COVID-19 - May 22, 2020
At Goodwin Living, we’re committed to everyone’s health and well-being. Together, we are facing a public health concern due to Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19). We encourage approaching this situation with calmness and compassion that helps us build a sense of community. With that in mind, we want to share information about the steps we are taking, as well as trusted resources we all can use to help keep ourselves updated, healthy and engaged in our daily lives. We will update this page as the situation evolves.
On Monday, May 18, we shared the difficult news that a resident of Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads (GHBC) passed away due to complications from COVID-19. The resident was an active and vibrant member or our community, and we come together to mourn the loss and celebrate a life well-lived.
As we move forward, the health and safety of all Goodwin Living residents and staff remains our top priority. Last week, we began testing of all residents and staff throughout our communities. This testing is part of our strategy to proactively implement organization-wide testing. The field of senior living is moving in the direction of regular health security screening, and eventually, most if not all, organizations will undertake ongoing testing. Goodwin Living is grateful to be a leader in this effort so we can better protect our residents and staff.
Our first priority is to focus on the health and wellness of our residents and staff. We have introduced specific policies for residents, staff, contractors, business partners and guests. These policies change as the situation evolves. We are in regular contact with the departments of health for Alexandria, Fairfax and Virginia to ensure we have the latest information and guidance to inform our actions. Based on recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control and these other health agencies, Goodwin Living’s current visitation protocol is the following.
Access on our campuses is limited to:
Every approved individual will receive a question-based health screening and have their temperature taken. This includes residents, staff, essential contractors and health care providers.
We will require all permitted visitors to be screened daily about their travel, health and exposure to a confirmed COVID-19 case. All other visitors will not be permitted on campuses.
If you are a family member and were planning to visit your loved one for a social or non-essential visit, we ask that you connect with your loved one by phone, tablet or smart phone. The Executive Directors at Goodwin House Alexandria and Goodwin House Bailey’s Crossroads and their teams are glad to help coordinate virtual connections.
If you are a visitor and were planning to visit one of our campuses, you will be contacted by the staff member serving as your point of contact to make alternative arrangements.
We do not take this visitation protocol lightly, though believe it is the right thing to do to protect the health and wellness of our residents and our staff.
Thank you for being part of our efforts to remain focused on the health and well-being of residents and staff.
Through these times, we can benefit from simple guides we can keep on hand. As you build your own resource library, we invite you to include these guides that we've prepared for Goodwin Living residents, members and staff.
In any situation, the best way to prevent infection is to take measures to avoid being exposed. We can all practice precaution with these basic tips:
We recommend the following resources for the latest, trustworthy information regarding COVID-19: