Weekly Update – Dec. 18, 2020

Dear residents, families, staff and supporters,

This week the positivity rate in Bremer County has dropped and today it is 10.5%. This had a great impact on testing results. No staff or residents tested positive! This is great news right before the holiday!

Next week, Bartels will test staff and residents twice during the week. If there are no positive results and the positivity rate is below 10%, testing can decrease to 1 time per week. The testing requirements will continue to decrease as long as the community positivity rate stays low and no staff test positive.

During the holiday, please contact the facility as we will work with families on an individual basis for compassionate care visits or outings for the holidays. Video visits and window visits will still be available by calling (319) 352-4540 to schedule through leisure services. Santa will be visiting all residents with a special gift for those in long-term care on Dec. 24. All residents have received stockings and these have been filled each Friday in December with goodies and treats. All of these gifts were made available by very generous donations from community members and staff. Thank you all!

For Assisted Living and Independent Living residents, each resident and their family are to make their own decisions regarding holiday celebrations. Two visitors will be allowed to enter the Assisted Living or Independent Living areas after self screening, wearing a mask and are to go directly to and from the resident’s apartment. If you have any questions regarding Assisted Living please call Linden Place at 319-352-8851 or Aspen Cottage at 319-559-1659. For Eichhorn Haus Independent Living, please call 319-352-3017. At Eisenach Village, the Klubhaus will re-open. These guidelines for assisted and independent living are effectively immediately and will be evaluated weekly.

The vaccine information has started to become available. Although Bartels requested enough for all residents at all levels of care throughout our campus, there is no clarity yet on the number of doses Bartels will receive for the first phase of vaccinations (There will be multiple phases of the distribution).

Many of you may have questions regarding the vaccine. Medical Director Dr. Lee Fagre, Administrator Veronica Shea and myself have received a lot of education about the Covid-19 vaccine. We want every resident and staff to receive the vaccine unless a doctor recommends you not receive it. Key points include:
• The vaccine was not rushed. It was done efficiently.
• The vaccine was federally funded – this is what allowed for the efficiency.
• This is not a live virus.
• The vaccine helps you create an immunity to the virus.
• If you have individual concerns, contact your primary care provider.
A link will be made available with a video and more information regarding the vaccine and sources of information.

We are very blessed at Bartels to have dedicated staff, wonderful residents and families and a community who supports us! 2020 has been tough, but we want to extend our gratitude to each of you. Wishing you all a very Blessed Christmas Holiday!

Dr. Lee Fagre, MD, Medical Director for Bartels, Veronica Shea, Administrator, and Paula Geise, RN, MSN, CEO

Categorised in: