Letter To Families 

January 15, 2021

Dear Families, Residents, & Team Members,

We are delighted to report the first doses of the vaccine have been administered this week in a few of our Danbury communities.  These hold promise our other communities will begin the vaccination process in a timely manner.  If you could, you might just hear the beginning of a sigh of relief from all of us.  Today, let me share a couple of thoughts that are front of mind – vaccine and visitation.

Like you, we have been eager to get visitation going again.  Because of the original delays we experienced in vaccination and the length of time it takes to complete the vaccination process we decided to open for scheduled visitation earlier than we first planned. Add to this, while fluctuating, COVID cases are on the decline in Ohio.  However, as the circumstances surrounding COVID vary for each Danbury community, we ask for your understanding with how and when visitation is conducted in your respective Danbury. While our plan is to move toward open visitation as soon as possible, like the virus, it is exposed to some unpredictability.

Once the first dose of the vaccine is given there is a three-week delay until the second dose is dispensed. Following this the CDC advises it typically takes a few weeks for the body to build immunity after vaccination (protection against the virus that causes COVID-19).  For us this translates that it will be some time before we can ease our safety protocols – taking temperatures on entry to the building, wearing masks, social distancing, use of hand sanitizer, etc.  These will be still required internally for our residents and team members as well as those scheduled to visit our communities.   

Please do us a favor. Our teams are weary.  Send them a card or post on social media how proud you are of them for the love, hard work, and sacrifices they have made these past ten months.  For most persons in health care this past year has been the most difficult of their lives.  I can tell you this, we are immensely proud of them and humbled to be a part of the same team.

Sincerely and with hope,

Andy Harpster

Chief Operations Officer