COVID-19 Information

To Our Residents, Family Members and Staff:

Update #60 | Dated: 1-13-21

Good Afternoon –

As we approach the midway point of the month, we wanted to send along a few updates regarding: the current status of the pandemic, our policies and procedures and our efforts regarding the vaccine.

Update on Policies and Procedures:

As many of you know from watching the news and following the current status of the pandemic both locally and nationally, we continue to set daily/weekly records for new cases and hospitalizations. As dictated by the Department of Public Health (DPH) in their administrative order, found here, we continue to follow the DPH’s most conservative pandemic response policies/procedures.

With that in mind, and in concert with the above guidance, we will be extending the suspension of all nonessential visits for our Assisted Living residents through January 31^st.

For Our Assisted Living Care Residents:

• We will continue small group activities and small group dining (as many of these activities can be done while wearing masks and our operating procedures during those activities have proven to be effective thus far).

For Our Cottage Residents:

• Small group dining will continue to be suspended through January 31^st. We will continue to offer small group activities to only include activities that are 10 people or less and allow for universal mask wearing.
• We know you’d like to resume communal dining. That said, we are working with the DPH to develop policies and procedures tied to communities who have received their 2^nd dose of the COVID vaccine. As one of the first communities reaching this milestone, we are at the leading edge of this effort…as we make progress in defining these new policies and procedures, we will update you.

Latest Guidance from the State:

• Governor Kemp has again extended the Executive Orders which were in place earlier:
  • Executive Order: 12.30.20.01
    • This extends the state of emergency in Georgia through February 7^th, 2021.
  • Executive Order: 12.30.20.02
    • This order extends the shelter in place order for residents of Long-Term Care (LTC) facilities (our communities) through January 15th.
    • Sheltering in place means our residents should only prioritize essential/medical trips per the governor’s orders.
  • We fully expect both of these orders to be extended in the coming days/weeks.

Moderna, 2^nd Dose Booster Clinics:

We are happy to report that we received our 2^nd dose, booster supply of the Moderna vaccine at each of our communities earlier this week. We have again partnered with Transitional Care Physicians of America (TCPA) and Guardian Pharmacy to help administer these booster vaccinations.

• For those of you who received your 1^st dose of the vaccine on December 24^th or December 28^th your booster clinic is scheduled for Monday, January 25^th beginning at 8:30am.
• For those of you who received your 1^st dose of the vaccine on January 7^th or January 13^th we have tentatively set the date for your booster clinic on February 10^th. We will confirm this date as we get closer to the end of the month.

For additional context on the dosing schedule for the Moderna vaccine (at least 28 days after the first dose) you can visit the CDC website here.

Testing Update:

We are also pleased to announce that we have recently received a shipment of rapid, antigen COVID tests through our partnership with McKesson. These tests offer our residents and/or staff the opportunity to receive a test in specific emergency situations where our regular testing channels aren’t readily available. 

If you should have any questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to reach out.

• Ann White: Executive Director: [email protected]
• Marshall Gill: Chief Operating Officer/Partner: [email protected]
• Nathan Madigan: Vice President of Operations: [email protected]

The Sterling Estates Partners and Management Team

To Our Residents, Family Members and Staff:

Update #59 | Dated: 1-6-21

Good Afternoon -

We are pleased and excited to announce that we have received an additional order of the Moderna vaccine. Our team has reached out to any of our residents (or their loved ones as applicable) and any staff members who have yet to receive the first dose of the vaccine to ensure all who desire to participate in our immunization clinics have the opportunity to do so.

We are planning on hosting our immunization clinic for residents, staff and some of our 3rd party healthcare partners tomorrow.

If you should have any questions or concerns regarding our immunization clinics or our current policies or procedures, please do not hesitate to reach out.

• Ann White: Executive Director: [email protected]
• Marshall Gill: Chief Operating Officer/Partner: [email protected]
• Nathan Madigan: Vice President of Operations: [email protected]

The Sterling Estates Partners and Management Team

Click here to view more updates

What are you doing right now to prevent the spread of COVID-19?

• We have changed our visitor policy. No visitors are permitted in our community until further notice.
  • We will make limited exceptions in extreme or emergency cases. These must be expressly approved by the Executive Director. Anyone entering the community under these circumstances will be screened upon arrival.
  • Only essential health care providers, including home health, private duty, nursing services, physicians, physical therapy, and hospice staff will be granted access to the community once they have completed our entry screening procedures.
    • All of these caretakers will check in with the front desk, screened and will have their temperatures taken.
  • The assisted living building now only has one entrance as all secondary access points have been secured ensuring there is only one point of entry (still ensuring that the community meets all state safety codes).
  • Assisted Living residents are required to remain on community grounds, except for necessary medical care. And our Independent Residents are encouraged to limit their public exposure by staying on community grounds.
  • Deliveries of packages will be made outside the assisted living building and a staff member will accept them.

• We have changed our dining procedures.
  • To avoid close contact during meals, our main dining rooms will be closed for at least the next 2 weeks. Meals will be delivered to each resident moving forward.

• Any resident returning from a necessary medical appointment outside of the community will be required to stay in his/her apartment for 14 days upon their return and will be closely monitored.
• All residents are monitored daily for: fever or any other symptoms of the infection (body aches, dry cough, etc.).
• In following the guidance of our home health partners, all non-essential physical, occupational and speech therapies have been suspended at this time. These changes should also be communicated to you directly by your home health provider. Sterling will work directly with you and your loved one to offer necessary supports until those services resume.
• We have updated our activity plans and calendars to adjust for smaller group (under 10 people at a time) activities, more outdoor events, as well as utilize all available technology in order to ensure our residents remain safe but also engaged.
• We take all staff members’ temperatures 2x every day. If anyone has a fever or has cold-like symptoms, we do not allow them to

What happens if there is a confirmed case of the COVID-19 virus in the community?

• If there is a suspected or confirmed case, we will follow all CDC guidelines and work closely with the state and local departments of health. We continue to monitor all residents and staff members for illness and symptoms. If there are concerning conditions or symptoms to share about your loved one, rest assured that someone on the Sterling Estates team will contact you directly.
  • What this would look like:
  • Residents:
    • Residents must now remain in their apartments until further notice.
    • Residents’ temperatures will be taken twice a day.
    • We will continue to provide in-room meal services.
  • Staff:
    • All staff will wear a mask and gloves while in the community.
    • All companions will wear PPE (gloves, eye protection and mask) while providing care for our residents.
    • Staff members will receive symptom screenings two times a day, including a temperature check.

Will you tell me if there is a case of COVID-19 in our community?

• Yes. If we are made aware of a positive COVID-19 case by someone in your community, we will notify residents and their families.

Are you testing residents and staff for COVID-19?

• We know many of you are interested in making more COVID-19 tests available to members of our community. Local health officials are responsible for determining all COVID-19 testing protocols. We will continue to work with our county and state health departments. If they decide that broad testing is necessary and appropriate in a Sterling Estates community, we will fully support this effort and notify you that this is taking place.

Resident Illness

• How are you checking residents?
  • In assisted living and memory care, we are proactively monitoring the temperatures and symptoms of all residents. Residents in independent living are encouraged to contact the community care team to inquire about the symptoms to be looking for as well as ask about prevention best practices.
• What happens if a resident has symptoms?
  • We will assist and report to EMS any residents with cold-like or flu-like symptoms, including fever of more than 100.4°, coughing, or shortness of breath with contacting their physician for medical care.

Comments & Concerns

• Who do I call if I have a comment, concern, or complaint?
  • The first person you should call is your community’s executive director.
    • Fayetteville: Holly Woods 770-461-0039
    • East Cobb: Ann White 678-946-4445
    • West Cobb: Deana Harris 770-255-7000
  • We will respond to you as quickly as possible, but usually within 24 hours.

Community Entry

• Who is allowed in the community?
  • No visitors are permitted at Sterling Estates of West Cobb until further notice.
• What are your screening procedures for people entering the community?
  • There are no visitors allowed at this time. Our staff and Health care providers entering the community will be asked questions about possible cold-like symptoms, recent travel, and if they have been exposed to a known or suspected case of COVID-19 or work in another health care facility with a positive COVID-19 case. We also take everyone’s temperature to ensure they do not have a fever.
• Why are you closed to visitors?
  • As we monitor the spread of COVID-19 around the country, and understanding that this virus is most dangerous for seniors, we feel that an apartment quarantine is a necessary step toward keeping everyone safe.
• How long will this last?
  • The COVID-19 pandemic is an ever-evolving situation. We will lift the quarantine and restrictions when we feel it is safe to do so, and based on recommendations from agencies such as the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and state departments of health.
• What are the exceptions to this policy?
  • We will make limited exceptions in extreme or emergency cases. These must be expressly approved by the community’s executive director. Anyone entering the community under these circumstances will be screened upon arrival.
• Will my private duty caregiver be allowed to enter the community?
  • Yes. Health care providers, including home health, private duty, nursing services, physicians, physical therapy, and hospice staff will be granted access to the community once they have completed our entry screening procedures.
• What if there is an emergency?
  • Emergency medical/fire services personnel are able to enter the community if needed. We will make limited exceptions in extreme or emergency cases for family members. These cases must be expressly approved by the community’s executive director. Anyone entering the community under these circumstances will be screened upon arrival.
• Can I visit with my loved ones outdoors but on the community grounds?
  • Because our communities are under quarantine and outside guests pose a risk of exposure to residents, we ask that you do not have in-person visits.
• Are there other ways that I can get to see my loved ones?
  • The dedicated teams at every community are equipped and ready to help facilitate phone call or even a virtual visit using services such as Apple FaceTime, Skype, or Zoom. We’d also love for you to send videos or other messages through community staff. Call and we will tell you how.
• Can I volunteer to help residents and the community?
  • Thank you for interest in sharing your time and talent with our residents. Because the safety of our residents and staff is our priority, we have placed all communities under quarantine and no visitors are allowed at this time. Please contact us via email our team will coordinate a way for you or your organization to help remotely.
  • We have already received many donated masks (over 200) from family members, staff and friends of the partners. These masks have been deployed for our staff to use along with their surgical masks. Thus allowing us to extend the useful life of our surgical masks.
    • That being said, if anyone else is interested in trying to make cloth masks to donate, instructions from the CDC can be found here. Please reach out directly to the community if you are able to help.

Resident Exit & Reentry

• Are residents allowed to leave?
  • We ask that you remain in the community in the interest of everyone’s safety. If you have an essential medical appointment, please let us know.
• Why are residents not allowed to leave their apartments if there is a confirmed case of COVID-19?
  • If there is a confirmed case of the COVID-19 virus with any of our residents or staff, as an added precaution to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our community, residents would be quarantined to their apartments for no less than 14 days since the first day of reported symptoms..
• Why are residents who live in cottages or freestanding homes not allowed into the building?
  • We are not monitoring the comings and goings of residents who live in cottages or freestanding homes. Therefore, we cannot allow them to enter the main community building.
• What happens if someone goes to the hospital and is ready to return to the community?
  • Residents who are returning from the hospital will be screened just like others who enter the community.
  • In following local and federal guidance anyone returning from a hospitalization will be under quarantine in their residence for 14 days.

Deliveries

• How do deliveries work?
  • Deliveries will be made outside the building and a staff member will accept them and take them to residents.
• Can I bring something to a resident?
  • Yes. We will follow our delivery procedure to have a staff member meet you at the entrance to accept your items and take them to the resident.

Personal Needs

• What if I need personal supplies? (Over-the-counter medications, soap, shampoo, etc.)
  • We recommend that a family member bring your items to the front of the community, where a staff member will accept them. We can help you set up an account with online grocery and pharmacy delivery services, such as Instacart, to order essentials.
  • We are also here to help, just let us know if we can pick anything up for you.
• Will the salon remain open?
  • No. The salon inside the community is temporarily closed.

Medical Needs

• How will I get to my doctors’ appointments?
  • We ask that you remain in the community in the interest of everyone’s safety. If you have an essential medical appointment, please let us know. We encourage you to use telemedicine if your physician offers that service.
• Can a family member pick me up for my doctors’ appointments?
  • We ask that you remain in the community in the interest of everyone’s safety. If you have an essential medical appointment, please let us know.
  • We are also here to help, just let us know if we can pick anything up for you.
• If I live in an independent living apartment, how do I pick up my prescriptions and over the counter medicines from the pharmacy?
  • We can help you set up an account with online grocery and pharmacy delivery services, such as Instacart, to order essentials
  • We are also here to help, just let us know if we can pick anything up for you.
• What if I need hospice care?
  • Health care providers, including home health, private duty, nursing services, physicians, physical therapy, and hospice staff will be granted access to the community once they have completed our entry screening procedures.

Dining

• How do meals work?
  • We will deliver all meals, snacks, and beverages to your apartment/cottage.

Staff

• How are staff screened?
  • We take all staff members’ temperatures every day. If anyone has a fever or has cold-like symptoms, we do not allow them to work until they are symptom-free.
  • We also screen all staff by asking the following questions:
    • Have you been out of the country? Which one(s)? ____________________
    • Have you been exposed to anyone with COVID-19 (Corona Virus)
    • Do you have a fever?
    • Have you been coughing?
    • Do you have any unusual muscle aches?
    • Are you experiencing any shortness of breath?
    • Do you have any loss of taste?
    • Where have you been outside of this building in the last 24hrs?

ATTENTION: ALL VISITORS

Please print and fill out this screening form and bring it with you when visiting our community.

We will follow the Georgia Department of Public Health’s Administrative Order For Public Health (as of October 8^th 2020):

Visitor & Access Policy:

Limited visitors are permitted in our community until further notice.

• Scheduled indoor visits will follow the DPH guidance as seen below
• Only essential health care providers, including home health, private duty, nursing services, physicians, physical therapy, and hospice staff will be granted access to the community once they have completed our entry screening procedures.
  • All of these essential visitors will check in with the front desk, screened and will have their temperatures taken daily.
• The assisted living building now only has one entrance as all secondary access points have been secured ensuring there is only one point of entry (still ensuring that the community meets all state safety codes).
• Assisted Living residents are required to remain on community grounds, except for essential visits. Our Independent Residents are encouraged to limit their public exposure by staying on community grounds. Upon returning and as a precaution, residents will be screened and asked to wash their hands.
  • We will continue to update these shelter in place guidelines but as of 9/30/20 the shelter in place for LTC residents has been extended through 10/15/20.
• Deliveries of packages will be made outside the assisted living building and a staff member will accept them.

The following visitor plan will be followed per guidance from the DPH as conditions change in both our community and in the county.

​Procedures for indoor visits:

• Indoor visits will take place in specially designed annexed areas located in our main building
• Each of these rooms has a dedicated HVAC system which as been retrofitted with the Reme Halo system to continuously filter the air in the room
• Electrostatic foggers have been purchased and will be used for cleaning between visits.
  • There will need to be at least 15 minutes between visits in order to effectively clean all surfaces
• No more than 3 visitors at one time per resident
  • There can be no more than 10 individuals in a single room no less than 700 sq feet (including staff members)
• There will be a dedicated staff member to screen and check individuals in for inside visits
  • This is separate from the main assisted living entrance

Dining

• To avoid close contact during meals, our main dining rooms will be closed

Community Life

• Our staff is committed to maintaining as much of a normal life in the community as possible with a few temporary exceptions:
  • We have eliminated all group outings.
  • All group gatherings, such as book clubs and religious services, will be hosted by our staff or held via virtual means.
  • Transportation services are limited to necessary medical appointments only.
  • The salon will be closed until further notice.
• We have updated our activity plans and calendars to adjust for smaller group (under 10 people at a time) activities, more outdoor events, as well as utilize all available technology in order to ensure our residents remain safe but also engaged.
  • We continue to offer programming for our residents: from activities that are conducted outside to those in our buildings where there is at least 6 feet of separation (we even have a separation stick we use to remind everyone what 6 feet looks like!). We know how important this type of engagement is to our community.
• We have updated our care plans to include inquiring / assisting calling a loved one in order to help families stay connected.
• We are encouraging the use of more video calling tools (i.e. Facetime) so that both our residents and their loved ones can connect on a more personal level as we take our social distancing procedures to heart. We have even setup Facetime support tables where residents can come, and our staff can assist in setting up calls.
• If you or your loved one needs any additional support on setting up video calls, please reach out to the community directly and we will help coordinate.

Wellness Center

• Moving forward the main wellness center is closed to independent residents.

Cottage Residents:

• We implore all cottage residents to heed this guidance and only leave the campus for essential services (as articulated above).
  1. Essential Services include grocery shopping, medical or pharmacy visits.
  2. With that, we would love to help out on these errands as we are able. Please reach out and schedule with us.
• Moving forward, we ask that you not enter: the main assisted living building, the Hampton building and Stratford building.
  1. Please reach out to both the wellness and activities teams to better define what you can do in your homes.
  2. We can also provide you with personal workout equipment so as to allow you to continue to exercise in your own cottage.
• We ask that you follow applicable social distancing measures when not in your cottage, which includes maintaining a minimum of 6 feet of separation from other people.
• We recommend that you do participate in outdoor activities where the necessary safety precautions have been taken into account, including:
  1. Outdoor exercise classes
  2. Outdoor walking groups
  3. Gardening (where additional personal hygiene stations have been added)
• Coming soon to channel 961 various activities including: wellness classes, movies, guided activities and more

Independent Apartment Residents:

• No visitors are permitted in our community until further notice.
• Limit group gatherings within the building to under 10 people and follow all social distancing guidance.
• Stratford residents should no longer enter the Hampton building and Hampton residents should no longer enter the Stratford building.
  • We will be adding work out equipment to the Stratford building.
• Only leave the campus for essential services (as articulated above).
• We ask that you follow applicable social distancing measures when not in your cottage, which includes maintaining a minimum of 6 feet of separation from other people.
• We recommend that you do participate in outdoor activities where the necessary safety precautions have been taken into account, including:
  1. Outdoor exercise classes
  2. Outdoor walking groups
  3. Gardening (where additional personal hygiene stations have been added)
• Coming soon to channel 961 various activities including: wellness classes, movies, guided activities and more.

Engagement in Memory Care Neighborhoods

Our approach to caring for people living with dementia has not changed in light of COVID-19. We have dementia experts on staff who remain focused on ensuring residents living with dementia are receiving quality care and attention. While this care and attention may look a little different during this time, we are doing our best to keep everyone safe.

Rest assured we will do our best to keep creativity and meaningful moments up and loneliness down!

At Sterling Estates of East Cobb, we focus on giving you proactive and thorough communication. As always, we will update you with any changes to life in the community. If you have any questions, please reach out to your community’s executive director by calling the community directly.

Emory personal checker for COVID: https://c19check.com/start

Center for Disease Control: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html?CDC_AA_refVal=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.cdc.gov%2Fcoronavirus%2Findex.html

Georgia Department of Health: https://dph.georgia.gov

COVID 19 Health Data.Org: https://covid19.healthdata.org

Empowering and Protecting Your Family During This COVID-19 Pandemic, Dr David Price: https://vimeo.com/399733860

Executive Orders

Mask links

Cobb County Links

Staff Precautions

• Our staff are trained in proper infectious disease precautions and procedures, including the proper use of protective equipment, cleaning, and hand washing. We also provide ongoing training in these areas to keep everyone up-to-date.
• We take all staff members’ temperature every day. If anyone has a fever or has cold-like symptoms, we do not allow them to work until they are symptom-free.
• We ask all staff members who are sick to stay home until they are well.

Support for Staff

We are taking steps to support our staff during this time so that they can focus on their health and on taking care of residents.

• In the event of school closures, we will pay for staff members' child care expenses if needed.
• If a staff member does not have health insurance, we will pay for their costs of visiting a physician or urgent care to be tested and rule out any contagious illness.
• We don't want an empty paid time off (PTO) balance to stand in the way of staff members taking the necessary time off to get well at home if they are sick. If a staff member's PTO balance is empty, we will continue to pay them while sick with a contagious illness.

Staff letters

FAQ on Cares Act: https://www.nytimes.com/article/coronavirus-stimulus-package-questions-answers.html