Community Updates

Dear CCC Families, The Sedgwick County Health Department has elected to release a media statement regarding the two COVID positive associate cases from June and the testing of the residents which initially showed 11 positive cases and later revealed that all 11 were negative for the virus. There are no new cases to report and the information that is being released to the media today is the information that we shared with you several weeks ago as the situation was unfolding. We understand their need to share public health information and wanted to alert you to this release in hopes of avoiding any confusion and unnecessary anxiety. We are truly blessed to report that today at CCC we are all healthy, and we continue to pray for the health and safety of our ministry and the greater community. Thank you for your continued support of our ministry.

Dear Catholic Care Center Family Member,

Today we learned an associate of Meadows, in our Long-Term Care community, has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus.  We are working quickly to mitigate the spread of the virus in the community and are increasing our already strict protocols for infection control and resident safety.

This is the second positive associate case at CCC this week and residents in both neighborhoods, Whispering Brooks and Meadows, will be quarantined for 14 days from date of possible exposure.  Whispering Brooks’ residents were tested yesterday and we are awaiting results; we are working with the health department to schedule testing of Meadows residents.  Residents and associates continue to be monitored for signs of illness and at this time no one else is exhibiting symptoms.     

We will continue to update you as more information comes available, and appreciate your continued prayers for the health and safety of Catholic Care Center and those we are blessed to serve.   

It is our responsibility to inform you that one of our associates has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus, this associate has not been on campus since 4/22 and we have no other associates or residents exhibiting symptoms of the virus. We are working quickly to mitigate the spread of the virus within the community and have increased our already aggressive protocols to best protect the community. The health and safety of our residents and associates is our top priority and we will do everything possible to protect them. We are working under the direction of our medical directors and in collaboration with the health department, and are following all recommended guidelines for screening and testing.

We will continue to update you as the situation progresses, at this time we have no residents showing symptoms of the virus and we will continue to monitor and test as indicated.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support of our ministry.

Dear CCC Family Member,

As we are now four weeks into this unprecedented time, I would like to share with you updates on how our ministry continues to combat the threat of the COVID-19 virus and protect the health and safety of our residents and associates.

All associates have recently completed new educational modules to better educate them on pandemic procedures, in addition to these online courses, they have completed a personal protective equipment (PPE) competency test to demonstrate that they know how and when to appropriately use PPE. Associates continue to be screened upon entering the community and wearing mask while working in all areas of the community. We have also compiled a list of associates who also work in other retirement communities and are not permitting staff who work in a community where they have positive COVID-19 cases to also continue to work at CCC. Associates are also strongly encouraged to limit their exposure to the virus by sheltering at home when not at work and avoiding outings to stores and other public places. Today we are blessed to report that we have no assumed or confirmed cases of the virus at Catholic Care Center.

We continue to prohibit visitors from entering the building, except in end-of-life scenarios. While it is difficult to not visit with your loved ones in person, the greatest gift that you can give them right now is security, and to limit their exposure to the outside world. We are happy to help coordinate a video call between families and to assist residents to a window where you can visit through the glass. These sacrifices while challenging, are going to help ensure a positive outcome to this short-term situation.

While we do not yet know when we will be able to return to a more normal life, we do look forward to that time and are already working to plan opportunities to gather together as a community in celebration of all that we have overcome together. Thank you for your continued prayers and well wishes, we continue to pray for you and your family and wish you all continued health and happiness.

Sincerely,

Cindy LaFleur
Executive Director
Catholic Care Center

Dear Assisted Living Families,

Thank you for your continued support during these difficult times, we know that not being able to visit your loved one in our community is stressful and we miss seeing all of you as well. We wanted to take a moment to update on where things stand at Catholic Care Center in regard to our response to the COVID-19 threat.

First, we are truly blessed to report that to date, we have no presumed or confirmed COVID-19 cases in the community and feel that the efforts we’ve made are working in the way that we intended, and are keeping our residents and associates safe.

We also would like to share that while our days are certainly different now, we are working hard to create opportunities for enrichment and engagement while still abiding by the CDC recommendations for social distancing.

For your part in maintaining the health of our community, we continue to prohibit visitors into campus. We also ask that residents not leave the building, including going outdoors to visit with family and friends. While this seems harmless, the reality is that many people carrying the virus show no symptoms and congregating together outside before returning inside the community puts everyone at risk. You are still welcome to mail items to your loved one or drop items at the front Catholic Care Center entrance for us to distribute.

As a reminder, we are helping residents to video call with their families via Microsoft Teams, if you would like to schedule a video call please follow the link on our website, www.CatholicCareCenter.org or Facebook page to reserve your call on Eventbright. You may have seen pictures on social media of families having “window visits” with their loved one in a retirement community, this is a great way to interact; but please remember to keep the window closed to prevent the spread of droplets that may contain the virus.

Thank you again for your prayers and kind words over there past several weeks, we are truly blessed to serve you and your family and look forward to brighter days ahead!

Sincerely,

Luke Sponsel
Administrator
Catholic Care Center Assisted Living/Memory Care

During this blessed Easter season we would like to thank everyone for your support of our ministry over these past several weeks. We are happy to share that today we have no presumed cases of COVID-19 in the building, and feel that the efforts we are making to safeguard the community are effective. We look forward to the time when we can invite you back to our community, and wish you and your family a very Happy Easter.

Dear CCC Families

As we continue to explore new ways of best serving our residents and families during this difficult time we are excited to announce that we can now help residents connect with families through video calling.

Catholic Care Center has invested in the technology and equipment necessary to utilize the Microsoft Teams video conferencing program and have worked to educate our staff on the use of this program to connect families and residents. We are excited to roll out this new program and hope that you will be a part of the action by scheduling a call with your loved one.

To register for a call, visit our Eventbright page. From there you will select the date you wish to receive the call and complete the registration form which includes your name, email address, and the resident you wish to call. On the day of your call we will email with the link to the call and confirm the time that the call will take place.

There is no charge for these calls, you must simply have access to an email account, a camera, and a microphone, which most smartphones, tablets, and laptops come standard with.

We look forward to connecting with you and hope that you will register for a call very soon. If you have any questions about the video conferencing system please call 316-744-2020.

Hope to hear from you soon!!

The health and safety of residents living in our community is our top priority, and we are closely monitoring the ongoing situation regarding the coronavirus (COVID-19). We understand that COVID-19 is on everyone’s mind, and we want to be communicative and transparent in the steps Catholic Care Center is taking to prepare our community during this unprecedented event. Our team has been working tirelessly to prepare for possible scenarios related to COVID-19.

We’ve developed a series of precautionary steps that our community is implementing to help reduce everyone’s risk of COVID-19.

Our community is:

• Continuing to follow the guidance from both the CDC and local health authorities
• Increasing the frequency and rigor of cleaning and sanitizing common community areas
• Encouraging a temporary reduction in deliveries
• Prohibiting visitor from entering campus and cancelling community events
• Reviewing our emergency preparedness and response program
• Asking residents to communicate any travel plans
• Coordinating best practices and across our large partner network
• Making the CDC’s COVID-19 prevention resources and recommendations available to all residents

According to the CDC, many of our residents are at a higher risk for serious illness, and we’re providing all residents and their families with the most up-to-date guidance from the CDC and local health officials on the steps they can take to reduce the risk of COVID-19.

We are strongly encouraging all our residents to follow the CDC’s guidelines for individuals at higher risk, which includes:

• Avoiding crowds and large social gatherings
• Regularly cleaning and disinfecting personal spaces
• Avoiding touching your face
• Regularly washing your hands with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
• Stay in your residence if you are showing flu-like symptoms or are sick with respiratory illness, including fever, and coughing

These are simple yet important steps that we should all be taking to protect ourselves and our community.

Our teams are staying in communication with local health officials and will share regular updates on COVID-19. For more the most up to date information and personal health recommendations, please visit the websites below:

COVID-19 Prevention Recommendations:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/prevent-getting-sick/index.html

COVID-19 Symptoms:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/symptoms-testing/symptoms.html

What To Do If You Think You Are Sick:

https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/downloads/sick-with-2019-nCoV-fact-sheet.pdf

We also encourage you to visit our Facebook page where we will share information as it becomes available and host a daily Facebook Live prayer service each day at 2:00.
Facebook.com/CatholicCareCenter

Dear CCC Family Member,

In recent weeks the world has faced challenges not seen for generations, and here at Catholic Care Center we continue to work to overcome these challenges and protect the residents and associates of our ministry. As we move forward in our efforts, I’d like to take a moment to update you on the current situation at Catholic Care.

We continue to monitor the health of all associates and residents. Every associate is screened for fever and other signs of illness upon reporting for work; resident temperatures are also checked every shift to ensure that they are well. We have implemented a new protocol for associates that mandates them to wear a mask while working to provide another layer of security for residents and associates. To date, we have no presumed or confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the community and feel that the attention we have given to screening, cleaning, and limiting the number of people in the building have all contributed to this positive outcome.

In an effort to continue proactively protecting the community, we continue to prohibit visitors from entering the building. We have also limited the frequency of outside agencies entering including pharmacy, podiatry, and hospice. We feel confident that with the help of our dedicated clinical teams and the leadership of medical directors, Dr. Womack and Dr. Mijares, that we can support the needs of our residents during the interim period while lessening their exposure to outside personnel.

One of the greatest challenges we face is resident engagement and we have worked diligently to create opportunities for enrichment and exercise while still adhering to the guidelines set forth by the CDC and CMS for social distancing. Residents are enjoying activities in groups of 5 or less, maintaining a 6’ distance from one another, they are dining in their rooms with assistance as needed, and they are benefiting from one-on-one interactions with staff. The health and happiness of the residents we serve is our greatest priority and we are doing everything possible to ensure their wellbeing.

Finally, I’d like to thank all of you for your prayers, support, and kindness during these past few weeks. We have enjoyed seeing many of you during video calls with your loved ones, appreciated the small treats and notes of encouragement you have sent our staff, and are overwhelmed by the heartfelt prayers and appreciation you have conveyed to our team. Thank you for your support during this difficult time. We pray for you as well and look forward to the day that we are together again for fun and fellowship.
Sincerely,

Cindy LaFleur
Executive Director
Catholic Care Center

Dear CCC Family Member,

At Catholic Care Center we are committed to the health and safety of our residents, families, and associates.  In light of the current concerns over the world wide outbreak of the Coronavirus (COVID-19) we are implementing new visitor protocols in the hopes of safeguarding our community from exposure from this debilitating virus.

Starting immediately visitors may come into the building through only the main Long-Term Care entrance or the Assisted Living Administration entrance.  All visitors will be screened and any visitor who is deemed to have been at risk to exposure to the virus or who is exhibiting symptoms will not be granted entry.  No visitors under the age of 14 will be permitted to enter.   Visiting hours for those who may enter will also be limited to the hours between 7:00am to 7:00pm.

If you would answer yes to any of the following questions, please help protect our residents by refraining from coming onto campus:

• Are you are experiencing fever, cough, sore throat, fatigue, shortness of breath, diarrhea, or vomiting?
• Have you recently traveled outside of the continental United States (including on a cruise ship), or have you been in contact with someone who has?
• Have you been in contact with anyone suspect to or confirmed to have the Coronavirus?

Additionally we will continue to monitor the need to limit, postpone, or cancel campus events and will work to communicate those changes in a timely manner.

While we hope that these measures are taken in an abundance of caution and that all of residents, families, associates, and friends will be spared from this illness, we appreciate your support of our efforts to help ensure the health and safety of those we are blessed to serve.

Please feel free to call or email with any questions or concerns.

Sincerely,

Cindy LaFleur
Executive Director
Catholic Care Center