Providence Place responds to COVID-19

Updated April 6, 2021

The health and well-being of our residents, employees and visitors is of utmost importance to us at Providence Place. We are closely monitoring the COVID-19 situation and, in accordance with the CDC and other health agencies, are continuously evaluating our policies and taking extra precautions to protect our residents and staff.

We have great news!

Providence Place will be resuming indoor visitation effective March 26, 2021. According to the updated guidance, communities should allow responsible
indoor visitation at all times and for all residents, regardless of vaccination status of the resident, or visitor, unless certain scenarios arise that would limit visitation for:

Unvaccinated residents, if the COVID-19 county positivity rate is greater than 10% and less than 70% of residents in the community are fully vaccinated. (The current positivity rate in Hampden County is 3.57%. 98% of Providence Place residents will be fully vaccinated on March 26, 2021).
Residents with confirmed COVID-19 infection, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, until they have met the criteria to discontinue transmission-based precautions
Residents in quarantine, whether vaccinated or unvaccinated, until they have met criteria for release from quarantine

More from Executive Director Richard Pelland:

Providence Place will maintain all of the core principles we have been employing since the onset of the pandemic: maintaining social distancing of at least six feet between people, mandatory masking, screening upon entry to our community, hand hygiene, and regular cleaning and disinfecting of high-frequency touched surfaces. Outdoor visitation will be the preference whenever possible. This continues to be the safest way to prevent spreading COVID-19, particularly if either party has not been fully vaccinated. With this said, we at Providence Place want to minimize the potential for outbreaks. Therefore, we will permit initially 2 visitors at a time in your apartment. After initial screening of visitors at our front entrance, family members will be asked to take the most direct possible route to your apartment.

We believe you will be very happy to know that the guidelines provided the following statement: “We acknowledge the toll that separation and isolation has taken. We also acknowledge that there is no substitute for physical contact, such as the warm embrace between a resident and their loved one. Therefore, if the resident is fully vaccinated, they can choose to have close contact with their visitor while wearing a face mask and performing hand hygiene before and after.” Hugging is permitted! We simply remind our families that all visitors must physically distance from other residents and staff while in our community. Our dining room will not be able to receive guests and visitors at this time.

We thank you for your patience and support throughout these challenging months and look forward to welcoming you back to Providence Place. As we receive further guidance in the coming weeks, we will share it with you.

With best wishes,
Richard

Policies, Precautions and visitor guidance currently in place

Physical tours of the entire property for prospective residents are suspended, however available apartments can be shown by appointment at designated times during the day. We invite you to view our virtual tour and call us to get information to begin the conversation and/or to set up a time to tour available apartments
The front entrance is the main entry point for staff, healthcare/private duty personnel, and visitors. All who enter, including staff, will be screened prior to entering. Screening includes a temperature check, and all entering are asked a series of questions pertaining to the possible exposure to COVID-19.
We are following strict infection control protocols, based on CDC guidelines. Our housekeeping staff continues to work tirelessly to ensure that all high-touch surfaces are disinfected on a daily basis, using an EPA-registered disinfectant.
Service deliveries and vendors: The service hallway is being used to deposit food and supplies. No external delivery person is allowed beyond this point. Kitchen staff is responsible for getting supplies to the kitchen.
Communal dining has resumed. The seating capacity in the dining room is now a maximum of 50 people. Seating has been rearranged so that residents are able to keep a social distance. Masks are to be worn by residents to the table but can be removed while dining. Tables and chairs are disinfected between each use.
Resident Programs and Activities: Outdoor exercise classes were held throughout the summer and continued outside, as weather permitted. Indoor exercise classes as well as Zoom exercise classes are being held. We are gradually adding in more and more programs and activities. Please check our monthly calendar for more information
We continue to communicate to all residents and staff the importance of hand hygiene, mask wearing and other precautions including social distancing.

Sign up to receive Providence Place’s most up-to-date coronavirus and visitor information. Contact Marketing Director Laurie Hoey today!