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Silvergate safety measures successfully protect residents

FALLBROOK – At Silvergate Retirement Residences, response to the national onset of the COVID-19 crisis was swift and carefully executed. Management worked alongside all of its communities to carefully develop a comprehensive set of protocols following Centers of Disease Control and Prevention and county health guidelines to keep residents protected and safe from the spread of the coronavirus. Their efforts paid off. To date, none of the Silvergate communities have reported a case of COVID-19 since the beginning of the pandemic.

“We worked quickly to find the best ways to provide our residents with a protective bubble from the virus,” Patricia Martinez, executive director for Silvergate Fallbrook, said. “We knew we had to manage the risk of exposure to our residents and staff with enhanced safety procedures, increased social distancing, heightened disinfecting and of course testing once available.”

Enhanced safety precautions were taken at Silvergate.

A comprehensive set of protocols and precautions were enacted by Silvergate to give residents and their families the peace of mind they need to weather the worries of the coronavirus pandemic.

Those precautions include daily temperature readings for nearly 500 residents and staff members; restricted, essential-only visitor access; screening of all residents, staff and visitors for travel history and recent illness; increased social distancing of at least 6 feet.

Group activities are limited to less than 10 people, while maintaining social distancing.

The community has staggered dining room mealtimes and offered to serve meals in resident rooms.

The precautions included increased sanitation to all high-touch surfaces throughout the community; augmented staff education concerning health protocols and procedures; personal protective equipment required for all caregivers including, face masks, hand-washing, etc. and negative COVID-19 testing results required before new resident move-in.

“I’ve been incredibly impressed by the preventative steps Silvergate has taken to keep all of us safe from this virus,” Allen Cook said, who has been living at the community for older adults in Fallbrook for three years. “Not only are the staff checking in on us all the time, they’ve modified our routines so that we’re still able to enjoy everyday life without feeling pinned in. Of course, we’re practicing socially distancing together, but I can still see my friends, enjoy activities and connect with my family without worrying about the virus. I trust the team here.”

Silvergate testing protocols go beyond CDC requirements. Beginning in June, all Silvergate communities will be adding daily pulse oximeter readings to their arsenal of safety screening measures. These simple tests measure blood oxygen levels and can help identify asymptomatic carriers of the virus who are not experiencing a fever, which is an important aspect of early detection of a COVID-19 infection.

Silvergate kept the coronavirus outside its doors.

With no reported coronavirus cases to date, Silvergate’s success at keeping its residents safe has given other local olders renewed confidence about transitioning to retirement living. Many older adults had delayed their search for assisted living solutions due to the outbreak of the virus and state-imposed stay-at-home orders. As those restrictions begin to lift, many older adults are becoming more comfortable touring senior living properties, like Silvergate where they have a proven safety record in the coronavirus pandemic.

To help accommodate different levels of comfort with venturing out into the public, Silvergate now offers multiple ways in which to connect with their communities. New virtual tours and videos are available online. Live FaceTime tours also are being offered. For those who are comfortable, privately scheduled, in-person tours allow family members and prospective residents to experience the community directly. Silvergate Fallbrook offers independent living, assisted living and memory care accommodations.

To learn more, call Helen Gray, marketing director for the community, at (760) 728-8880 or visit http://www.SilvergateRR.com.

Submitted by Silvergate Retirement Residences.

 

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