A Message From Your Executive Director
Dear Residents and Families,
Last week I enjoyed a wonderful vacation at the beach with my family. We did many fun things, we even battled a seal for the stripers we were trying to catch when we went fishing, but I missed seeing you all. While I was away, we had 3 new residents join us here at The Village. When you see new faces please help them feel welcomed. I moved recently and as anyone who moves to a new community knows, a simple hello from your new neighbors goes a long way.
On Friday the 23rd we will resume Resident Council meetings for Assisted Living residents. Please join us in Miller Stage on the 4th floor at 10:00am for an overview of Resident Council and how it will work going forward. This is your opportunity to assume a leadership role here at the community.
Thank you for your continued support and enjoy the summer weather.
Nikki
Community Connection
Over the past two weeks at The Village residents have enjoyed daily fitness, culinary demos, flower arranging, group lunches on the patio, and live music with Jim Hollis and Thayer Naples. Outings included the Quechee Antique Mall, the Powerhouse Mall, lunch at 99 Restaurant, and the Summer Hunter Jumper Show at Green Mountain Horse Association in Woodstock, VT. We had our first Functional Fitness & Tai Chi classes in Latham Gym with Physical Therapist Kate Gamble, and Kevin Comeau from Open Door Integrative Wellness. Both classes were a big hit and we are excited to welcome them back over the next few weeks!
Coming up residents can look forward to coffee & conversation socials, trivia, scrabble group, and a visit from Mali the therapy dog. We will go on outings to the Norwich Book Store, lunch at Simon Pearce with Director of Sales & Marketing, Tammy Latvis, mini golf, and the Gondola at Killington Resort. Be sure to sign up for all outings with the concierge.
On Tuesday, July 27th join Cynthia Stadler from BAYADA Hospice for a presentation about Advanced Care Planning in Smith & Son’s Kitchen at 2:30pm. Cynthia will discuss Advanced Directives, Living Wills, COLSTs, POLSTs, MOLSTs and DNRs – what they mean and why they matter. Please sign up with the concierge if you would like to attend.
NOTE: As always, Skype calls are available to keep everyone connected. To schedule, please sign up at https://teamup.com/kszegtj8g4jco615xw and reach out to Sam with any questions.
Community Connection – Vaccines
Our pharmacy has resumed distribution of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine.
We understand that you may have questions about this process as well as the vaccines themselves, for that reason we are sharing below the links to the CDC and Johnson & Johnson websites to help answer some of your inquiries.
Family and Caregiver Support Group
The Village Caregiver Support Group
Our support group meetings will be on Tuesdays in the Smith and Sons Kitchen. (2:00PM-3:00PM) We will meet person.
Please contact Gretchen Cole with any questions.
Team Member Spotlight
Ann Miller – Care Partner/LPN
Ann recently joined our team of nurses on 1st and 2nd shift. She brings many years of nursing experience to The Village, including stints in hospitals, rehabs, and long-term care, as well as previously being an EMT. We are grateful to be adding her to the team. Ann’s favorite things include dark chocolate almonds, Christmas, the food at Olive Garden, books, and the beach. Ann has 1 child and a dog named MacDougal. Welcome aboard, Ann!
Talk Time
Join Nikki every other Wednesday at 10:00 am.via Zoom for COVID and community updates and have an opportunity to ask questions. The Zoom calls will occur the same week as the newsletter is published. We will have a call this week, July 21st. I look forward to seeing you virtually!
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 7pm.
- Vaccinated guests may eat in the dining room at a table with only the resident they are visiting.
- 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
