A Message From Your Executive Director
Dear Residents and Families,
Happy New Year to you all and welcome to 2022. I’m so glad to have you all part of The Village this coming year as we continue to grow and thrive.
This Thursday, January 6th, our management company, LCS, is hosting an online event called Creating Moments of Joy that will provide a better understanding of memory loss and its effect on loved ones and caregivers of those with Alzheimer’s and other types of dementia. You may register for this free event by clicking here.
Gretchen Cole, who served as our Director of Memory Care, has left her position at The Village. Gretchen was an invaluable part of the leadership team at The Village and will be missed. We wish her the best of luck in all future endeavors. I am actively interviewing to find a new Director of Memory Care as well as a Director of Life Enrichment. Stay tuned for hiring announcements over the next several weeks.
In the last newsletter I wrote about seeking residents to create a Resident Association that would handle contributions and donations for staff appreciation. It is recommended that this association be established as a 501(c)(3). Some residents have expressed interest in getting this going but have requested some assistance from an attorney to help establish the organization. Are there any attorneys among resident family members who would like to help with this? If so, please let me know and I will connect you with the resident(s).
We are continuing our weekly staff COVID-19 testing and this week included all residents in the testing as well. Since community transmission of the virus is so high right now, and since some residents spent time with their families over Christmas, we figured it was prudent to do a post-holiday test of everyone. If any positive results are reported you will hear from me later this week.
I wish you all a safe and healthy 2022 full of time spent with loved ones.
Nikki
Community Connection
Residents and staff have been very busy around the community over the past two weeks. The week before Christmas we had the pleasure of assembling and distributing holiday baskets for all of our staff, thanks to the generous donations made by residents and families. Every staff member received a basket full of food (not pictured: hams) as well as a gas card. The spirit of giving was alive and well.
Residents enjoyed some drives to see Christmas lights, a trip to the Christmas celebration at Billings Farm, happy hours, baking, shopping, and gift exchanges. There have been many opportunities for exercise in Latham Gym and we have increased our showings of documentaries. The New Year’s Eve celebration was a big hit, complete with hats, noisemakers, and some bubbly.
Over the next couple of weeks, residents who want to hunker down in the community to avoid the cold weather and COVID will have opportunities to play cards, attend yoga and happy hours, and view movies, including a showing in Lyric Cinema of Beethoven’s Symphony no. 9 performed by the Chicago Symphony Orchestra. We will also offer scenic drives, an outing to Tip Top Pottery, and a trip to the Hood Museum of Art, among other things.
Community Connection – Vaccines
We implemented a COVID-19 vaccine mandate for all staff effective 10/16/2021. We believe this will go a long way to keeping us all safe this winter.
We continue to offer the booster to all eligible residents and staff. We offer a Pfizer booster for residents and staff regardless of which type of vaccine they originally received. The CDC and FDA both have approved mixing and matching the booster dose.
CDC Frequently Asked Questions
Team Member Spotlight
Staff Spotlight – Kelsie Thibodeau – Quality of Life Specialist
Kelsie joined The Village team recently as a Quality of Life Specialist on the evening shift. Kelsie is a hard worker and is excited to be working with our amazing residents. When she is not working Kelsie likes to spend her time going to Bear Ridge, riding horses, and playing with her dog, Gabby. She loves Thanksgiving, the smell of maple syrup during sugaring season, and iced coffee. She collects candles and feels appreciated when people tell her she is doing a good job. Welcome aboard, Kelsie!
This Week’s Menu
This Week’s Activities
COVID-19 In Our Community
We are committed to keeping you informed of how COVID-19 is impacting The Village at White River Junction. We continue our robust commitment to following the guidelines from both the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and local health authorities by:
- Based on our current Phase and the positivity rate in our county, the following protocols for visitation are in place:
- We will gather name and contact info for contact tracing for every visit.
- Visits may occur between 8am and 8pm.
- Currently we do not allow guests to eat in the dining rooms.
- Core principles of COVID-19 infection prevention will be enforced. These include:
- Screening before each visit
- Hand hygiene
- Mask use for all visitors and staff; fully vaccinated visitors may remove their mask when in a private area with a fully vaccinated resident.
- Visits can occur in the resident’s apartment or outside.
- Requiring all staff to wear surgical or procedural masks and adhere to screening processes
- Maintaining the frequency and rigor of cleaning and sanitizing all surfaces
- Reviewing our emergency preparedness and response program
- Coordinating best practices across our large partner network
- Group activities are held
Helpful Links
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
- www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/prevention.html
- www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/index.html
LCS COVID-19 website
Local health department website
From the Governor
