FAQ During the COVID-19 Outbreak
Where can I find additional resources about COVID-19?
Indiana State Department of Health
Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services
Center for Disease Control and Prevention
Information about Vaccines
Getting the vaccine after getting COVID
How bad are the side effects from the COVID vaccine?
Can the COVID vaccine change my DNA?
Can the COVID vaccine affect fertility?
If I can still get COVID after the vaccine, what’s the point?
Are you mandating the COVID-19 Vaccine?
We are encouraging all our residents to take the COVID-19 Vaccine or Booster, but it is not a requirement to live at any of our campuses.
For team members, we are required to follow the CMS mandate that all team members be vaccinated against COVID-19 or receive a medical or religious exemption. Greencroft has established a committee to give careful consideration to all religious and medical applications. For those team members who receive an exemption, there are requirements in place such as masking and testing on a regular basis.
While the mandates are currently being challenged in court, we are asking team members to proceed with either getting vaccinated or applying for an exemption. Until the mandate is in force, we will not terminate any team member for non-compliance.
Can I visit my loved one?
Visitation is open on all areas of our campuses! CMS finally lifted visitation restrictions which have been in place since the beginning of the pandemic. There are no scheduling requirements for visiting. We would like to remind you that there are times when our campus has a COVID unit open and there may be an increased risk with visiting our campus. We do have precautions which are still in place. These are:
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Wear a mask at all times while visiting.
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Screening in at the kiosk or check in station is required for all visitors.
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Please do not share food or beverages during the visit as masks must be removed to do so.
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Please social distance and use hand sanitizer during your visit.
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If you are feeling ill, even if you know it’s just allergies, please do not visit.
Social distancing is recommended by staying 6 feet from the next person. This will help in slowing the progression of this virus. Even if you are feeling healthy, you can still carry this virus and unintentionally spreading it to your loved one. Therefore, we ask that you use caution.
We know it’s hard not to see your loved one during these times. Please consider other ways to remain in contact like the telephone or video calls such as Skype or Facetime. Send letters and care packages.
How can I visit in the case of an emergency?
You are welcome to visit anytime. All visitors will be screened for symptoms of COVID-19 and must wear required PPE. This will help us to keep our residents and team members safe from others.
Can I come tour the campus?
Yes! We are offering tours of campus. Each campus will have a different capacity and structure on when and how tours can be conducted. Please call the campus directly to schedule a tour. We require screening prior to the tour and of course strict adherence to our safety measures.
We will also make our best effort to provide photos of rooms and the building as well as Facetime so you can see our beautiful living areas.
We can, in certain instances, show an apartment home in our Independent Living area when needed.
Please do not hesitate to reach out or our marketing staff at the campus you are most interested in learning more about. We can begin the conversation with you over the phone or in some cases, via video chat. You can also explore each campus from the location tab on our website.
Are you admitting residents?
Yes, we are open for admissions on all areas of our campuses. We screen residents to make sure he or she will receive the appropriate level of care for every level of campus. During this pandemic, we are screening residents as mandated by CMS and CDC to check for signs and symptoms of COVID-19.
Are your campuses open for public events?
We have begun to open up for small events, work out room utilization and use of common areas for independent living residents. Each campus has a different capacity for events for the larger community members. Depending on the campus and the location of the event, there may be a screening requirement at that entrance. Please plan to arrive a little early to allow for this screening.
Where are we getting our guidance and direction as we make decisions to keep our residents and team members/staff safe during the COVID-19 pandemic?
The entire Greencroft Communities system, is following appropriate guidance from the federal CDC (Center for Disease Control and Prevention) and CMS (Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services), as well as State Department of Health and local (County Health Department) agencies. Changes and recommendations are implemented as they are received and as appropriate for each campus. While we look to CDC for recommendation and guidance, we are required to follow each state's department of health regulations. In addition, we evaluate the guidance from the CDC with our ability to meet those standards.
How are we ensuring the safety and well-being of our team members so that residents can be assured they are not ill when they come to work?
We actively screen team members and anyone entering our healthcare and assisted living buildings for signs and symptoms at the beginning of each shift. Staff who work on campus are also screened when they begin work. Anyone who has the presence of symptoms is directed to go home and call their physician. We also participate in state mandated testing for our team members based on county positivity rates and vaccination status.
What if a team member has been in contact with someone who is positive or has tested for COVID-19?
We work closely with team members when situations regarding exposure to someone who is positive for COVID-19 or when team members are awaiting test results.
How long to team members have to quarantine after testing positive?
We utilize the CDC criteria for determining when a team member may come back to work after testing positive for COVID-19. The date for return to work depends on the severity of the illness and the team members health. Should we have an active COVID-19 unit open on campus and a team member is positive for COVID-19 AND asymptomatic, they have the ability to work on that unit only. We also make sure to maintain contact with our team members while they are being tested to be certain they are doing okay.
How is PPE (personal protective equipment) being used and do you have enough?
All direct care team members in healthcare and assisted living are provided with masks to wear when caring for residents. Direct care team members (nurses, nurse aides, qualified medication aides, attendants) are provided with disposable surgical masks to perform their duties. We are also providing team members with appropriate masks for those who enter resident rooms throughout the day. Campus staff are also wearing masks when they are around other people and when in any of our buildings. We will also ask residents in healthcare and assisted living to cover their noses and mouths when team members are in the room.
If we have a COVID-19 positive resident, staff will be given PPE that includes an N95 mask, a gown, gloves, goggles and/or face shield. We have also procured additional equipment such as thermometers, blood pressure cuffs, stethoscopes which will be used for only those residents with COVID 19.
We are closely monitoring our PPE. We have taken extra efforts to secure PPE at an additional cost to the organization. We have supply currently on campus and continue to order more. It is impossible to know what the exact needs will be for some types of PPE. The number of COVID-19 residents as well as the severity of their illness all play a factor in determining how much PPE will be needed. We are using existing supply channels as well as new ones which we have established to make sure we can procure additional PPE should those needs arise.
Are team members practicing social distancing in their daily work?
Yes, as much as they can. We have encouraged our team members to practice social distancing. While there will be times when we are unable to maintain a 6 feet distance, particularly while providing care, we are doing our best to socially distance. Our break room and dining areas for team members have been redesigned and marked so it makes it easy to judge the 6 ft distance needed. We have also removed chairs from tables and seating areas to accommodate social distancing.
Are we doing any additional cleaning to keep our facilities safe?
Our housekeeping teams across every campus have increased the frequency of their cleaning schedule for common areas with extra attention given to high-touch areas.
How can we encourage healthy habits and prevent the spread of COVID-19?
Following the CDC guidelines designed specifically for limiting the spread of the disease is very important. Please encourage your resident friends and family members to follow these guidelines as well.
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Wash your hands frequently with soap and water for at least 20 seconds.
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Sneeze or cough into a tissue and throw it away immediately or sneeze or cough into your elbow and wash the garment soon.
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Avoid touching your face including your eyes, nose and mouth.
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Maintain social distance of at least six feet with other people not living in your household.
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Wear a mask when in public with other people.
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Stay home when you are ill.
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Get the vaccine when you are able!
When we encourage each other, we create positive short-term behaviors that can lead to longer term healthy habits.
At Greencroft, the health and well-being of our team members, residents and their families is a priority. We work with experts such as the CDC and state and local healthcare agencies to ensure we have proper protocols in place. We also use our CROFT Values of Creativity, Respect, Openness, Fairness and Teamwork to guide us to determine our actions.
How can I help?
There are many ways to help during this time. The first and foremost, please make sure you are safe. We have volunteers who have sent letters and notes to residents to help brighten their day. We have residents in every area of campus who do not have family and would love to receive a note. We have also received donations of food and other supplies. We are grateful for the support of many businesses at each campus who have supported us. If you don’t feel like these are opportunities are for you but still want to do something, we humbly ask you to consider a donation to our Foundation. During these times, our residents and team members may struggle financially. If you are able, a donation to our Foundation will help us to meet those needs.
Online donations can be made on our website by clicking on the link below for the campus you would like to support:
Greencroft Communities Foundation:
Golden Years Homestead Foundation
Greencroft Middlebury Foundation
Or mail to:
Greencroft Foundation
1721 Greencroft Blvd.,
P.O. Box 819
Goshen, IN 46527-0819
Questions?
Call each campus if you would like to speak with someone directly. You may also click the contact us link at the top of this page. You will have the opportunity to send us an email with your questions.
You can also follow us on Facebook to find updates for our campus and see photos of residents enjoying activities.
Thank you for your patience and understanding.
Greencroft Communities
1721 Greencroft Blvd.,
P.O. Box 819
Goshen, IN 46527-0819
574-537-4000
877-417-4902