Assisted Living – COVID-19 Update for the Holiday Season – 11/20/20
Dear Residents and Family Members,
We are thankful for your continued support in this fight against the coronavirus. I wanted to provide you with several updates regarding COVID-19, visitation and the upcoming holiday season. We continue to test for COVID-19, and as of now I am pleased to report that we have no known cases currently at Culpepper Garden.
As of today, there is over a 7.0% community positivity rate for COVID-19 and this percentage has increased more than 3% since last week. Which means, the cases continue to rise in our area. It is important that we remain vigilant in fighting the spread of this virus. Beginning December 2, 2020, we will test team members weekly and continue to test residents on an as needed basis. We will keep you and the residents updated as changes occur.
With the holidays quickly approaching, we realize this year’s celebrations will look different than in past years. The Culpepper Garden team is dedicated to making this holiday season special despite the challenges we face with COVID-19. Chef Ray and his team will be preparing a delicious Thanksgiving meal on Thanksgiving Day. Unfortunately, we will not be able to have visitors join us for this meal.
Based on the guidance from the Centers for Disease Control and Virginia Department of Health, Culpepper Garden is recommending that Residents plan to spend the holidays at Culpepper Garden. I have provided a copy of the “Holiday Consideration for Long-Term Care Facility Residents and their Families” that VDH released last week. Residents who choose to leave Culpepper Garden will be required to quarantine up to 14- days upon their return and will be tested after their seventh day of quarantine. When the test results are returned, and, If the resident receives a negative test result and remains asymptomatic, the resident will then no longer be required to self-quarantine. Again, we are advising that residents remain at the community during the holiday.
As of now, our visitation schedule will be modified slightly for the holidays. We will be offering extended visitation hours Monday-Wednesday the week of Thanksgiving. Visitation will be held in a designated location. All parties will need to wear masks and remain 6 feet apart. All visitations will be supervised by a member of our team. You can sign up for visitation via this weblink CULPEPPER GARDEN VISITATION.
Consistent with the mission of Culpepper Garden, the safety, health and well-being of every resident and team member is our highest priority. We continue to follow all Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and Virginia Department of Health (VDH) guidelines. I am thankful for your continued support, patience, and understanding during these times. Please feel free to contact me at KSearcy@culpeppergarden.org or 703- 276-2304 if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Kimberly Searcy
Assisted Living Administrator
