Holly Creek takes the safety of our residents and team members very seriously. Take a look at what we are doing in our community to keep everyone safe.
We are pleased to announce that our community is now at a combined resident and team member vaccination rate of 92%, which means it is time to proceed with our phased re-opening for residential living while we await further direction for our assisted living and skilled nursing neighborhoods. Using an approach that balances resident health and happiness, we are committed to following best practices and proven virus mitigation protocols while expanding community life when it is safe to do so.
Expanded Visitation Rules are in Effect at The Suites at Holly Creek
The Colorado State Health Department released new directives aligning state regulations with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) newly expanded visitations for long-term care facilities, including our assisted living, memory support and skilled nursing communities.
Families and friends now have more options to connect with their loved ones. The state guidance still recommends outdoor visitations whenever possible because there is less chance of spreading the virus. We are now able to offer indoor visits with the following guidelines and exceptions:
Visits will be allowed regardless of the resident’s vaccination status except in the following high-risk COVID-19 transmission situations:
If a resident is unvaccinated and our county’s Covid positivity rate is above 10% and fewer than 70% of the community residents are vaccinated. Currently, 86% of our residents have received both doses of the vaccine.
If a resident has a confirmed COVID-19 infection and/or has not yet passed the quarantine time frame.
The Health Department requires each community to establish an indoor visitation policy and procedures, including the number of visitors per resident, the number of visits that can be accommodated at one time, the hours of visitations, and where and how the visits will be accommodated before we can offer visits.
At The Suites at Holly Creek visits will be hosted daily from 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Each resident can have 2 of visitors at one time, and we will host visits in the resident’s suite, in the garden or patio area. Visitors are also welcome to take residents for walks around the campus. All visitors and residents must continue to wear masks during the visit, and all visits must be scheduled, with no drop-in visits allowed.
All visitors must first come to the concierge desk to be screened and have their temperature checked. If you have any signs or symptoms of COVID-19 please cancel your visit for the health and well-being of everyone at The Suites at Holly Creek.
To schedule a visit for someone living in the Timbers Skilled Nursing neighborhood, please contact Tammy Gleisner, Social Services Director at 720-266-5698. For someone living in Alpine & Meadows Assisted Living & Memory Support neighborhoods, please contact Eric Adolph, Director of Assisted Living at 720-266-5614. Visits may be scheduled up to 4 weeks in advance.
We have the full Colorado Health Department Directive linked here and the CMS flyer about tips for your visit here.
We are just as excited as residents and families are about these new visitation opportunities. We know personal connections are vital to resident’s well-being. Thank you for your patience and understanding as we roll-out these new directives and get everything set up to welcome you!
We are preparing for some wonderful family reunions! Just yesterday the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) released new guidance that communities like ours should offer responsible and safe visit options regardless of vaccination status for families and residents. CMS put in place some restrictions, and as has been the case throughout the pandemic, we must receive the green light from the Colorado health department before we can actually host more indoor visits. Read the specific information on our Christian Living Communities website.
Latest Vaccine Information
3/12/21
A full and bustling dining room with laughter rising above the clank of silverware. A life-enrichment outing with every seat on the bus filled. A daughter having a quiet afternoon tea time with her mom. These are all things we long to hear and see in our community. As vaccination rates continue to improve we are working towards a phased re-opening to our community, to get back to pre-pandemic life, but with health and safety in mind.
At Holly Creek, we have a combined resident and team member vaccination rate of 92%.
As we await more direction from our federally and state-regulated neighborhoods of assisted living and skilled nursing, our clinical and operational teams have outlined how we can safely re-open our residential living (independent living) neighborhoods. Our approach continues to be a balance between health and happiness. We are committed to following best practices and proven virus mitigation protocols while expanding community life when it is safe to do so.
This grid is broken into an early phase three and a late phase three opening plan. As you can see at the top, everything depends on the combined vaccination rate of the community. Our community is working towards this plan, we have already made some changes in some areas. It may take us a little bit longer in other areas. Our commitment is to reach full re-opening of our community within the same standards as our surrounding community. We will do so cautiously as the health and well-being of everyone who lives and works at Holly Creek are paramount. As is spreading more joy and a return to normalcy for our vibrant community afforded us with our increasing vaccination rate. For more information about a specific area of interest, give us a call at (720) 575-1447.
Our next vaccine clinic is scheduled for January 27th. This will be the first opportunity for Residential Living & some Assisted Living residents to be vaccinated and will be the second vaccination for those Suites residents vaccinated. We encourage everyone to please submit their consent forms as soon as possible.
Assisted Living & Memory Support, please email Eric Adolph, eadolph@clcmail.org
The second clinic opportunity for those associated with the Timbers Skilled Nursing area and some Assisted Living residents and team members will be January 28th from 8 am -Noon. For those associated with the Timbers, this may be the last opportunity to receive a first vaccine dose. If you still need to turn in a consent form for yourself or a loved one, please email it to Shannon Todd, stodd@clcmail.org.
1/14/21
We are eagerly preparing for our first COVID-19 vaccine clinic for our residential, assisted and memory support neighborhoods of our community and the second clinics for our Suites at Holly Creek skilled nursing neighborhood.
Residential, Assisted & Memory Support Vaccine Clinic Date
Wednesday, January 27th
9am-5pm
Walgreens
Second Timbers Skilled Nursing Vaccine Clinic Date
Thursday, January 28th
8am-Noon
Walgreens
COVID-19 Vaccine Administration Plans
1/8/2021
COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics Continue
We had strong participation in our first vaccine clinic, with most Suites skilled nursing residents and team members vaccinated, and enough vaccine to begin vaccinations in Alpine assisted living and Meadows memory support. Our next clinic is scheduled for January 27th. This will be the first opportunity for Residential Living & some Assisted Living residents to be vaccinated, and will be the second vaccination for those Suites residents vaccinated this week. We encourage everyone to please submit their consent forms as soon as possible.
Assisted Living & Memory Support please email Eric Adolph, eadolph@clcmail.org
1/4/2021 We are thrilled to share the good news with you that our Walgreens Pharmacy partner has set our COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic where we will receive the Pfizer vaccine for our Residential Living and Assisted Living neighborhoods. While there will be two opportunities to get your vaccines, we strongly encourage team members and residents to get vaccinated on the dates listed in Option #1 as we will have more vaccines in the community on those days.
Vaccine Option #1 (preferred dates): First dose: Wednesday, January 27th from 9am – 5pm Second dose: Wednesday, February 17th from 9am – 5pm
Vaccine Option #2:
First dose: Wednesday, February 17th from 9am – 5pm Second dose: Wednesday, March 3rd from 9am – 5pm
We will need a current copy of each residents’ and employees’ insurance card and your vaccine consent form. The vaccine is free, however insurance may be charged for supplies and injection administration. If you do not have insurance, you will not be charged. For RL individuals, the consent form and copy of insurance can be turned into Heidi Schwandt. For AL individuals, the consent form and copy of insurance can be turned into Eric Adolph. We now need everyone’s cooperation to be ready for this as we want to get everyone in our community vaccinated for the safety and well-being of everyone who lives and works here. We encourage everyone in our community to get the vaccine. We must reach a “herd immunity” both within our senior living community and in the broader community in which we are located for life to eventually return to normal. Until we reach a high percentage vaccination rate, we will all still need to continue wearing masks, socially distancing, and washing our hands. Safety is top priority for not only our community but also for all of the scientists and health experts working on the vaccination effort. Like any vaccine, there may be minor side effects such as soreness, achiness, and potentially low-grade fever. A small number of people experience more serious side effects, but the percentages are low, and typically related to history of anaphylactic allergic reactions. We have a lot of useful information on our website and links to scientifically proven data. We are excited about this good news, and we hope you are too!
12/22/2020
We are thrilled to share the good news with you that our Walgreens Pharmacy partner has set our first COVID-19 Vaccination Clinic for at least a portion of our community.
Right now, we are anticipating inoculations for residents and team members of the Timbers skilled nursing neighborhood. We are advocating for the entire community to receive the vaccine at the same time, however it may come in phases. We will let you know more once we have details.
In the meantime, we now need everyone’s cooperation to be ready for this and future clinics as we want to get everyone in our community vaccinated for the safety and well-being of everyone who lives and works here. There will be a total of three clinics in each community. This ensures we can serve everyone who wants to receive a vaccination and stagger the vaccination schedule.
We encourage everyone in our community to get the vaccine. We must reach a “herd immunity” both within our senior living community and in the broader community we are located for life to eventually return to normal. • The vaccine will begin to provide you protection about two weeks after your second vaccination. • If you are vaccinated, you are being a good neighbor and protecting others by getting the vaccine. • The more quickly we all are vaccinated, the faster we can begin to loosen restrictions and connect in person with each other again. • Until we reach a high percentage vaccination rate, we will all still need to continue wearing masks, socially distancing, and washing our hands.
Many of you are eager to get the vaccine and put an end to this pandemic. Safety is top priority for not only our community but also for all of the scientists and health experts working on the vaccination effort. Like any vaccine, there may be minor side effects such as soreness, achiness, and potentially low-grade fever. A small number of people experience more series side effects, but the percentages are low, and typically related to history of anaphylactic allergic reactions. We have a lot of useful information on our website and links to scientifically proven data. Please take the time to learn more about the vaccine.
These forms can be sent the following people based on your/loved ones level of living. a. Residential Living, Heidi Schwandt, hschwandt@clcmail.org b. Assisted Living/Memory Support, Eric Adolph, eadolph@clcmail.org c. Skilled Nursing, Shannon Todd, stodd@clcmail.org
Please get ready now. We will need a current copy of each resident and employee insurance card. If you do not have one, please get one. The vaccine is free, however insurance may be charged for supplies and injection administration. If you do not have insurance, you will not be charged.
We are excited about this good news. We hope you are too!
This Frequently Asked Questions document is intended to give information to residents, families, team members, and the general community regarding the status of rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine in our communities. Information is changing daily. There are times the federal directive and state directives are different. Christian Living Communities (CLC) – Cappella Living Solutions is committed to providing accurate information as timely as possible. This document will be updated and available as changes warrant. For vaccine-specific information, we request the CDC documents be shared.
The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has prioritized older adults and people working in Long-Term Care to be part of the first-tier to receive the vaccine. Will my loved one’s Community be included?
All CLC-Cappella communities are registered with the Pharmacy Partnership for Long Term Care Initiative to be part of the vaccine’s first-tier distribution. At the moment, we believe this will include team members and residents of skilled nursing and assisted living communities. We are waiting to hear if residential (independent) living residents/team members will also be included in the first-tier distribution.
Where does the vaccine approval currently stand
Now that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been approved, the federal government has begun distribution to the states for inoculations. Each state will then set a state-specific timeline and process for vaccine distribution and administration. We anticipate all of the states we support will follow the CDC tier guidelines for prioritizing who will receive the vaccine first.
Once the states get the vaccine, how will it be distributed to Long-Term Care?
These are some of the details still being worked out. At this point, because all of our communities are registered in the federal pharmacy partnership, we will receive the vaccine through either CVS or Walgreens pharmacy or both. We anticipate the pharmacy teams coming to our communities to administer the vaccines to residents, working closely with our clinical teams. We are awaiting more details regarding team member vaccination.
How will the vaccine be rolled out in our Community?
We will begin by educating residents, families, and team members. The CDC has provided some information sheets that will be distributed and posted on websites to answer questions specifically around vaccine development, safety, and why getting the vaccine is beneficial. We will work with our assigned pharmacy, who will store, distribute, administered the vaccine. We anticipate the pharmacy will set up clinic dates and times for resident vaccinations. The pharmacies will also document and report our vaccine administration progress.
Once residents and team members are vaccinated, will restrictions be lifted?
Not immediately, but that is the goal. It will take time for the two-step vaccine process to be fully implemented therefore, we will still need to wear masks, socially distance, and follow clinical protocols until the Community and the surrounding cities and towns reach a majority of people being vaccinated. It takes up to two weeks after the second dose of the vaccine for each person to benefit from its protection.
What if my loved one or a team member refuses to be vaccinated?
The CLC-Cappella team is working to determine what options if any, will be offered to those refusing the vaccination. We will share more information when it’s available.
For vaccine-specific questions, please refer to the CDC handouts.
All residents and team members need to have their most current insurance cards. If you misplaced your insurance card please make sure you get a replacement card for yourself or your loved one as soon as possible, so the process moves forward as smoothly as possible.
Weekly County Data Updates
Holly Creek Begins Posting Critical Data Weekly as a Next Step towards Indoor Visitations
We are adding some very important information to our website for residents, families and team members. We will post two pieces of data that are critical to our COVID-19 testing process, and is one determining factor in our ability to offer indoor visits.
County Case Rate Governor Polis and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) set six criteria that must be met before an indoor visit can be offered in assisted living and skilled nursing communities. The first is the degree of community spread which CDPHE mandates be measured as the county’s case rate. This is the rate of how many positive cases per 100,000 people over a two week time period. This is the first piece of data that we will now post on our website every week.
A low or green case rate means we can offer visits without requiring visitors to have evidence of a negative COVID-19 test.
A yellow or medium rate means we can offer visits, but must require visitors to show proof of a negative COVID-19 test 48 hours prior to the visit.
A red or high rate means we cannot offer indoor visits.
County Positivity Rate The second piece of data is the county positivity rate. This determines how often we must conduct Routine (Mass) Testing of employees and contractors in skilled nursing neighborhoods as mandated by the Centers for Medicare/Medicaid Services (CMS). A rate below 5% requires testing only once a month, higher than that is once a week and above 10% will require twice a week.
This rate is important to keep an eye on for all levels of living including residential and assisted living, not just skilled nursing, as it is a key indicator of the risk in our county of spreading COVID-19.
Every week we will post both important pieces of data on our COVID-19 Updates page under this Weekly County Data Updates tab by the end of the day Monday.
Indoor Visits for Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing Requirements
In addition to the community spread rate each community must also meet five other criteria, conduct baseline testing of certain residents and staff, surveillance and outbreak testing, be outbreak-free, PPE supply must be adequate and critical staffing must be in place. To read more detail, please visit the CDPHE website.
Our community is currently working to conduct the required baseline testing in our regulated neighborhoods ( assisted living and skilled nursing) Once we have successfully finished the testing and met the other five criteria then visitors must also meet the following criteria:
Tested negative for COVID-19 within 48 hours of the visit and have documentation (from the time the test was collected) if the county is in the medium or high case rate level. The test must be a PCR (nasal swab) test, not a rapid POC (point of care) or an antibody test.
Fever free, go through screening and have no known COVID-19 exposure
Be 18 years old or older
Schedule appointments in advance
Wear masks and follow infection control guidelines such as washing hands prior to visiting and frequently throughout
Limit visitation to residents only in designated areas
We know the connection with family is vital and we will implement visits as soon as we are able to. In the meantime, please continue to utilize outdoor patio visits and plexiglass visits as offered by your community as well as technology-supported connections. Care essential visits are still being accommodated at this time.
We have learned that a resident in our residential living apartment homes has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. The resident has no signs or symptoms of the virus and is self-isolating in their apartment. Contact tracing has identified an unintentional exposure by one of the resident’s asymptomatic family members. The resident has received both doses of the vaccine.
We continue to monitor all residents and team members for signs and symptoms, and we continue with all virus sanitation and safety measures. We ask residential living residents to please self-monitor for symptoms and to report any concerns to the concierge. Additionally, all team members and residents are asked to wear a mask when outside of their home and to follow proper hand-sanitation.
At this time no other changes to community life are being taken, we will let you know as soon as possible if that must change due to more virus activity in the community.
The health and safety of everyone who lives and works at Holly Creek is of paramount importance to us. Thank you for doing your part to battle COVID-19, including getting the vaccine as soon as you can to stop the spread and to lessen the effects of the virus.
This was awarded to Holly Creek after the county health department conducted a thorough inspection of our restaurants and community. This award will allow our Centennial’s Restaurant to operate at a Level Yellow restriction and be able to open to our residents.
We are so excited to have begun vaccinating residents and team members at Holly Creek!
1/18/21
We have learned of two more residents living in our Timbers neighborhood who have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. One resident has no symptoms, and the other has mild symptoms. Of the three residents we are currently supporting with isolation protocols in our skilled nursing neighborhood, two have received the vaccine’s first dose.
The Health Suites will continue to test residents and team members twice a week; we are testing again today. We continue to monitor all residents and team members for signs and symptoms, and we continue with all virus sanitation and safety measures. We ask residential living residents to please self-monitor for symptoms and to report any concerns to the concierge.
The health and well-being of residents and team members is our top priority. We continue to work closely with the Tri-County Health Department. Out of an abundance of caution, we are temporarily closed for admissions, family visits, and open dining in the Timbers skilled nursing neighborhood.
COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics Continue
Our next vaccine clinic is scheduled for January 27th. This will be the first opportunity for Residential Living & some Assisted Living residents to be vaccinated and will be the second vaccination for those Suites residents vaccinated. We encourage everyone to please submit their consent forms as soon as possible.
Assisted Living & Memory Support, please email Eric Adolph, eadolph@clcmail.org
The second clinic opportunity for those associated with the Timbers Skilled Nursing area and some Assisted Living residents and team members will be January 28th from 8 am -Noon. For those associated with the Timbers, this may be the last opportunity to receive a first vaccine dose. If you still need to turn in a consent form for yourself or a loved one, please email it to Shannon Todd, stodd@clcmail.org.
Educational materials and consent forms can be found on the Holly Creek website at www.hollycreekcommunity.com; click on the COVID-19 tab and then go to the latest vaccine information link.
We are committed to keeping you informed. We also highly encourage everyone to receive the vaccine as soon as it is offered. Thank you for your continued patience and support.
COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics Continue
We had strong participation in our first vaccine clinic, with most Suites skilled nursing residents and team members vaccinated, and enough vaccine to begin vaccinations in Alpine assisted living and Meadows memory support. Our next clinic is scheduled for January 27th. This will be the first opportunity for Residential Living & some Assisted Living residents to be vaccinated and will be the second vaccination for those Suites residents vaccinated this week. We encourage everyone to please submit their consent forms as soon as possible.
Assisted Living & Memory Support please email Eric Adolph, eadolph@clcmail.org
Educational materials and consent forms can be found on the COVID-19 tab and then go to the latest vaccine information link.
1/4/2021 Updates and Vaccine Clinics Scheduled
We begin our 2021 with a mixture of COVID-19 information to share with you. We have a total of three team members who have tested positive for the COVID-19 virus. One works in the Alpine assisted living neighborhood, they last worked on December 31st and are isolating at home. A team member located in the Timbers skilled nursing neighborhood last worked on December 31st is now isolating at home and a team member working primarily in residential living, who last worked in the community on December 23rd, is isolating at home after a family exposure.
We continue our efforts to mitigate COVID-19 in our community with twice weekly testing in assisted living, memory support, and skilled nursing. We continue to monitor all residents and team members for signs and symptoms, and we continue with all virus sanitation and safety measures. We ask residential living residents to please self-monitor for symptoms and to report any concerns to the concierge.
All COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics are scheduled
Timbers skilled nursing is scheduled for this Wednesday, January 6th. Walgreens will administer the Pfizer vaccine to all residents and team members. If you still need to submit your consent form for yourself or a loved one, please email it to Shannon Todd, stodd@clcmail.org.
Alpine assisted Living, Meadows memory support and Residential Living is scheduled for January 27th. Again, Walgreens will administer the Pfizer vaccine and is scheduled from 9am-5pm. We will have more details about locations within the community soon. We encourage everyone to please submit their consent forms as soon as possible. • Assisted Living & Memory Support please email Eric Adolph, eadolph@clcmail.org • Residential Living please email Heidi Schwandt, hschwandt@clcmail.org
Educational materials and consent forms can be found on the COVID-19 tab and then go to the latest vaccine information link.
12/21/2020 Red Light Week
From Monday Dec 21st – Sunday Dec 27th Residents can do the following without needing to isolate upon return:
Go to medical and dental appointments Have outdoor patio visits on the Centennials patio or in the Fellowship Hall – no food permitted on Centennials patio during visits. Have socially distant visits with other residents in their apartments –all parties to wear a face mask during the visit, please! Receive contactless, curb-side pick up for grocery items. Go to drive-thrus such as banks, food, etc.
Important holiday notice: If a resident leaves to visit with friends or family for the Christmas holiday, they will be required to socially isolate for 10 days upon return to the community.
MPORTANT: Residents who visit with family members and do not schedule those visits or who visit during a RED LIGHT week must self-isolate for fourteen days. Questions? Contact Heidi Schwandt, Resident Service Director at hschwandt@clcmail.org or dial Extension 5607. Any or all of these measures are subject to change at any time in response to developments in county, state, or federal policy and health conditions in our area.
12/15/20 Updates for Dec 17th
We continue our efforts to mitigate COVID-19 in our community, and our commitment to timely and transparent communication. We learned late Wednesday that a resident of Holly Creek’s residential living neighborhood who tested Sunday, December 13th received a positive test result. The resident is recovering in their apartment home. Thanks to residents’ consistent adherence to socially distancing, wearing masks and limiting length of exposure, the resident had less than five minutes of exposure to residents outside their household or to team members within the last week.
Additionally, a team member who last worked in our Timbers neighborhood on Saturday has tested positive for COVID. This team member is asymptomatic and isolating at home.
We continue twice weekly testing in assisted living, memory support, and skilled nursing. We continue to monitor all residents and team members for signs and symptoms, and we continue with all virus sanitation and safety measures.
We ask residential living residents to please self-monitor for symptoms and to report any concerns to the concierge. All federal, state, county, and community standards and protocols are in place for the identification, isolation, and eradication of COVID-19 virus in our community. We are operating under Level Red restrictions with limited group activities, take-out and grab-and-go dining, and stringent adherence to mask wearing and hand hygiene.
If you didn’t get to join the Facts & Fiction of the COVID-19 Vaccine Facebook live event Wednesday with our clinical leaders, please visit the Christian Living Communities Facebook page for a recording of the event. We are working closely with Walgreens for vaccine clinic scheduling and will be sharing more soon about clinic scheduling and needed consents to administer this life-saving vaccine.
12/15/20 Updates for Dec 15th
In our continued commitment to timely and transparent communication, we want to let you know that a community support member assigned to the residential living area has tested positive for COVID-19. This team member began to have mild symptoms and received a negative rapid test result. A more reliable PCR test was then sought and that test did return positive. The team member is isolating at home and immediately left the community as soon as they became slightly symptomatic. The team member had less than five minutes of exposure to team members and all were wearing masks and maintaining social distance.
We do not have any other testing updates for any neighborhoods within our community today.
We continue to monitor all residents and team members for signs and symptoms, and we continue with all virus sanitation and safety measures. We ask residential living residents to please self-monitor for symptoms and to report any concerns to the concierge. All federal, state, county, and community standards and protocols are in place for the identification, isolation, and eradication of COVID-19 virus in our community. We are operating under Level Red restrictions with limited group activities, take-out and grab-and-go dining, and stringent adherence to mask wearing and hand hygiene. We continue regular testing in our assisted living and skilled nursing neighborhoods.
We have an opportunity for Holly Creek families to join in for some holiday fun. Please click here to register for a Parade of Lights, December 16th at 6:15pm,
Additionally, please join our clinical and operational leaders a bit earlier tomorrow, Wednesday, December 16th at 10 am for a Facebook Live discussion about the Facts and Fiction of the COVID-19 vaccine. We will have our Medical Director, Dr. Erick Gomer, our Vice President of Clinical and Compliance, Pat Mc Bride, RN, and CLC-Cappella’s President and CEO Jill Vitale-Aussem sharing the latest information and taking your questions live. You will simply need to follow the CLC corporate Facebook page and then tune in to the page next Wednesday.
12/14/20 Updates for Dec 14th
We are saddened to share with you that a beloved resident who lived in our Timbers neighborhood has passed away. This resident did receive a positive COVID-19 test, but we cannot say for certain if the virus directly lead to this resident’s death. In our commitment to transparency, we wanted to let our Holly Creek family know. We hold this resident’s family and friends up in our thoughts and prayers and send our sincerest sympathy.
We continue to monitor all residents and team members for signs and symptoms, and we continue with all virus sanitation and safety measures. We ask residential living residents to please self-monitor for symptoms and to report any concerns to the concierge. All federal, state, county, and community standards and protocols are in place for the identification, isolation, and eradication of COVID-19 virus in our community. We are operating under Level Red restrictions with limited group activities, take-out and grab-and-go dining, and stringent adherence to mask wearing and hand hygiene. We continue regular testing in our assisted living and skilled nursing neighborhoods.
We have an opportunity for Holly Creek families to join in for some holiday fun. Please click here to register for a Parade of Lights, December 16th at 6:15pm, click here to register.
Additionally, please join our clinical and operational leaders earlier that same day, next Wednesday, December 16th at 10 am for a Facebook Live discussion about the Facts and Fiction of the COVID-19 vaccine. We will have our Medical Director, Dr. Erick Gomer, our Vice President of Clinical and Compliance, Pat Mc Bride, RN, and CLC-Cappella’s President and CEO Jill Vitale-Aussem sharing the latest information and taking your questions live. You will simply need to follow the CLC corporate Facebook page and then tune in to the page next Wednesday.
We will continue to post more details including what we are aware of concerning the vaccine roll-out plans for Colorado on our website at www.hollycreekcommunity.com.
We are a family here at Holly Creek, together, we will get through this.
12/11/20 Updates for Dec 11th
We’ve learned that a resident in our Timbers skilled nursing neighborhood has tested positive for COVID-19. The resident was already being supported with isolation protocols as they were in their 14 day new resident isolation period. We have no other residents or staff members with signs or symptoms at this time.
Due to the low risk of exposure to others, there are no changes to our current limited dining and small group activities.
We continue to monitor all residents and team members for signs and symptoms, and we continue with all virus sanitation and safety measures. We ask residential living residents to please self-monitor for symptoms and to report any concerns to the concierge. All federal, state, county, and community standards and protocols are in place for the identification, isolation, and eradication of COVID-19 virus in our community. We are operating under Level Red restrictions with limited group activities, take-out and grab-and-go dining, and stringent adherence to mask wearing and hand hygiene.
We have an opportunity for Holly Creek families to join in for some holiday fun. Please click here to register for a Parade of Lights, December 16th at 6:15pm.
Additionally, please join our clinical and operational leaders earlier that same day, next Wednesday, December 16th at 10 am for a Facebook Live discussion about the Facts and Fiction of the COVID-19 vaccine. We will have our Medical Director, Dr. Erick Gomer, our Vice President of Clinical and Compliance, Pat Mc Bride, RN, and CLC-Cappella’s President and CEO Jill Vitale-Aussem sharing the latest information and taking your questions live. You will simply need to follow the CLC corporate Facebook page and then tune in to the page next Wednesday.
12/8/20 Updates for Dec 8th
We’ve learned that a support team member working in our residential living (independent living) neighborhood has tested positive for COVID-19. The team member has not been in the community since Friday December 4th. The team member developed symptoms and was tested the following day. The results were returned positive this morning. Extensive contact tracing was completed and there is no risk of exposure to other team members or residents. We have no other residents or staff members with signs or symptoms that have not already been reported in previous communication.
We continue to monitor all residents and team members for signs and symptoms, and we continue with all virus sanitation and safety measures. We ask residential living residents to please self-monitor for symptoms and to report any concerns to the concierge. All federal, state, county, and community standards and protocols are in place for the identification, isolation, and eradication of COVID-19 virus in our community. We are operating under Level Red restrictions with limited group activities, take-out and grab-and-go dining, and stringent adherence to mask wearing and hand hygiene.
We will also host a “Latest with the Legacies” Town Hall webinar today, December 8th at 4:30pm. You can register for the webinar on our website or by clicking on this link, https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/5026305667548107275.
Correction from yesterday’s communication, the call multiplier and web posting stated a Rhythms team member tested positive for COVID-19, this was actually a support team member in residential living (independent living). We apologize for the error.
12/7/20 Updates for Dec 7th
We have a couple of updates impacting different areas of our community today, therefore we are dividing up the information to make it easier to read.
The Suites at Holly Creek
We’ve learned that a team member working in our Alpine assisted living neighborhood has tested positive for COVID-19. The team member has not been in the community since December 1st and continues to recuperate at home. All other test results from last week’s mass testing have returned negative. Suites team members and Suites residents who have left the community in the last 14 days will be tested again this week.
Residential Living
A community support team member has tested positive from the rapid Point of Care (POC) test today and was immediately sent home. The team member will receive a more accurate PCR test to confirm this result. The team member had no interactions today with residents and was appropriately wearing PPE.
We continue to monitor all residents and team members for signs and symptoms, and we continue with all virus sanitation and safety measures. We ask residential living residents to please self-monitor for symptoms and to report any concerns to the concierge. All federal, state, county, and community standards and protocols are in place for the identification, isolation, and eradication of COVID-19 virus in our community. We are operating under Level Red restrictions with limited group activities, take-out and grab-and-go dining, and stringent adherence to mask wearing and hand hygiene.
The family hotline number is available; please call 303.997.3430 if you have questions about this information. For specific resident questions, please know someone may need to call you back after a message is relayed to care teams.
We will also host a “Latest with the Legacies” Town Hall webinar tomorrow, December 8th at 4:30pm. You can register for the webinar by clicking here.
12/3/20 All 23 CLC-Cappella Communities Prepared to Receive COVID-19 Vaccine
Priority distribution of the COVID-19 vaccine to seniors and healthcare workers who are at the most risk of contracting the virus is welcome news. CLC-Cappella is ready to receive the vaccine to protect residents and associates in all 23 of our communities as soon as it is available. We remain in constant communication with state health departments, the CDC, and the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) as details of the distribution process continue to develop.
Learn more about the COVID-19 Vaccine Plan here.
11/30/2020 Status Update
We’ve learned that a team member working in our Alpine assisted living neighborhood has tested positive for COVID-19. The team member has not been in the community since November 22nd and continues to recuperate at home. We’ve conducted another round of resident testing in our assisted living neighborhood today and will share results once we have them.
We continue to monitor all residents and team members for signs and symptoms, and we continue with all virus sanitation and safety measures. All federal, state, county, and community standards and protocols are in place for the identification, isolation, and eradication of COVID-19 virus in our community. We are operating under Level Red restrictions with limited group activities, take-out and grab-and-go dining, and stringent adherence to mask wearing and hand hygiene.
Twice a week team member testing continues this week for those working in our assisted living, memory support and skilled nursing neighborhoods.
The family hotline number is available; please call 303-997-3430 if you have questions about this information. For specific resident questions, please know someone may need to call you back after a message is relayed to care teams.
We appreciate everyone in the community’s continued focus on being a good neighbor and doing everything we can do to protect each other during this pandemic. Be well. Be Safe.
11/25/2020
In our continued commitment to timely and transparent communication, we want to let you know we were notified by a resident who lives in our residential living apartments they have tested positive for COVID-19. This resident is asymptomatic and was tested for travel purposes on November 21st. The resident has not been in the community since yesterday and will be retested on Friday. Additionally, the resident shared that they have not been in the dining room for more than two weeks, have maintained social distance in preparation for their trip, and adhered to mask protocols.
We are in the process of conducting contact tracing and will personally notify anyone who was determined to have direct exposure to this resident. We continue to encourage all residential living residents to self-monitor for symptoms and to report any testing as soon as possible.
We continue to monitor all residents and staff for signs and symptoms, and we continue with all virus sanitation and safety measures. All federal, state, county, and community standards and protocols are in place for the identification, isolation, and eradication of COVID-19 virus in our community. The entire community continues to operate under the CDC guidelines. We also continue to enforce the proper, over the nose and mouth, wearing of masks for all team members and residents when outside of their apartment.
We continue with limited group activities, take-out, and grab-and-go dining, and stringent adherence to mask-wearing and hand hygiene. We will have a special Thanksgiving meal for everyone at Holly Creek and we encourage families to connect via phone, video call, or closed window visits. If a resident leaves the community for a holiday gathering with family and friends, those living in assisted living and skilled nursing will be required to self-isolate for 14 days. We request the same of residential living residents for the health and well-being of our entire Holly Creek community.
The family hotline number is available; please call 720.266.5641 if you have questions about this information. For specific resident questions, please know someone may need to call you back after a message is relayed to care teams.
We do not anticipate any additional updates tomorrow Thanksgiving Day, unless urgent in nature. We will resume notifications on Friday if updates warrant.
11/20/2020 Governor’s Level Red Order
Governor Polis’s Level Red order goes into effect this evening at 5:00 pm. The designation impacts everyone in our county and is aimed to stop the spread of COVID-19. Just this week, the Governor released a new statistic that 1 out of every100 people in the Denver metro area is infected with the virus. We also know that some state hospitals are already at capacity.
The order very specifically states that anyone considered in a high-risk population should stay home. People ages 65 and up are considered a high-risk population in the order definition; therefore, according to the state order, residents in our community should stay home unless they need to leave for a medically necessary reason.
The order also closes restaurants but still allows for take-out and delivery, and it limits the sizes of gatherings indoors. Again, this applies to everyone who lives in our county, not just senior living. The Centers for Disease Control has also issued a strong advisory asking people not to travel this Thanksgiving.
All of this information is hard to hear. We’ve been working to understand how this order impacts our senior living community. We have been seeking guidance from the state health department and local agencies for any changes in protocols and operations. These conversations are ongoing. Therefore the information listed below may change; this is what we know as of now, and what we must do to be in compliance with the new State order:
All dining rooms in our community are closed. We will provide in apartment/suite dining and to-go options for all residents. Those needing assistance with dining will continue to be supported in the dining room. To request in apartment/suite dining please contact your dining department. All life enrichment gatherings are limited to five people and should be with people each resident is frequently around, their “COVID Bubble Buddy”. This is a term a group of residents came up with to describe what the health order refers to as pods of people, a “household”. Now is the time for all residents in our community to identify their “Bubble Buddies,” up to five people in your specific neighborhood, that you can socialize with while maintaining a safe bubble, creating your household. Residents must continue to wear a mask, keep six feet of social distance with each other, and wash their hands frequently if they are together with their “bubble buddies.” By regulation, anyone who lives in assisted living, memory support or skilled nursing and chooses to leave our community for a non-clinical appointment must then quarantine for 14 days when they return to the community. Per recent testing mandates, they will be tested twice a week along with team members. With the risk of exposure so high in our area, we are also asking residential living residents to consider the health and well-being of their neighbors before leaving the community for a non-clinical visit. We are providing all residential living residents an exposure risk assessment to help in your decision. If you do, we request you consider a 14 day isolation period to ensure you weren’t inadvertently exposed to the virus and do not spread it to the community. We know we have a conscientious group of people who want to be a good neighbor. All hair salons that were previously open will remain open with salon staff following all Department of Regulatory Agencies (DORA) regulations.
Now is the time to pull together as a community and “protect our house.” We want to be safe and responsible for each other. We also want to be creative and find ways to retain and build a connection with each other for our mental and emotional well-being. Please start talking with your neighbors about building your “bubble buddy” system. Work together to place calls to each other, schedule video chats, and small groups of five gatherings with social distance. Now is the time to establish your tribe of people within our community
For our cherished families, we know these restrictions are worrisome. Please stay in communication with your loved one, schedule video visits, closed window visits, send care packages, drop off cards and favorite meals, plan a “parade of lights” through our parking lot and let us know if you have concerns so we can try to help.
We are in this together. With new vaccines on the horizon, we have to now more than ever, support and love each other, and we will get through this together.
Update 11/20/20
Holly Creek Testing Results for November, 20th
In our continued commitment to timely and transparent communication, we want to let you know we received a positive test result for a team member who works in our residential living neighborhood. The associate last worked yesterday and is now home recuperating.
We have conducted extensive contact tracing and performed a rapid Point of Care (POC) test with all team members who were in direct contact with this housekeeper. All of those rapid tests have returned negative. So far, contact tracing doesn’t indicated a direct exposure to a resident.
We continue to monitor all residents and staff for signs and symptoms, and we continue with all virus sanitation and safety measures. All federal, state, county, and community standards and protocols are in place for the identification, isolation, and eradication of COVID-19 virus in our community. The entire community continues to operate under the CDC guidelines. We also continue to enforce the proper, over the nose and mouth, wearing of masks for all team members and residents when outside of their apartment.
This evening, the new Level Red order from Governor Polis goes into effect. The order will require that we close all of our dining rooms, offering to-go and in suite/apartment dining options. Life enrichment gatherings are limited in size. The order asks anyone at a higher risk to stay home. The order defines anyone 65 years and older as high risk. Additionally the Governor shared that they now estimate that 1 in every 100 people in the Denver metro area is now infected with COVID-19.
The family hotline number is available; please call 720.266.5641 if you have questions about this information. For specific resident questions, please know someone may need to call you back after a message is relayed to care teams.
These are difficult times, but together, we will get through this.
Update 11/18/20
Mass Testing for Assisted Living Residents on Wednesday November, 18th
At Holly Creek the health and well-being of our residents and team members is our top priority. We are committed to regular, timely testing as one of our best weapons in combating COVID-19. Holly Creek will be administering nasal swab PCR based mass testing to all residents in the assisted living neighborhood today, Wednesday, November 18th. The ability to quickly identify, isolate, and eradicate the virus, which is gripping our community, state, and nation right now, is our goal.
We continue to monitor all residents and staff for signs and symptoms, and we continue with all virus sanitation and safety measures. All federal, state, county, and community standards and protocols are in place for the identification, isolation, and eradication of COVID-19 virus in our community. The entire community continues to operate under the CDC guidelines.
The family hotline number is available; please call 720.266.5641 if you have questions about this information. For specific resident questions, please know someone may need to call you back after a message is relayed to care teams.
We will share testing results as soon as they are available. Thank you for your continued patience and support.
Update 11/13/20
New COVID Testing Order
Dear Residents, Team Members and Families,
The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) issued a new mandatory COVID testing order that will go into effect for our community on Friday, November 20th.
This order requires us to test ALL team members and professionals providing care (vendors, doctors, etc.) associated with our assisted living, memory support and skilled nursing neighborhoods weekly. This mandate also requires testing of any resident of those neighborhoods who leave our community within the last 14 days. Again this goes into effect on Friday, November 20th, therefore any resident leaving this weekend or after, will be part of the testing “look back” period. If our county’s positivity rate increases above 10%, we then will need to test team members and residents twice a week until the rate goes back below 10% for two consecutive weeks.
We are working to set up a standing testing time and date so team members can make accommodations to take part in this mandatory testing. We will also schedule residents who qualify for this surveillance testing on the same days as the team member testing.
To help ensure we are able to conduct this weekly testing, the state has partnered with Curative, a national COVID testing firm to provide supplies and equipment to communities. The test will be an oral salvia test and team members will be able to administer it themselves. Curative has worked with other states and provided test results within 48 hours of receiving the test sample, an improvement over the several day wait we are now experiencing. We will provide all team members, residents, and families more information about where, how and when the testing will take place as soon as we work out a few more details and receive our test supplies.
The timing of this order is something to take into consideration for the holidays. If a resident leaves for Thanksgiving, they will be required to be tested and to socially isolate for 14 days upon return to the community. Both the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and CDPHE state that this mandated testing will not shorten the required 14 day social isolation period for residents in our assisted living, memory support, and assisted living neighborhoods.
For those living in our residential living neighborhoods who decide to leave the community to gather with loved ones for the holidays, we will require a 14 day social isolation period upon your return to our community. The length of time of the visit will not shorten this requirement. With the surge of COVID- 19 in our state, and with our county in the orange safer at home level, this is a necessary step to ensure the health and welfare of everyone who lives and works at our community.
We highly recommend that everyone who lives and works at Holly Creek exercise caution and take extra safety steps during this holiday season. The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has issued some Thanksgiving guidelines for all of us to consider if we choose to take part in a gathering.
Take into consideration the local county positivity rate before planning a gathering. Those preparing food should wear a mask at all If two or more households are gathering, everyone should wear a For residents hosting a small in apartment gathering, you do not have to count each in community apartment as a separate household. Holly Creek is considered one household according to CDPHE, however, you must still adhere to no more than six to 10 people, and you must practice social Keep the gathering small and short in duration to limit exposure If possible, have a window open or better yet, host the meal outside. Governor Polis has asked for no more than two households to gather Attempt to maintain social distancing of six feet or more at all times.
We will serve a special meal for residents on Thanksgiving. We will also do our best to help families connect for the holiday through technology visits, outside visits, and closed window visits.
With the surge in cases in our community and nationally, we all must do our part to stop the spread of the virus and protect those most vulnerable to the harsher effectives of this very contagious virus.
Thank you for your support and understanding during this challenging phase of our community’s life.
Respectfully,
Chris Miller Executive Director
Update 11/12/20
Holly Creek COVID-19 Update
This has been a long season of coping with COVID-19 and we appreciate everyone’s hard work, diligence, and support of one another. We will need to continue to care for one another during this virus surge in our state.
We are saddened to share with you that a beloved resident who made the Timbers skilled nursing neighborhood home, passed away last night. The resident was at the hospital for other ailments and had tested positive for COVID-19 while there. Our prayers and thoughts are with the resident’s family, friends, and the team members who provided loving care and support.
Additionally, we’ve learned a team member from Timbers tested positive yesterday. The team member last worked in the community on November 6th and is recovering at home. Two residents from our Alpine assisted living neighborhood have tested positive, one was already at the hospital for other health ailments when they became symptomatic.
All of our surveillance testing performed last Wednesday 11/4 for the Timbers neighborhood has returned negative. We are awaiting results for tests collected on Thursday 11/5. We are also awaiting further testing direction for our Alpine neighborhood given the most recent two positive tests.
We continue to follow all federal, state and local protocols and we continue with stringent virus sanitation efforts. Team members are wearing N95 masks, eye protection, and gloves while providing care and residents are asked to wear masks when outside of their suites.
We continue with contact tracing efforts and will notify any residents and their loved ones as well as associates who may have had direct contact with anyone infected with the virus.
The family hotline number is available; please call 720.266.5641 if you have questions about this information. For specific resident questions, please know someone may need to call you back after a message is relayed to care teams.
We will continue to share testing results as soon as they are available. Thank you for your continued prayers and support, it means a great deal to us.
Update 11/11/20
Holly Creek Team Member Tests Positive
Holly Creek is committed to timely communication and transparency. Today we had a team member who upon screening presented symptoms of COVID-19 in our residential living neighborhood. The support team member received a rapid tested POC test that returned a positive result. A more accurate PCR test was completed and results are pending. The team member is isolating at home.
We have conducted extensive contact tracing and have notified all team members and residents who may have come into contact with the community support team members. At this time, no other resident or team member in residential living has signs or symptoms of COVID-19.
The health and well-being of residents and team members is our top priority. We are in contact with our local health department for any additional guidance. We continue to screen all team members and care essential visitors daily and monitor everyone in the community for signs and symptoms. The family hotline number is available; please call 720.266.5641 if you have questions about this information. For specific resident questions, please know someone may need to call you back after a message is relayed to care teams.
We will continue to share testing results as soon as they are available. Thank you for your continued patience and support.
Update 11/10/20
Holly Creek COVID-19 Update
We are committed to keeping our Holly Creek family fully informed and want to share with you that we learned last night that a resident from our Timbers skilled nursing neighborhood has tested positive for COVID-19. The resident was tested at the hospital after being transported for other health concerns.
We’ve conducted rapid Point of Care (POC) tests of Timbers residents and team members. One other resident tested positive and was immediately placed on clinical isolation protocols. All other rapid tests returned negative. The resident was retested this morning with the more accurate nasal swap PCR test this morning, those results are still pending. We are awaiting resident testing directives from the health department.
Our weekly routine nasal swab PCR testing for skilled nursing team members is scheduled for tomorrow and Thursday.
All visitors and non-essential workers to the Timber’s skilled nursing neighborhood have been postponed. All essential workers are wearing N95 masks and eye protection. Residents are being encouraged to remain in their suites as safety concerns allow and all are being asked to wear a mask when outside of their suite.
Extra disinfecting is being added to our already stringent virus mitigation sanitation protocols. We continue to follow all federal, state and local health directives.
We continue with contact tracing efforts and will notify any residents and their loved ones as well as associates who may have had direct contact with either resident.
The family hotline number is available; please call 720.266.5641 if you have questions about this information. For specific resident questions, please know someone may need to call you back after a message is relayed to care teams.
We will continue to share testing results as soon as they are available. Thank you for your continued patience and support.
Update 11/4/20
Mass Testing Results
We have conducted extensive contact tracing and have notified all team members and residents who may have come into contact with the community support team members. At this time, no other resident or team member has signs or symptoms of COVID-19. All other tests were negative.
The health and well-being of residents and team members is our top priority. We are in contact with our local health department for any additional guidance. We continue to screen all team members and care essential visitors daily and monitor everyone in the community for signs and symptoms. The family hotline number is available; please call 720.266.5641 if you have questions about this information. For specific resident questions, please know someone may need to call you back after a message is relayed to care teams.
We will continue to share testing results as soon as they are available. Thank you for your continued patience and support.
Update 11/2/20
FAQ on Independent Living Infection Control Protocols
On Monday of each week, Independent Living residents receive a notice informing them of whether it is a GREEN LIGHT or RED LIGHT week. You may find FAQ on this process here and information on Green Light Weeks vs. Red Light Weeks here.
This week is a RED LIGHT week.
Update 10/26/20
FAQ on Independent Living Infection Control Protocols
On Monday of each week, Independent Living residents receive a notice informing them of whether it is a GREEN LIGHT or RED LIGHT week. You may find FAQ on this process here and information on Green Light Weeks vs. Red Light Weeks here.
This week is a RED LIGHT week.
Update 10/26/20
Holly Creek COVID-19 Status Update
We were informed yesterday evening that a resident who lives in our community’s residential living area has tested positive for COVID-19. The resident is isolating in their apartment home, and we immediately began contact tracing. Through this, we learned that the resident did eat with two others in the dining room Saturday evening. We immediately contacted both residents who dined with the positive resident. They are now also isolating in their home and will be tested. We also contacted our Duet dining team, and the three associates who served the table are also isolating at home and will be tested. The Duet dining team fully sanitized the dining room Saturday evening per protocol, which occurs after each meal.
We continue to trace the positive resident’s movements. We will contact any other residents or team members who may have had a potential exposure.
At this time, we have no other reports of people living in residential living who are symptomatic or who are being tested. All residents must inform the concierge if they have symptoms or plan on being tested. It is equally important that if you are awaiting a test result, especially if you are experiencing any COVID symptoms, you remain socially isolated until you receive your test results.
The health and well-being of residents and team members is our top priority. We are in contact with our local health department for any additional guidance. We continue to screen all team members and care essential visitors daily, and monitor everyone in the community for signs and symptoms.
The family hotline number is available; please call 720.266.5641 if you have questions about this information. For specific resident questions, please know someone may need to call you back after a message is relayed to care teams.
We will continue to share updates as we have them. Thank you for your continued patience and support.
Update 10/22/20
Mass Testing Results
Holly Creek is committed to timely communication and transparency, we have received all tests results from last week’s mass testing and were notified today that two community support team members that worked in common spaces in the Suites skilled nursing and rehabilitation neighborhood tested positive for COVID-19. One team member last worked on October 14th and the other today. Both team members were wearing masks, are asymptomatic and are currently recovering at home.
We have conducted extensive contact tracing and have notified all team members and residents who may have come into contact with the community support team members. If a team member had a direct exposure to the infected team members, they have been sent home. At this time, no other resident or team member has signs or symptoms of COVID-19.
The health and well-being of residents and team members is our top priority. We are in contact with our local health department for any additional guidance. We continue to screen all team members and care essential visitors daily and monitor everyone in the community for signs and symptoms.
The family hotline number is available; please call 720.266.5641 if you have questions about this information. For specific resident questions, please know someone may need to call you back after a message is relayed to care teams.
We will continue to share testing results as soon as they are available. Thank you for your continued patience and support.
Update 10/21/20
FAQ on Independent Living Infection Control Protocols
On Monday of each week, Independent Living residents receive a notice informing them of whether it is a GREEN LIGHT or RED LIGHT week. You may find FAQ on this process here and information on Green Light Weeks vs. Red Light Weeks here.
Update 10/16/20
In our continued effort to support as much connection between residents and family members we are taking the final step needed to provide Indoor visitations for our Timbers skilled nursing, Alpine assisted living and Meadows memory support neighborhoods of our community.
We will be conducting baseline PCR mass testing of all team members and residents who have left our Alpine assisted living and Meadows memory support neighborhoods within the last 14 days. We do not have a confirmed date for testing at this time and will notify you when we do. We have completed testing for our Timbers skilled nursing neighborhood. Families were individually notified regarding this testing. If we receive any positives from these tests we will notify you.
There are six criteria that each community must meet before offering indoor visits ranging from the degree of virus spread (posted on our website weekly) in the greater community to baseline testing of team members and PPE availability. This is part of Governor Polis and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) directives to allow indoor visits in assisted living and skilled nursing communities.
Depending on the results of the baseline testing, we believe we will be poised to offer indoor visitations. We are identifying visitation areas, protocols, and procedures.
However, there are also criteria that each visitor must also meet. This includes being able to have documented proof of a negative Antigen COVID-19 test within 48 hours prior to the scheduled visit. Without that proof, and having results back within that time frame, we cannot accommodate an indoor visit.
We will share the results of our baseline testing once it is available In the meantime, we continue to offer outdoor visits, window, and plexiglass divider visits. Please continue to take advantage of these opportunities and technology-supported visits while we continue to work on implementing the Governor’s indoor visitation directives. We are as anxious as you are and will quickly work to implement these visits as we are able.
Update 10/5/20
FAQ on Day Visits to Family’s Homes Please find the FAQ on booking day visits for Residents at Holly Creek for the week of Tuesday, October 6 through Monday, October 12, here.
FAQ on Independent Living Visiting with Neighbors Please find the FAQ on visiting with neighbors in IL here.
Update 9/3/20
Next Steps for Colorado Governor’s Guidance on Indoor Visits We are as excited as our families and residents to hear the good news that Governor Polis and the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment (CDPHE) has given final guidance on allowing indoor visits within residential care communities.
There are six criteria that each community must meet before offering indoor visits ranging from the degree of virus spread in the greater community to baseline testing of team members and PPE availability. We are assessing our community’s eligibility to offer indoor visits based on the six criteria now, to read more detail please visit the CDPHE website
If we meet these six criteria, then there are additional requirements of the person coming into the community. This includes being able to have documented proof of a negative Antigen COVID-19 test within 48 hours prior to the scheduled visit. Without that proof, and having results back within that time frame, we cannot accommodate an indoor visit.
We appreciate our resident and family member’s patience as we work through this new exciting guidance. In the meantime, we continue to offer outdoor visits, window, and plexiglass divider visits. Please continue to take advantage of these opportunities and technology-supported visits while implementing the Governor’s new directives. We are as anxious as you are and will quickly work to implement these visits as we are able.
We will host a special CLC-Cappella Colorado Communities Town Hall Webinar on Tuesday, September 8th at 4:30pm MT for residents, families and team members to receive the latest progress towards implementation and what is required. You can register for that webinar here
Update 7/31/20
FAQ on Self-Isolation Protocol Please find the FAQ on our Self-Isolation Protocol for Independent Living Residents a
1/15/21
Updates and Next Vaccine Clinic
We are committed to timely and transparent communication and want to share that we received one positive resident test result from our COVID-19 testing on January 12th. The resident lives in the Timbers skilled nursing neighborhood and is being served in isolation with full PPE protocols.
The Health Suites will continue to test residents and team members twice a week, the next test date is Monday, January 18th. We continue to monitor all residents and team members for signs and symptoms, and we continue with all virus sanitation and safety measures. We ask residential living residents to please self-monitor for symptoms and to report any concerns to the concierge.
The health and well-being of residents and team members is our top priority. We have been in contact with Tri-County Health Department and out of an abundance of caution we are temporarily closed for admissions, family visits and open dining in the Timbers skilled nursing neighborhood.
COVID-19 Vaccine Clinics Continue
Our next vaccine clinic is scheduled for January 27th. This will be the first opportunity for Residential Living & some Assisted Living residents to be vaccinated, and will be the second vaccination for those Suites residents vaccinated. We encourage everyone to please submit their consent forms as soon as possible. • Assisted Living & Memory Support please email Eric Adolph, eadolph@clcmail.org • Residential Living please email Heidi Schwandt, hschwandt@clcmail.org Educational materials and consent forms can be found on the COVID-19 tab and then go to the latest vaccine information link.
1/14/21
We are eagerly preparing for our first COVID-19 vaccine clinic for our residential, assisted and memory support neighborhoods of our community and the second clinics for our Suites at Holly Creek skilled nursing neighborhood.
Residential, Assisted & Memory Support Vaccine Clinic Date
Wednesday, January 27th
9am-5pm
Walgreens
Second Timbers Skilled Nursing Vaccine Clinic Date
Thursday, January 28th
8am-Noon
Walgreens
Timbers Skilled Nursing Neighborhood
For residents and team members associated with our Timbers skilled nursing neighborhood, this may be your last opportunity to receive the vaccine in the community. We cannot guarantee first-round doses will be available after this next clinic. This clinic will provide second and first-round doses. Right now, 95% of the medically eligible residents and 54% of the medically eligible team members received the first round dose. Some people are not eligible due to pregnancy or health conditions.
Residential, Assisted and Memory Support Neighborhoods
We encourage everyone in our community to get the vaccine. While we do have the clinic scheduled, if you have an opportunity to receive the vaccine earlier through your health plan or doctor, go ahead and get it. We encourage everyone to get the vaccine as soon as it is offered. We must reach a “herd immunity” both within our senior living community and in the broader community, we are located for life to eventually return to normal.
The vaccine will begin to provide you protection about two weeks after your second vaccination.
If you are vaccinated, you are being a good neighbor and protecting others by getting the vaccine.
The more quickly we all are vaccinated, the faster we can begin to loosen restrictions and connect in person with each other again.
Until we reach a high percentage vaccination rate, we will all still need to continue wearing masks, socially distancing, and washing our hands.
Safety is a top priority for not only our community but also for all of the scientists and health experts working on the vaccination effort. Like any vaccine, there may be minor side effects such as soreness, achiness, and potentially low-grade fever. A small number of people experience more serious side effects, but the percentages are low, and typically related to a history of anaphylactic allergic reactions.
We have a lot of useful information on our website, www.HollyCreekCommunity.com, click on the COVID Updates tab, and then Latest Vaccine Information. In addition to reputable resources, we have the Walgreens consent form on the site that you can download, fill out and email to Heidi Schwandt, hschwandt@clcmail.org for residential living, to Eric Adolph, eadolph@clcmail.org for assisted living and memory support, and to Shannon Todd, stodd@clcmail.org if you still need to turn one in to receive your first dose at the second clinic for the Timbers skilled nursing. Additionally, be sure to have a current insurance card and information.
Now is the time to fully educate yourself about the vaccine. We want everyone who lives and works in our community to be vaccinated for the future safety of our community.
1/8/2021
Updates and Vaccine Clinics Scheduled
In our continued commitment to timely and transparent communication, we want to share that a recently-arrived healthcare Suites resident received a positive Point of Care test this morning for the COVID-19 virus. The resident has been served in isolation with full PPE since their arrival at the Suites, so the risk of transmission to other residents is limited.
Our twice-weekly testing of Suites residents and team members continues, with the next testing date on Tuesday, January 12th. We continue to monitor all residents and team members for signs and symptoms, and we continue with all virus sanitation and safety measures. We ask residential living residents to please self-monitor for symptoms and to report any concerns to the concierge.
Update 6/24/20
Outdoor Visitation Guidelines Per Governor Polis’s direction, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment released directives for outside visits with loved ones for people living in long-term care communities such as assisted living, memory support and skilled nursing. The directives require new operational protocols, which we are in the process of developing. In addition, team member training must take place before outside visits can be scheduled. We will provide an update on Holly Creek’s ability to host these visits as soon as we can. We appreciate your patience.
Update 6/5/20
Holly Creek COVID-19 Status Update
Health and Happiness
While Colorado is in various stages of reopening, government restrictions have not changed for senior living communities. We are still under restrictive CDC status. However, CLC and Holly Creek are currently working to put procedures in place to strike a balance between the crucial need to maintain physical health with mental health leading to happiness.
Independent Living residents and families can now sign up for plexiglass visits outside Fellowship Hall. Holly Creek has enacted additional measures around health and happiness including the ability for independent residents to take part in medical visits and scenic drives without having to isolate upon return. You can read about some of the measures related to in-person visits, driving and isolation protocols, and excursions available at this time here. Please contact us with questions or for complete details.
Q: What is being done to protect residents and staff?
A: We continue to implement rigorous virus sanitizing protocols daily. The county health department continues to direct our actions. Residents’ temperatures are taken twice daily and the team is vigilantly monitoring all signs and symptoms for everyone who lives and works at Holly Creek.
Q: Is Holly Creek Safe?
A: The COVID-19 Pandemic is a world-wide health crisis. While no place at this time is immune to the virus, we continue extraordinary precautions with the guidance of local health officials and the CDC.
Q: What are the ‘rules’ your respective communities follow to detect, contain and isolate COVID-19?
A: The health and safety of our residents and team members is our top priority and we will continue to practice all federal, and local mandated measures as well as our organizational procedures to limit exposure of COVID-19 in our communities.
Q: Who is allowed to visit your communities?
A: The community is scheduling video calls and courtyard visits (patio visits, lawn visits) with social distancing and plexiglass for family visitors.
For all licensed neighborhoods – assisted living and memory support are on ‘restricted status.’ We are adhering to visitation guidelines established by the state health department, CDC and Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Visitation to assisted living community, or memory support community is limited to:
‘Essential Need Only’ visits. Essential need visits include support care and family visits in resident mental health and end-of-life situations.
Visits must be brief.
Q: How are visitors being screened?
A: We screen everyone entering the building everyday immediately, including team members and essential care providers. Screening includes:
Fever screening, we take temperatures of everyone, including team members
Cough and/or shortness of breath
Sore throat
Any travel outside of country or state
Identifying if they have visited another senior living community
Questions on purpose of visit
Once screening is complete, visitors must wash hands before visiting residents and after leaving the community
Q: What are residents doing to stay positive and connected
A: Maintaining a positive attitude is crucial. Positivity begets positivity. We encourage our team member to stay positive and imbue residents with positivity. We are also encouraging residents to:
Continue to be social and actively engaged at safe social distances – for example hallway BINGO, hallway exercising and trivia
Communicate with loved ones through texts, emails and social media. We’re encouraging community members to post photos on Facebook and tag everyone they want to see the photo
We’re leveraging technology (FaceTime, Zoom, Skype, Facebook, Instagram, emails and text) to connect residents with loved ones outside the community and with each other. Examples include:
Virtual visits
Bible study
Playing and listening to music performances
Message board photos
Reading books to children via Skype
For residents who don’t know how to use/unable to use technologies, families can sign up for a team member to assist their loved one to use virtual visit technologies.
We’re encouraging folks to drop off a favorite pre-packaged food item or card. These will be wiped with EPA-approved disinfectant wipes before being delivered. We’re also encouraging:
Writing notes to each other, to family and team members
Enlist internal and external groups/committees – church, book clubs, knitters to do a card shower for residents and team members
Continuing Pen Pals programs – letters and notes back and forth between students and residents
Musical performances/poetry outside resident windows
Q: Can you describe your training protocols?
A: CLC/CLS already conducts extensive yearly training for all team members in managing infections and preventing the spread of infectious diseases. These protocols are multi-disciplinary and prescriptive to prevention, containment and how to stop the spread of the disease should it occur.
All communities are following a special set of coronavirus-specific policies and procedures modeled after our very successful flu and norovirus protocols. Training and protocols include:
Provide training for all employees on infection control standards
Report and act quickly if any symptoms are reported in the community
Start isolation procedures immediately if COVID-19 is suspected
Notify State and/or Local Health Department which coordinates with CDC to transport resident or team member to hospital for testing
Follow state report guidelines for any confirmed cases
Q: What is done if a team member or resident shows symptoms?
A: If a team member has any symptoms, they are required to stay home and report symptoms to their doctor to determine if they meet COVID-19 test standards. If a resident exhibits symptoms, we are contacting the local health department and their doctor to determine the best plan for testing.
Leadership reviewed a variety of topics such as holiday procedures and vaccine progress.
Vaccine Fact or Fiction Video
Cappella (or CLC) President and CEO Jill Vitale-Assume recently hosted a FB live event with two clinical experts, CLC Medical Director Dr. Erick Gomer MD, and VP of Clinical and Compliance, Pat McBride, RN, BSN, MSN. Watch the video to hear these experts sort COVID 19 Vaccine fact from fiction.
