Jeremiah 1:5: “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, (Jeremiah 1:19) I will pronounce my judgments on my people because of their wickedness in forsaking me in burning incense to other gods and in worshiping what their hands have made.

The practice of social distancing to help control the COVID-19 outbreak has affected all of us in many ways. Although they are necessary, we understand that adhering to these safety precautions to protect our residents is particularly hard for the people we serve and their loved ones. We want to take a moment to clarify the current restrictions on visitors to our facilities and offer some ideas to help families and friends stay connected with their loved ones.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services has coordinated with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health departments to issue visitation restrictions to all group homes, assisted livings, and nursing homes around the country.

Currently, all visitors, non-essential health care personnel, and vendors are restricted from entering our facilities. In addition, group activities and communal dining have been discontinued until further notice. Facilities are allowed to accept visitors for compassionate situations, such as end-of-life care. However, these visitors are subject to a health screening and must wear personal protective equipment, such as masks, throughout their time in the facility.

In spite of these challenges, it is important for you to continue contact with our residents so they feel the love and support of their friends and relatives. We encourage you to reach out to our residents, and we will be happy to help coordinate your communication with them in any way we can. Postal service continues at our facilities, as does telephone service. We have also supplied all of our facilities with iPads to enable video conferencing between family members using FaceTime or Skype, which can be arranged by calling the facility directly.