Campus Updates

 

August 20, 2021

As you may have heard, on Wednesday August 18, President Biden announced he is calling on the Center for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) and the Center for Disease Control (CDC) to require all nursing homes who accept federal reimbursement to mandate COVID-19 vaccinations for team members. We recognize that this mandate will be met with mixed emotions. Some will be undoubtably relieved while others will be disconcerted and alarmed.

Since the COVID-19 vaccination availability, we have done our part to encourage all team members who are able to get the vaccine. We feel it’s the best way to maintain the safety and health of our team members, their families, and our residents. At the same time, in accordance with our CROFT values, we respect those who choose to think differently.

You may be asking what this mandate means? The answer is, we don’t know for sure. It appears we will receive communication as early as September. We ask for your patience as we await formal guidance from CMS and our state department of health with the policy and procedures. Once that is received, we will begin to process this guidance as an organization in conjunction with our team members

In addition, we are working with our state and national non-profit associations to advocate for team members who are unable to receive the COVID-19 vaccine due to religious beliefs and/or medical conditions. We expect these protections will be included in the mandate but feel it is vital for us to have our voices heard now.

Should you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact myself or another member of the leadership team. In addition, you may also email your concerns or questions to covidquestions@greencroftcommunities.org.

Sincerely,
Tim DeLuca
Director of Greencroft Middlebury
 

---

June 15, 2020

We are pleased to inform you that the indepedent living resident who had tested postive earlier this month, has fully recovered from illness.   As the state continues to open up, we ask that you please be mindful of the recommended ways to protect yourself and your neighbors from the virus. 

1.  Wearing a mask when in the public and with others who you do not live with.

2.  Washing hands for 20 seconds or using hand sanitizer frequently

3.  Social distancing when around others.  Stay 6 ft apart.

Should you need assistance, please do not hesitate to contact me.

Thank you!
Tim Deluca

---

June 8, 2020

I am writing to you during these difficult times that we are living and experiencing in our country. The COVID-19 pandemic has changed so many things, affected so many people, and its impact will be long beyond the times when COVID-19 continues to be front-page news. I must inform you that despite our best efforts and preparation, COVID-19 has found its way onto our campus. Over the weekend, notice was received that one of our independent living residents tested positive.

I imagine this news will cause concerns among many of you. While we will never break the HIPAA privacy laws by sharing health information about residents, we do want you to know that this individual is recovering in his/her home and has self-quarantined since taking the test so exposure to other residents is low. We can confirm that the resident has been following doctor’s orders and is already feeling better at the time the diagnosis was confirmed. We will remain in contact with this resident to make sure needs are being met and recovery is progressing as smoothly as possible.

For all our residents, we take this opportunity to remind you to continue to follow all the safety protocols to ensure your safety and that of your fellow residents. While the state of Indiana is reopening, COVID-19 has not gone away. Therefore, it is imperative that as the most vulnerable population, you continue to adhere to the recommendations put forth by the CDC and the State of Indiana. Please wear a mask when outside of your home and while in the larger community. Only go out when absolutely needed, social distancing when encountering others, combined with proper handwashing are all key. When one practices all 3 of these actions, the likelihood of contracting the virus will be reduced.

We understand how difficult this pandemic crisis is for all of you. Before this period, so many times our interactions with you were surrounding celebrating birthdays, special holidays, and other festivities. Not only our residents, but we as team members, have felt the absence of our residents and families since the no visitors policy was implemented.

Greencroft Middlebury will continue to give updates as it relates to COVID-19 on channel 950 and in bi-weekly newsletters (green sheets). We continue with a similar programming schedule as last week for this week. Thank you for your continued prayers and support as we partner to provide our residents with the best care possible. Should you have questions, please do not hesitate to contact me at 574-825-6785.

Sincerely,
Tim DeLuca
Director of Greencroft Middlebury

---

April 30, 2020

Throughout this pandemic, our goal has been and will remain to keep our residents safe and healthy.  We strive to maintain a high level of communication, particularly at the beginning when expectations and procedures were changing rapidly.  As each new guideline from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention and Indiana State Department of Health came out, we acted quickly to put those in place and kept you informed.  We are proud of the resiliency of our team members to adapt quickly while maintaining the joy each day in providing for our residents.

The media coverage regarding nursing homes around the country has been disheartening.  It’s hard to read and see that coverage when I see something vastly different each day here on our campus.  The love and kindness between the residents and our team members is heart warming and pure. The team members who work here are called to serve this ministry.  It is our privilege to care for those who need it most and to safeguard their health.  We appreciate the time our residents, families and our local community have taken to show us their appreciation.  It has been heartwarming to see the support for our team members working every day.  Thank you.

Due to the media coverage, the Indiana State Department of Health has asked long term care providers to provide daily updates to residents and/or responsible parties.  Therefore, we will provide you with daily updates on the status of positive COVID-19 cases on campus, number of tests and the number of recoveries and deaths of residents and team members.  Each of the Greencroft Communities will have a slightly different method of contact.  For our campus, you will receive an automated call every day with our current status of COVID-19 cases. This communication will begin on Monday, May 4th. 

At this time, we will only direct our daily communication to the designated resident or responsible party.  We are unable to add additional family members to this communication process.

If you have questions or need additional information please contact our office at 574-825-6785 or email us at info01@greencroftmiddlebury.org

We would also like to provide you with our Corporate Compliance Hotline number which is managed by an independent third party.  Please use this number if you feel you are not able to get ahold of anyone on campus or if you feel that you have not been able to reach resolution with the team members on campus.  This number is 1-800-211-2713.

You may also visit our website to find current information about the status of COVID-19 on our campus as well as information on the steps we have taken to mitigate the spread of COVID-19 on our campus.  Please visit:  www.greencroft.org.  You can direct other family members to this site to receive the same information you will receive daily.

Thank you again for the support and trust you have placed in us.  We appreciate your prayers for our team members and residents as we also pray for your health and safety.

Sincerely,
Tim DeLuca
Director or Greencroft Middlebury
 

---

March 16, 2020

As a precautionary measure to protect our residents and in response to the 2019 Novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) we have canceled all public events on each of our campuses. This includes Lifelong Learning and events happening at the Wellness Center. Please keep an eye on our Facebook page and/or website for additional updates and information on when we will reschedule these events. 

For additional information about the prevention of COVID-19, visit https://www.cdc.gov/…/2019-…/about/prevention-treatment.html.

We thank our visitors and residents for their cooperation with these temporary protocols and for your understanding as we work to ensure the safety and well-being of all who live in, work at and visit our communities.
 

---

March 13, 2020

Greencroft Middlebury is limiting visitors to our Assisted Living apartments. Limited visitation means no visitors will be allowed to come, except for end-of-life and emergency situations. We will be screening all vendors and other support personnel for essential visitation. These limitations are being put into effect based on recommendations from the CDC and CMS.