Campus Updates at Western Reserve Masonic Community
On Monday, we performed rapid response testing for all staff and vendors, and 2 Assisted Living Caregivers tested positive. We are currently awaiting their PCR results. Today, we tested all staff and vendors through PCR testing, and we are awaiting those results from our partner laboratory. Read more about our campus updates at Western Reserve.
This morning, we tested all Skilled Nursing, Memory Care, and Traditional Assisted Living community members using rapid response tests. We had 1 Traditional Assisted Living community member from building #2 test positive. We informed the resident and their family member of the results prior to this call. This brings WRMC to 2 positive Traditional Assisted Living community members. All residents on the 3rd floor of building 2 have been self‑isolating in their apartments.
Furthermore, we anticipate that Medina County will drop from Purple to Red on the State of Ohio’s Public Health Advisory System, as they are currently triggering only 5 out of 7 indicators. However, the county’s positivity rate jumped this week from 15.8% to 26%, and 93% of new onset cases over the last two weeks have come from individuals not residing in congregate living settings such as skilled nursing facilities or assisted livings.
Due to the significant increase in positivity rate, visitation for Independent Living will remain suspended indefinitely.
Holiday Updates
As Hanukkah comes to an end and Christmas approaches next week, we remain significantly concerned about the safety and well‑being of all community members. The last two national surges followed family gatherings at Halloween and Thanksgiving. Therefore, WRMC strongly encourages community members not to attend family gatherings. If your family plans to gather, please take every precaution possible. If you have a runny nose or scratchy throat, please avoid exposing yourself to loved ones. What seems like a mild symptom could lead to something much worse.
Additionally, over the last week we have received several inquiries regarding the COVID vaccine. The State of Ohio’s priorities include persons working in hospitals, skilled nursing facilities, and then assisted livings. We have contracted with Walgreens to provide vaccines for Skilled Nursing and Assisted Living, and we will be receiving the Pfizer vaccine.
Skilled Nursing residents and staff will be the first to receive the vaccination, which will take place sometime within the next three weeks. Assisted Living resident vaccinations will occur at a later date. However, we were informed today that Independent Living community members will not be able to obtain the vaccine through this process. This is unfortunately out of our control, as the State of Ohio determines vaccine distribution at this time. We will communicate more information as it becomes available.
Should you have any questions, please feel free to reach out to me directly.
Sincerely,
Jason French – President
Ready to learn more about senior living communities?
At The Ohio Masonic Communities, we want to help you navigate senior options and live the retirement of your dreams. We have resources available to help you plan for the future and achieve your goals. The Ohio Masonic Communities offers three senior living communities across the state of Ohio – Browning Masonic Community in Waterville, Ohio, Springfield Masonic Community in Springfield, Ohio, and Western Reserve Masonic Community in Medina, Ohio. If you are interested in learning more about one of our communities, give us a call at 1 (877) 881-1623 or contact us here.