Living alone during the COVID-19 crisis has been hard for everyone—but especially for seniors who are most at risk. Thankfully, every Resident at Heritage Pointe has been both safe and supported during these challenging times.
When seniors consider their future care plans, they can be torn between staying in a home that’s familiar to them and moving to an assisted living community for extra care.
They consider their options carefully, but nobody plans for a pandemic. When the unexpected happens and you live alone, isolation can be a critical problem. You might have to rely on others to buy groceries or pick up prescriptions.
This crisis demonstrates the value of living in a community that supports an independent lifestyle combined with individual care and support.
Residents at Heritage Pointe, the only Jewish assisted living and memory care facility in Orange County, are living a much easier and better life because they made the decision to move into the community. As of this writing, July 1, 2020, Heritage Pointe is both a COVID-19 free facility as well as a place where no one has COVID-19 symptoms.
The support system for Residents remains intact. Residents enjoy delicious kosher meals cooked for them, healthcare checks in their home twice daily, and plenty of friends and safe activities every day.
Here is how Heritage Pointe has managed this healthcare crisis:
Starting in March, Heritage Pointe restricted visits from volunteers, vendors, entertainers and family members. Details about the virus were still emerging, but information coming from the Centers for Disease Control and local authorities urged caution and keeping everyone apart until they knew more. As state and local authorities issued more strict guidelines, the communal Dining Room was closed. Instead, Residents began to receive room-service style custom meals delivered directly to their apartments. Residents also have their temperatures taken twice daily and recorded for signs of change.
Staff members were immediately required to wear masks and those who interacted directly with Residents wore additional safety equipment. Heritage Pointe next began to take the temperatures of every staff member entering the building and checked everyone for COVID symptoms during every shift. Outside deliveries have been screened and sanitized before being carried through the hallways to a Resident’s home.
The strict measures are paying off in terms of healthy Residents and a healthy staff! Mike Silverman, CEO of Heritage Pointe, credits Residents themselves as the catalyst for success.
“Residents quickly complied with the restrictions and have been appreciative of all of the ways we keep them safe and healthy, “Mike says with a smile. “They certainly miss their families, their visitors, and all of the other activities that everyone all over the country has been missing, too! But they understand that staying apart from their loved ones now is how they will stay healthy throughout this crisis.”
No one knows what the “new normal” will look like this summer or beyond. Whatever it is, Heritage Pointe Residents and their families will have the peace of mind that comes from knowing that they are not alone. We will face it together.
Founded more than 30 years ago, Heritage Pointe provides the highest quality assisted living and memory care services to seniors in Orange County. Welcoming to those of all faiths, Heritage Pointe is Orange County’s only community rooted in Jewish culture, tradition and values.
For those who need some level of support to live their best lives, Heritage Pointe inspires independence and wellness through an extraordinary lifestyle, high-quality care and rich traditions. For more information, please visit www.heritagepointe.org.