent (and fortunate)! We are blessed thus far. We are eagerly awaiting the last six test results.
Following the universal testing exercise, we will continue to test approximately twenty percent of our residents and staff. We feel this is the best way to keep our residents and team members safe.
Today, Moravian Manor Communities participated in a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) audit and logistics survey provided by Lancaster County. Our team met with several individuals to discuss PPE challenges and best practices. While PPE procurement is still vexing with specific items (i.e., gowns), the meeting went well, and the representatives were impressed that we are doing everything we should be doing to acquire adequate PPE. They will issue a written report in two weeks.
We are amid summer vacations and travel, and as such Moravian Manor Communities has implemented a new Travel/Vacation policy for all employees. Our team members are required to fill out a vacation questionnaire. We will test team members upon their return, dependent upon their destination.
Hopefully, as residents, you recognize and appreciate the diligent work of our team. They are awesome. The best way you can show appreciation is to remain compliant in your activities. Wearing masks in public places and handwashing are two actions most beneficial. If all of us are diligent, it results in more businesses able to open, and the economy can recover more quickly.
Our news cycle is covering hot spots in our country. Areas that were non-compliant with the “small stuff” are struggling. Pennsylvania’s cases are also increasing; the metropolitan regions of our Commonwealth are driving most of that increase.
We continue to move toward the time when our residents can have visitors in our care areas. Our “Reopening Team” is working on the logistics of this process. Residents (in our care areas) will be able to have visits from their Power of Attorney and/or spouse. Visitors will need to be compliant with our entry temperature testing, questionnaire, and contact tracing information. Visitors will need to appear in our log for approved visitation and a photo ID will be required to visit. We will begin these visits in a highly controlled environment that will require scheduling and limiting the length of the visit. Our complete guidelines will be posted on our website in the coming weeks.
One factor that everyone needs to understand is that “if” anyone tests positive (any resident or team member), our reopening cannot occur until two weeks after that time. This is mandated by DOH.
I have included a one-page COVID-19 Risk Index below that nicely summarizes the risks of various activities.
With proper planning, mask-wearing, and social distancing, there are many things that you can enjoy in your life. One day at a time!
Thanks for your ongoing support of Moravian Manor Communities. It is appreciated, and it takes each one of us to make the whole community successful! To end on a humorous note, I found the following comment in my file.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has gone on so long that I saw my neighbor outside talking to her cat this morning. It was obvious that she thought her cat understood her. I came into my house and told my dog…we both had a good laugh about it!”
Every year, a beacon of life and hope blooms in the Founders Campus’ Café Courtyard native plant garden, with showy flowers, abundant colorful fruits and seeds, and brilliant seasonal changes in colors from the pale, thin greens of early spring, to the vibrant yellows and reds of autumn.
The garden, a cooperative project between the Lancaster County Conservancy and Moravian Manor Communities, was initiated by resident Mark Hirschman and Ron Deifenthaler, former Grounds Supervisor. Ron recruited residents Elaine Bell and Fran Hirschman for the garden planning, citing “they speak the same language … Latin plant names!” Together with Conservancy Plant Stewards, 16 species of flowers were selected that would be pleasing to all creatures, including two-legged (humans) and those with wings.
Elaine, pleased she was invited to be involved in the project, commented, “When I moved to Moravian Manor Communities, I thought gardening was something I had given up…I never dreamed I’d be involved in it again.”
In addition to being low maintenance, native gardens help wildlife by providing a vital habitat for birds; nectar for pollinators including hummingbirds, native bees, butterflies, moths, and bats; essential seeds and fruits for other animals; and shelter for mammals. Native plants also benefit the environment and climate, needing less water and storing the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide.
This calming little haven is a favorite retreat on campus, for staff, residents, and visitors alike for spotting butterflies and bunnies, enjoying the varied melodies of songbirds, and spending quality time with friends and family.
Thanks to the Lancaster Conservancy for helping us with this gardening project, protecting our fragile ecosystem and saving nature one project and one community at a time.
Gardening is good for the body. It’s good for the soul. And it can even support healthy eating, while cutting your grocery bill.
There’s something about working in the dirt and reconnecting with nature that reduces stress, tension, and anxiety. The American Institute of Stress indicates that in just 45 minutes of gardening, you can significantly reduce your levels of cortisol, helping you get better control on sugar levels, regulate metabolism, reduce inflammation and assist with memory formulation in addition to support better sleep. Gardening also provides for personal creativity and mindfulness. Imagine seeing a once overgrown garden rejuvenated at the touch of your hands, now bursting with color from new annuals and perennial blooms. It’s a chance to stop and smell the flowers, literally!
Another benefit of gardening is the full-body workout it provides. Gardeners know that getting down on your hands and knees to dig in the soil ensures that every muscle in their body is flexed and gets the heart pumping. In addition to strengthening bones and muscles, you burn calories while gardening too!
In addition, spending time outdoors in the garden helps us naturally obtain our daily dose of Vitamin D through the warming rays of the sun. Vitamin D supports calcium growth, bolsters the immune system, encourages healthy hearts and lungs, and may reduce cancer risks.
An apple a day can help keep the doctor away, but the bounty of growing your own food can fill your plate with a rainbow of colorful, vitamin-packed foods. There is nothing fresher mid-summer than picking a handful of tomatoes and pairing it with some freshly chopped basil, adding just-picked green beans or peas to your dinner plate, or adding some fresh mint to your ice tea. You’ll not only save money, but benefit from eating a diet rich in the freshest ingredients.
Community Gardeners
Out in the Moravian Manor Communities community garden, residents embrace their green thumbs and all the health benefits that from spending time gardening. Resident gardener Elaine Fulmer shares her experiences:
“As a newbie, I was very excited when I was able to get one of the garden plots! I thought there would be a waiting list. I got to meet some very nice fellow gardeners on the first day! So far, I have harvested a green pepper and several radishes! I’m going to have some cucumbers, zucchini, and tomatoes soon! And hopefully some delicate squash in a few weeks. I LOVE gardening! It’s great exercise and provides a sense of serenity. I love to nurture things – watching things grow and develop is amazing. I love to cook and using fresh veggies and herbs that I’ve grown myself makes it more fun. The exciting discovery was that there is a composter next to the garden plots so I’m hoping to resurrect that! I’ve been saving all my compostable at home and bringing them when I come to water my plot. I also got permission to plant a flower and herb garden near our patio. I designed it with native plants and hope to attract lots of pollinators. Since it’s near a walkway, I’ve been able to make a lot of acquaintances while I’m out there working. It definitely helped me to maintain my sanity through the last three stay-at-home months. The gardens are my happy place!”
Gardening Tips from the Experts
Stauffers of Kissel Hill, one of our local gardening stores, is a great gardening resource. At the Lititz Stauffers store, Jay in the garden department is a great resource too. “When it comes to companion planting, an old wives’ tale is to plant marigolds among your vegetables to deter insects, such as Aphids. Marigolds have a potent scent that supposedly deters certain insects and rabbits…however, I’m not a firm believer,” he advised us. “Planting chives and the onion family also repel certain insects, as well as Citronella Geranium, a nice lavender blooming Geranium, that can be planted in a vegetable garden to repel insects, such as mosquitos, which will help keep them away while you’re working in your garden.”
Jay also suggested a method to maximize your output in small garden spaces. “Square footage gardeners love what’s called Double Cropping. It allows you to plant your early crops like radishes, broccoli, and cauliflower and when they are ready in June, you can harvest them and then plant your ‘warm season’ plants such as green beans or street corn, in their place.”
In addition to Jay’s professional tips, Stauffers maintains a great video library from container gardening tips, starting seeds, summertime watering to edible gardening as well articles on growing your own food.
From Tansy Rodgers, FNTP (Functional Nutritional Therapy Practitioner), Health and Lifestyle Coach, Personal Trainer, Fitness Instructor, and Physical Therapist Assistant
Seasonal allergies can be miserable and cause even the best days to feel like a struggle. The good news is that there’s some natural remedies that may offer relief…so you don’t need to unnecessarily suffer through the sneezing, congestion, itchy and watery eyes, and more.
Why Allergies are Becoming More Common Place?
The number of people who suffer from allergies is growing, and there’s a good reason why. Not only are we becoming more flooded with exposure to pollutants and toxins, but our gut health and overall nutrition could be setting us up for experiencing greater allergy symptoms. Common allergen triggers include pollen from grass and trees, the fecal particles of dust mites, animal dander, certain foods, air pollution, beauty product ingredients, or even insect bites.
Allergy Response & Your Immune System
Diet, strong gut health, and overall health can make a big difference when it comes to seasonal Allergies, because allergic response has everything to do with the immune system. And, approximately 65% of our immune system’s cells reside in the gut. The body is like a bathtub — every time something enters the body (food, water, air, etc.), the body reacts to keep itself in a state of homeostasis. If too much goes into the bathtub, it’s going to overflow. This is the same with the immune system. Instead of overflowing, it gets overloaded and overstimulated and the immune system responds to what would normally be harmless substances as if it is a harmful foreign invader. This is why your gut health and your immune system strength needs to be addressed to find relief from seasonal allergies.
As prime allergy season is amongst us (at least in our area), I’m sharing some natural remedies and food choices that help to greatly lessen seasonal allergies. Not all of them may be as immediately effective as a medication, but over the long-term, they are quite effective.
Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) – This is an age-old food that has been used for so many ailments, my favorite being for better digestion and heart burn relief. For allergies, the belief is its ability to reduce mucous production and cleanse the lymphatic system.
Cleanse Your Nostrils – This is effective because it helps to prevent the offending allergen (or at least as much of it) from entering your airways. You can use a Neti Pot or a saline spray to get the job done.
Consume Quercetin – Quercetin has been shown to prevent immune cells from releasing histamines, which are chemicals that cause allergic reactions. As a result, researchers think that quercetin may help reduce symptoms of allergies, including runny nose, watery eyes, hives, and swelling of the face and lips. It also helps to decrease inflammation. You can find it naturally in citrus and broccoli, but it is hard to get the dose you need. You may need to take a supplement to gain the benefits.
Consume Nettle Leaf – Nettle leaf is another natural antihistamine that can be very effective as it naturally blocks the body’s ability to produce histamine. You can use a tincture or a tea, but it may be more convenient to take nettle leaf in capsule form. Nettle leaf is also great for decreasing inflammation and joint health.
Eat More Anti-inflammatory Foods – Foods, teas, and spices with known anti-inflammatory benefits may play a role in reducing unpleasant allergy symptoms. Ginger and green tea have been shown to block a key cell receptor involved in producing an allergic response.
Take A Probiotic – Allergies are the result of an imbalance in the immune system that causes the body to react too strongly to a stimuli. Many studies link the presence of beneficial bacteria in the gut with reduced incidence of allergies.
Alter Your Diet – Sometimes dietary changes can be the answer to allergy problems. Try consuming more healing bone broth and eliminating foods that cause you sensitivity. Also, decreasing sugar and processed foods can bring you relief, since they both cause more systemic inflammation and compromise gut health. If allergies are severe, you may need some gut healing/rebalancing.
Interested in learning more about wellness from Tansy? Visit her website at www.tansyrodgers.com.
With a delayed start to barbeque season this summer, the resident grill masters and BBQ lovers alike at Moravian Manor Communities are firing up the cookers at the outdoor pavilions and atop the Tree Top Terrace. If you smell something amazing around campus and the surrounding Lititz neighborhood, its likely residents’ special recipes making you feel hungry.
Ed Noyalis’ grilling meat of choice is filet mignon, with a Dijon mustard marinade. His specialty for potluck picnics is grilled zucchini. And Ed has a tantalizing sauce for “Steak Diane,” for which friends are begging to know the secret ingredient.
