At Charles E. Smith Life Communities (CESLC), we are proud of our health and safety efforts. Our associates have been proactive and aggressive in our ongoing battle against the impact of COVID-19, as safeguarding the health of the older adults we serve remains our top priority. Our goal is to provide an independent and active lifestyle for residents while also keeping them safe and secure.
Because of the ongoing concern about COVID-19 positivity rates and the rise of the Delta variant, Charles E. Smith Life Communities (CESLC) announced a few weeks ago that we will require all associates, vendors and volunteers to be vaccinated against COVID-19 by October 1, 2021. This vaccination mandate is part of our entire strategy to make CESLC safe for our residents, staff, vendors and volunteers.
Here are some of the procedures we are following to ensure an independent lifestyle for our residents:
Staying connected. Of course, as a community, staying social with friends and neighbors is incredibly important. We all saw firsthand how important connection was and continues to be during this time. We will continue to provide events and opportunities for residents to mingle with the people they care about. Our programs and events, led by our exceptional team members, continue to offer a wide variety of entertainment, including virtual tours of faraway museums, educational lectures, exercise classes, live music programs and more.
Independent living residents are now able to visit with their loved ones in their apartments. Outdoor visitation is also available in our independent living residences. Increased outdoor siting areas are available for residents and visitors 18 and older. Residents also enjoy special themed events, birthday celebrations and weekly happy hours. We have also resumed excursions to local destinations, and residents can now welcome back overnight guests.
Sanitation. We continue to follow rigorous sanitation protocols using EPA- and CDC-approved disinfectants. Every inch of our community is sanitized on a regular basis, frequently disinfecting high-touch areas and dedicating specific team members to health and sanitization. All our residences and service buildings are also being supplied with fresh air, which is never recycled and ensures the freshest and most healthy air possible. Members of our housekeeping team are trained on best practices for COVID-19 cleaning and disinfection, office and associate safety procedures.
Screenings. Alongside vaccination requirements, we also monitor everyone who enters the community. Health screening and temperature checks are completed at all entrances. Sanitization stations are located throughout our campus so residents, visitors and associates can make personal hygiene a priority. Other campus-wide precautions include telehealth appointments for residents to extend the medical care provided by our team of physicians during the current pandemic.
Reducing transmission opportunities. Our dining team members continue to prioritize safety by wearing masks and gloves and frequently sanitizing their hands. We continue to offer in-room delivery, when preferred.
As always, our commitment to safety and security will go hand-in-hand with providing an amazing lifestyle to those in our community. Our goal is and always has been to help residents live the very best lives possible each and every day.
Our commitment to vaccination and other health and safety protocols aligns with recent evidence that healthcare workers, in particular, are at increased risk of infection from COVID-19. We continue to monitor the COVID-19 situation in Maryland and will adjust our safety protocols and standards based on recommendations from the CDC and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services.
Over the past year and a half, we have seen how our residents have benefitted from life at CESLC by remaining safe, enjoying enriching opportunities and remaining social with the people they love.
The CDC states that for older adults, a senior living community like CESLC can be the safest place to live during a pandemic due to the safety procedures in place. If you or a loved one have been considering moving into a community but have been wondering how the continued COVID-19 pandemic may affect quality of life, I encourage you to contact us. CESLC provides safety and security as well as socialization, friendship and companionship, especially during these trying times. We look forward to welcoming you or a family member to become a member of our community.
