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
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.
Being cooped up for the umpteenth day, you’re likely tired of planning meals and preparing them, not to mention cleaning up the kitchen and washing all the dishes only to dirty them up again!
We have two recipes for you, one that uses leftovers to create a tasty new dish and another comfort food recipe, for which you likely have the ingredients in your pantry and freezer already.
Leftovers Frittata
Check out this recipe in our Spring 2020 issue of the LampPost magazine!
Baked Swiss Chicken
Makes 3-4 servings
Ingredients: 3-4 chicken breasts, depending on size 6-8 slices of Swiss Cheese 1 can cream of mushroom OR cream of chicken soup 1 cup milk 2 cups dry stuffing mix ¼ cup melted butter
Instructions: Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Spray a 9 in. x 9 in. square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Place the chicken breasts in the pan, making sure they are not crowded too close together. Lay the Swiss cheese slices over the chicken breasts, trying to get even coverage.
In a small bowl, combine the cream of mushroom or cream of chicken soup with the milk, mixing until it is an even consistency. Pour the soup mixture evenly over the top of the chicken and the Swiss Cheese. Sprinkle the dry stuffing mix over top of the soup mixture, then drizzle the butter over the stuffing mix.
Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 35-45 minutes. Remove the foil and bake for an additional 5-10 minutes, until the top is golden brown, and the chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees. Allow to cool for a few minutes, and serve with the vegetable of your choice.
Side note: if you do not have premade stuffing mix in your pantry, you can take some stale bread items and cut them in a medium dice, making 2 cups in total. Toss with a tablespoon of olive oil and a pinch of dried parsley. Bake at 350 for 5-7 minutes, until the bread cubes are crispy.
While out taking regular walks, resident Bob Newell photographed signs and displays around our two campuses, recognizing and thanking our team members. He took all these images and created this collage, proof that community spirit is alive and well at Moravian Manor Communities.
On Tuesday, April 21 Moravian Manor Communities received a very generous donation of PPE for our nursing team from Operation Emerald in Lancaster. Through their generosity, we were able to procure:
• N95 masks • KN95 masks • Full face shields made by Tait (we also have a sample of an alternate product made in State College that can easily be obtained) • COVID-19 swab test kits • Heavy duty reusable plastic gowns
We extend our sincere gratitude and thanks to these friends, whose goal is protecting those who protect us. As of April 15, 2020, Operation Emerald has donated over 14,500 items of PPE. Over 10,500 of those items have been the highly sought after KN95 masks or surgical masks.
Operation Emerald is working to raise necessary funds to protect doctors, nurses, police, EMS and fire fighters with much-needed personal protective equipment. Read about their mission below:
“A Call to Arms”
Throughout the history of our great nation we have had wars and floods, political upheavals and assassinations … yet nothing has posed a bigger threat to our economy and our people than what we presently face with the coronavirus (COVID-19).
We can’t simply hide in our homes until the danger has passed. There are some we depend on to produce and deliver food, prepare our medicines, rush to our homes if utilities break down, and keep us and our streets safe. Once overlooked, these workers have become more important in our lives … and these individuals … true heroes every one … are directly in the line of fire.
Yet one group that stands tallest of all … even among these giants … are those countless individuals who protect us from harm.
Doctors and nurses, police, EMS and firefighters stand at the front lines of any major crisis. Their jobs have inherent hazards even without the presence of a natural disaster or other major threat. Given a major pandemic, their work has suddenly become more hazardous and certainly much more complex. There is a moral obligation from those who are blessed to receive such protections to find ways to get these brave individuals the essential safety equipment they need.
We can sit idly by, hoping this disease does not land upon our own doorstep, but the Emerald Foundation, in its “Operation Emerald” is taking a different approach. We feel a “call to arms” is necessary to help stem the tide … and we ask your help.
The Emerald Foundation, an independent 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, has a nearly 25,000 square foot building in Lancaster, Pennsylvania, which is being set up as a staging area for the re-distribution of goods and equipment to hospitals and those workers in need of support as they focus on battling this disease. The plan for the initial phase – addressing an immediate need – is to acquire and purchase “PPE” (Personal Protective Equipment used to combat COVID-19), followed by broadening assistance to those directly affected by the virus. We plan to make optimal use of our facility. The building will operate similar to a food bank, except instead of food, it will house a variety of PPE items. These essential items will then be distributed through a system best able to help those in need.
We realize that eventually there will be larger government stockpiles of PPE available to first responders that may make these initial efforts no longer necessary. However, with the first big surge of patients expected to rise within the next several weeks, we believe the needs far outweigh the abilities of any one entity (government, private, or non-profit) to simultaneously satisfy all that will be required. Our initial focus is on first responders but as events unfold we will direct our efforts where the needs are greatest and moral obligations are the highest.
Our commitment is to serve and protect those who protect us. We believe that this platform will then be followed nationally by other communities seeking a template on how to help those that they depend on in their own time of need.
Joining the Foundation in this quest is Dr. Christian Macedonia, Army veteran of three wars, who led the Grey Team – commissioned to improve the care of American forces serving in Iraq and Afghanistan – while also serving as Medical Science Advisor to the Joint Chiefs of Staff before achieving the rank of Colonel and becoming a Senior Government Executive at DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency). He is joined in this effort by multiple distinguished business leaders and other medical professionals. Organizing the ground force and distribution of supplies is Martha Besecker, Interim Executive Director of the Emerald Foundation and Suzy Kettler-Zeigler, Building/Operations Director of the Emerald Foundation.
Anyone who has sourcing leads for PPE items or contacts to those who may be able to assist in the sourcing or funding for Operation Emerald, please forward such information to Joe Besecker at the following email address: JoeB@emeralde.org.
It was Winston Churchill that said, “never, never believe any war will be smooth and
easy …”
This is a war … and it won’t be easy.
But with the combined efforts of community members … and by “community” we mean on a national level… we will get through this. Together.
And together we will look forward to better times ahead.
The Emerald Foundation is a registered 501(c)3 non-profit, charitable organization. A copy of the official registration and financial information may be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll free, within Pennsylvania, 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not limit endorsement.
To learn more about The Emerald Foundation, or make a donation in support protecting the front lines, visit their website at https://emeralde.org/operation-emerald/.
