‘WE ARE JUST BEING SO WELL TAKEN CARE OF HERE’ | TRIAD SENIORS FEEL SAFE, SECURE IN THEIR RETIREMENT COMMUNITY
Bermuda Village, a retirement community in Davie County, has enacted several changes because of COVID-19 – even before the Governor’s latest executive order.
Author: Alma McCarty
Published: 04/10/20
BERMUDA RUN, N.C. — Thursday, Governor Cooper’s latest Executive Order detailed several different changes for essential retailer operations, unemployment claims, and nursing homes.
Some of those new measures for skilled nursing facilities include banning group dining and activities in commons areas, mandating employees to wear masks and other protective equipment, and screening people every time they enter the facility.
Many assisted living facilities across the Triad already have similar rules in place – like Bermuda Village, a retirement community serving seniors with varying needs.
The community does not have any coronavirus cases, and those living there say they are ever so grateful to the staff for helping them stay safe and positive.
“The biggest thing is communication,” said Executive Director Kyle Jones, “Just stay communicating with the folks and telling them that we are here for them and we certainly miss them.”
Jones says, they already made safety and social distancing changes before Governor Cooper’s latest executive order.
“This Monday we made the initiative to all staff will wear surgical masks,” he said, “I have mine right here. When I’m in the community we always wear those masks and then once we got the Governor’s order, we were already ahead of the game.”
Jones says communal meeting and dining have been suspended for some time, and staff also pick up groceries and prescriptions for residents – so they do not have to venture out of the community.
Residents like 80-year-old Carol Quinn say they couldn’t be in better care.
“We are just being so well taken care of here,” she said.
Although she and her husband are isolated from the rest of the community right now, Quinn says they’re not alone with staff keeping them busy with activities – over Zoom.
“Five days a week, she is doing classes for us from her home and we do them in our home and we can see each other and speak to each other and have a wonderful time exercising,” she explained.
Other residents wished to give statements about how things are going. Here are a few:
“Residents, management and staff make up the Bermuda Village family. During the coronavirus crisis our family is looking after each other, especially the management and staff who are organized to meet our various needs as they arise and entertain us from time to time,” wrote Marv Dickerson.
“Kay and I moved to BV about two years ago and these past few weeks have proved we make the right decision. The staff has kept us informed and gone out of their way to ensure that we are safe. Meals and mail are delivered to our door and frequent contacts are made to make sure our needs are met. What a wonderful gilt to our three sons knowing we are cared for and looked after by loving staff,” wrote Tom and Kay Grant.
“Every time I see a Public Service Announcement on TV about the coronavirus, I am struck by the fact that, when they talk about “the most vulnerable,” they are talking about my neighbors and me. Knowing that should I get it, I probably would not stand a chance against this silent killer, I am extremely vigilant. Hourly, I appreciate the fact that I live in a community where the staff are diligent in seeing that all of us “most Vulnerable” are protected from this invisible bug. Helps me to sleep at night,” wrote Tom Irwin.
