UPDATES

March 12, 2023

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

In accordance with the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and our local health department, we are reporting this information to you in written format and in line with the latest communication guidance. We aim to keep you informed as new information that affects our residents and staff materializes in our building regarding COVID-19. Our staff will also verbally notify you.

Both the IDPH and the local health departments have been informed of our confirmed positives. We work with both agencies to prevent and reduce the risk of the virus in accordance with the CDC guidelines. Upon confirmation of the above positive test results, we follow a specific COVID-19 plan and quarantine and isolate residents who have tested positive to their individual apartments. Additionally, we continue to follow our stringent infection prevention measures such as universal masking for our staff, masking requirements for residents while outside of their apartment, the appropriate use of personal protective equipment (PPE), hand hygiene protocols, social distancing, and multiple screenings for temperature/symptoms of staff during each shift.

This is a time of challenge with visitor restrictions set forth by the IDPH in early March and changing guidelines to accommodate the latest developments affected by the virus. We thank you for your extreme patience and understanding during this time.

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

December 23, 2022

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

December 4, 2022

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

November 9, 2022

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

October 25, 2022

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

October 25, 2022

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for resident(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

September 29, 2022

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

September 28, 2022

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for resident(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

August 30, 2022

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Additional positive test results for resident(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

August 29, 2022

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

June 9, 2022

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

June 6, 2022

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

June 3, 2022

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

June 2, 2022

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

May 27, 2022

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

May 25, 2022

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

May 24, 2022

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Additional positive test results for resident(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

May 20, 2022

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for resident(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

May 14, 2022

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Additional positive test results for resident(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

May 13, 2022

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Additional positive test results for resident(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

May 12, 2022

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for resident(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

May 11, 2022

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for resident(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

May 10, 2022

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Additional positive test results for resident(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

May 4, 2022

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

January 11, 2022

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Additional positive test results for resident(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

January 10, 2022

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for resident(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

January 7, 2022

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

January 8, 2022

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for resident(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

January 4, 2022

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

January 2, 2022

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for resident(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

December 31, 2021

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for resident(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

December 30, 2021

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

December 28, 2021

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

December 17, 2021

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

December 16, 2021

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Sincerely,

Carolyn Maloney

Director

March 8, 2021

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for resident(s)

Sincerely,

Wendy Malecky

Acting Director

March 1, 2021

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Sincerely,

Wendy Malecky

Acting Director

February 18, 2021

Warm Winter Greetings, Family and Friends!

We are elated to share our community has moved into Phase 2 from the Illinois Department of Public Health’s re-opening guidance chart! In the next few weeks, we will be coordinating efforts to ease restrictions related to dining, small group activities, the salon, and most importantly, indoor visitation for our residents!

INDOOR VISITS begin Sunday, February 21

Evergreen Place

Offering scheduled visits Sunday, Wednesday, and Fridays
45-minute time slots: 10:15 am, 11:30 am, 12:45 pm, 2:00 pm, and 3:15 pm
Call our lovely reception team of Deb, Peyton, or Jocelyn at (708) 470-1082 to schedule and confirm your visit.
COVID-19 Screening with occur 24 hours prior to your appointment as well as at check-in for your appointment.
The Crossroads Café will host Evergreen Place’s indoor visits for residents, family, and friends.

The Legacy: Memory Support

Offering scheduled visits Wednesday and Thursdays
30-minute time slots: 10:00 am, 11:00 am, 12:00 pm, 1:00 pm, 2:00 pm, and 3:00 pm
Call our super talented Life Enrichment Coordinator Megan at (708) 789-1809 to schedule and confirm your visit.
The lobby of The Legacy will host indoor visits for our memory support residents, family, and friends.

As eager as we are to have this opportunity back, we will continue following guidelines set forth and will adhere to IDPH guidelines which include:

COVID-19 Screening will occur 24 hours prior to your appointment, as well as at check-in for the day of your visit.
Proper use of masks/face coverings
Six feet of separation
No children present under the age of 12
No eating/drinking together, however treats can be left for residents to enjoy after the visit

And there’s more! COMMUNAL DINING begins on Monday, February 22:

25% capacity per the IDPH guidance
Evergreen Place residents will have a choice of an early or late setting for each meal
In-apartment dining will continue to be available for those that choose
The dining room is set up for social distanced spacing, with six feet separation
Disinfecting protocols are in place between seatings and meals

We feel fortunate our community can ease restrictions for our residents. It is imperative to understand that should one positive COVID-19 case, either employee or resident, occur in our community, we could revert to Phase 1 and restrictions will tighten again, depending on the direction of IDPH and the Cook County Health Department. This could very well be a start/stop process before becoming more stable; we appreciate your continued patience and understanding.

We are planning for small group activities to begin March 1^st, and recruitment continues for a stylist. Please direct any interested individuals to this link to apply.

The Team at Evergreen Senior Living

January 14, 2021

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for resident(s)

Sincerely,

Wendy Malecky

Acting Director

January 7, 2021

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Sincerely,

Wendy Malecky

Acting Director

December 24, 2020

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Sincerely,

Carol Ricken

Director

December 16, 2020

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Additional positive test results for resident(s)

Sincerely,

Carol Ricken

Director

December 8, 2020

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Additional positive test results for resident(s)

Sincerely,

Carol Ricken

Director

December 3, 2020

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Sincerely,

Carol Ricken

Director

November 27, 2020

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Sincerely,

Carol Ricken

Director

November 26, 2020

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for resident(s)

Sincerely,

Carol Ricken

Director

November 20, 2020

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Sincerely,

Carol Ricken

Director

November 19, 2020

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

Evergreen Senior Living – Orland Park has received confirmation that we have had the following in our building:

Additional positive test results for staff member(s)

Sincerely,

Carol Ricken

Director

November 18, 2020

Dear Family Member, Responsible Party or Employee,

*PLEASE NOTE: Notification updates for any new confirmed COVID positives in the building will transition from a postal letter to an online posting on this community’s website. You may access the updates using this page or link: www.evergreenslc.com/orlandpark/updates Our staff will also verbally notify you by phone call. If you do not have access to the Internet please contact the community to access written update information.

Sincerely,

Carol Ricken

Director

November 13, 2020

Greetings residents, families and friends of Evergreen Senior Living,

With regret, I inform you that four additional residents and two employees have tested positive for COVID-19 following Tuesday’s testing. At this point, all are doing well.

As a result, I have asked all residents to remain in their apartments until we get control of this outbreak. I understand the disappointment and frustration that comes with this decision but this action will assist in containing transmission. We will work feverishly to resolve this and return the community to more lively state.

Our life enrichment team will work to provide in-apartment engagement and doorway activities, as well as personally escort residents outside for fresh air as we are able. Outdoor visits will continue despite the weather. We continue to seek guidance and innovative ideas for making outdoor visits more palatable—we have to meet very strict guidelines from IDPH; the most difficult is that no structure can have walls, i.e. a tent with sides. The constant wind that buffets all sides of our building makes a heat lamp option ineffective.

The primary contact for each resident has been receiving letters regarding positive COVID-19 cases in our community. With each new case, employee or resident, we are required to send a written notification. This is strictly to notify you of the initial and any subsequent positive cases.

Many of you have questions about holiday visits and celebrations. We are still seeking guidance from IDPH, our corporate COVID task force, and our executive leaders. What a dilemma this is for all parties involved. I hope to have clear direction for you next week.

It is very difficult for me to continue to ask for your patience and understanding as for all of us, but mostly for you and your loved one, it is wearing thin. The number of cases in our state are double that of this past spring. I ask for your trust, understanding and prayers as we continue on this journey. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me at 708-789-1801.

Respectfully,

Carol Ricken

Director

November 7, 2020

It is with great disappointment that I report five cases of COVID-19 among our employees and one resident.As we know this virus is extremely contagious and one case can set many in motion.I regret that this virus has re-entered our community after 7 months without any cases.

While our weekly COVID-19 mass-testing is undesirable for our residents and employees, it does identify cases that we may not have caught due to residents or employees who present with no symptoms, as is the case with most of the recent cases.We will continue to test residents and employees weekly until we report no positive cases for 14 continuous days.I will say that our residents have fully taken this in stride.

We continuewith our sanitation efforts and will be utilizing the hospital-grade sanitation process on a weekly basis. We remain constant with our reminders for caution with surface touching, maintaining 6 feet of distance and wearing a mask at all times when out of their apartment and upon staff enteringtheir apartment. Overall, our Legacy residents are doing great with mask-wearing; some are role models for our employees!

We ask residents to notify a nurse immediately if experiencing any of the following symptoms: runny nose, cough, nasal, or chest congestion, out of ordinary headache or body aches, fatigue, vomiting or diarrhea.Our staff is monitoring residents for this as well.Most importantly, our staff is being reminded to make good decisions and conduct their lives with our residents and their coworkers as their priority.

Tuesday, the decision was made to close the dining room.We know the disappointment of this loss of socialization but the exposure risk exceeds the benefit.The dining room will remain closed at least through November 20 which will provide us with two weeks of testing results.All meals will be delivered to residents’ apartments.

At this point, residents remain able to walk about the community and outside as we are grateful for this week’s beautiful fall weather.

I thank you for the many supportive actions and comments that have been offered to our staff. We will continue to do our best to keep your loved ones safe and engaged at Evergreen Senior Living Orland

Carol Ricken

Director, Evergreen Senior Living, Orland Park

October 29, 2020

Greetings,

Following Saturday’s communication of an employee who tested positive, we scheduled and completed COVID-19 mass testing of all employees on Monday, October 26. Monday morning, the Cook County Department of Public Health also required us to also test all residents.

This morning, we have received all COVID-19 test results back, and all residents have tested negative. There were two additional employees who tested positive, both connected. I feel confident that the initial positive employee and the subsequent two were unrelated. Two of the three employees had been in the community when they were potentially contagious.

Our protocols remain the same, and last week with the rise in cases, we stepped up our infection prevention processes, including scheduling the hospital-grade sanitation for all offices and community common areas, including the dining room and kitchen. This was completed Monday night.

As I mentioned in the last update, this news disheartens us as it imposes restrictions on resident movement throughout the community and indoor visiting. Yesterday, due to the significant increase in COVID-19 cases, IDPH region 10, our geographic region, was placed under mitigation. IDPH mitigation is a series of restrictions that limits things such as dining and congregating as well as apply restrictions to our industry. The recent mitigation restricts indoor visits and group activities. Our life enrichment team has ramped up the leisure interest cart deliveries and doorway activities. Residents are still able to walk about the community and receive meals in the dining room following the proper guidelines.

Information on mitigation can be found at the following websites:

https://www.dph.illinois.gov/regionmetrics?regionID=1

https://coronavirus.illinois.gov/s/restore-illinois-mitigation-plan

On a positive note, we have hired a bus driver—Lance Lerman, who is a wonderful young man and has already taken to the residents and driving. The residents have also been enjoying our annual pumpkin decorating contest—quite a display of creativity. Please visit our Facebook page to see the decorated pumpkins.

We realize the disappointment in this news after achieving over 6 months of no cases. As always, I am truly grateful for your continued support and kindness.

Warmly,

Carol Ricken

Director, Evergreen Senior Living, Orland Park

October 24, 2020

I am disheartened to report that an employee of Evergreen Senior Living Orland Park has tested positive for COVID-19.

This week I was preparing communication to all residents, families, and employees, bringing attention to the sudden and significant rise in cases in our state and surrounding geographic areas. While we have not deviated from any protocol that has been put in place, I conducted meetings earlier this week, reminding our team of the importance and vigilance of these protocols as well as general safety in our personal lives.

As determined by the Cook County Health Department, following guidelines from IDPH and CMS, our community will revert to Phase 1, which among other restrictions includes the following:

Residents can continue to come and go from their apartment but are asked to be especially conscientious about wearing masks and proper placement of those as well as touching surfaces.
Indoor visitation is prohibited, with the exception of end of life compassionate care visits, and are considered on a case-by-case basis.
Outdoor visitation will continue as has been for the past many months. We understand the challenges that weather is playing on outdoor visits and are working to improve comfort while outside.
Virtual visitation is available to all residents via several videoconferencing platforms; please call us for assistance at (708) 479 1082.
Stylists/Salons are not permitted.
Group activities are suspended; the life enrichment team will provide additional materials for independent leisure activities.
Restaurant dining will continue as a choice, however, with more restrictions put in place.

Our next scheduled testing for employees is Monday, October 26. We are awaiting additional instructions from the Cook County Health Department and will remain in phase 1 until we achieve 14 consecutive days of COVID testing with no positive results. This does not mean we will test daily; testing will likely be 1 – 2 times per week.

I ask for your continued trust and confidence. Following our outbreak in March, which concluded in three weeks, we remained COVID-19 free for 6 months. We will work diligently to minimize the impact of this occurrence as well.

As we would protect the privacy of our residents, we also must protect the privacy of our employees. Thus, we cannot disclose any information beyond having a positive case among our employees. We appreciate your understanding.

Please feel free to reach out to me with any questions or concerns at (708) 789-1801 and continue to use this page for updates.

Sincerely,

Carol Ricken Director, Evergreen Senior Living, Orland Park

October 13, 2020

Greetings,

I am pleased to announce that the results of our employee and resident COVID-19 mass testing that occurred last Thursday are 100% negative. This is the fourth week in a row that all employees have tested negative and the second mass testing of residents that yielded negative results.

While this offers relief and reward, we do expect that the risks of COVID-19 will be with us for many months to come. Thus, we continue to ask for vigilance to precautions, understanding, and patience. We have reviewed our surface sanitation procedures and will be discussing this again with each department, ensuring expected protocols are continued.

I informed the Cook County Department of Public Health of our test results and am awaiting their response to our request to enter Phase 3, which would ease some restrictions. Again, their decision is based on several metrics; one is the number of cases in the surrounding geographic area. Cases in our immediate area have increased over the past week. In these areas, the age groups with the greatest number of positive cases based on data collected are ages 20-29 and 50-59, and two other towns listing age 40 – 49 as the prevalent age group. More to come.

We are officially seeking a hairstylist for our community in anticipation of them being allowed into the community. More to come on that as well.

As previously mentioned, the administration of the influenza vaccine is scheduled for October 22. Heritage Operations Group has a long-term relationship with a vaccine supplier and, in February, placed a pre-booked order for all the Heritage communities. We have been informed that our manufacturer, like many others, is experiencing shipment delays. At this time, we continue to plan for the 22^nd. CDC recommendation is to receive an influenza vaccine by the end of October.

As always, thank you for your continued patience, understanding, and support as we put forth great effort to meet the needs and expectations of you and our residents while navigating this pandemic.

Carol Ricken,

Administrator

October 7, 2020

Greetings, family, and friends of Evergreen Orland Park!

On Thursday, October 8, we will be COVID-19 testing all residents using the nasopharyngeal method of testing. Our employees have been tested on a weekly basis for the past three weeks.

We anticipate being granted Phase 3 status by IDPH and Cook County Department of Public Health, which, as I previously communicated, will allow for an additional easing of restrictions with indoor visiting being the greatest of these.

Once the metrics in our geographic area and in our Evergreen community are conducive to phase 3 status, all employees and residents must be tested before we can take advantage of the eased restrictions. Thus, in anticipation of Phase 3, we are testing now.

We will likely have results by Monday, October 12. Once the results have been received, we will provide you with any additional information. Regardless of the outcome, IDPH and Cook County DPH remain as the governing bodies that determine how we continue to operate here at Evergreen Orland Park.

Additionally, our influenza vaccine is scheduled for October 20. If you wish to sign the authorization form for your loved one, we will leave forms at the front entrance on the window ledge for your convenience. Please complete the form and hand it to the receptionist.

Looking forward to providing you with a positive report of all negatives!

September 8, 2020

Greetings,
I just completed an informational letter to our residents. It is too lengthy to include in this format, so I will deliver it via email to the email contact we have in our database.

I wish to thank all of you for your continued support, understanding, and patience. You are to be commended for all of these. A recurring question recently is, “what are we going to do with visits when the weather changes?” IDPH is putting plans in place for indoor visits, but it is not as simple as that sounds. There will be requirements to meet, which is detailed in the letter I will send. Additionally, we are thinking of ways to comfortably continue outdoor visits despite cooler temperatures. We were thinking of having a perpetual bonfire going in the courtyard! More to come, and we welcome innovative ideas.

A few requests and updates

If you or another family member/friend becomes COVID-19 symptomatic following a visit, IPDH requires that we are informed of your symptoms within 3 days.
Due to upcoming COVID-19 testing and other occasional medical needs, I will be mailing each POA the current information sheet. Please review it and submit any changes to us as soon as possible. If your loved one has new insurance cards since they moved in, please provide us with a copy of the front and back of the card(s).
Now that the residents are able to freely move about the community, we have gone through many boxes of masks that remain a scarce resource. If you are able to provide a box of masks for your loved one, it would be greatly appreciated so that our inventory will deplete more slowly. These can be mailed or dropped off at the door.

We were fortunate to have several individuals make masks for our non-clinical employees to wear. However, they are starting to wear out. If anyone has the time, talent, and interest in making masks, I have some supplies. We have identified some details with the homemade masks that make them more comfortable to wear and more likely to stay on our faces. If you are able to make some masks, I can pass along that information, and we would be grateful.

Joelle and Megan have planned events for next week’s Assisted Living Week. Joelle sent an email out to families last week with the calendar and a couple of requests. Sunday kicks off the event with a family car parade. Decorate your car, turn up the music, and join us as we light up the neighborhood and bring smiles and cheers to our residents, your loved ones. The parade will begin at 3:00 pm. The West parking lot will be the starting point; enter on Water’s Edge Drive, which is between our main entrance and Parkview Church’s parking lot. We will have it marked, and someone will be there to direct traffic starting at 2:30 pm. Pull into a spot and wait for the 3:00 pm. start.

I look forward to seeing you!

Carol Ricken,

Administrator

August 17, 2020

Summer Greetings!

When our Evergreen Orland Park community had an outbreak and our geographic area was a hotbed, there was much to report, and the communication notices were easy to draft. It has been one month since I have communicated as operations have been relatively stable. Two months ago, I thought we would be planning an August mask burning celebration in our courtyard, a party I was looking forward to as I have heard of frequent and lively celebrations in our community. It appears that such a party will be delayed as COVID-19 races through our nation and is a returning threat to our geographic area.

While we are waiting for COVID-19 to run its course, we continue to balance risk exposure and easing restrictions. At the end of April, residents were able to get outside; in early May, we added small group activities in our larger common areas, last month, IDPH permitted outdoor family visits, and three weeks ago, we re-opened the dining room at noon meal. Residents are moving about the community quite freely, and it is apparent that they enjoy a bit more freedom. Megan Edwards, our new life enrichment coordinator, has developed initial proposals for re-opening the fitness room, adding walking groups with a purpose, opening the theatre, and scenic drives on the bus. Like previous initiatives, all require formal structure and procedures to minimize risk. We plan to start implementing these next week. We also plan to restart the evening meal served in the dining room in the next two weeks since the noon meal has worked well.

As cases throughout the state escalate, IDPH continues to restrict, allowing a stylist to the communities. We are grateful for our caregivers who and licensed cosmetologists Wendi, and Dawn, who have been providing salon services as their schedule allows. IDPH added new restrictions last week, including visitors for outdoor visits must be from the same household and remain limited to 2 individuals at a time.

The last month has been more relaxed, and we all have enjoyed and appreciated a little taste of life closer to normal. We want nothing more than your loved ones to continue to enjoy your visits and move freely about the community. Thus, we thank you for cooperating with visitor screenings, keeping your mouth and nose fully covered at all times, and maintaining 6 ft. distancing.

This week we are going to add some fun by celebrating “Seniors Day” on Friday with water gun painting, appetizers, and hopefully great outdoor weather. Maybe we will burn a few masks, too!

Be well, and stay safe.

Respectfully,
Carol Ricken,
Administrator

July 16, 2020

Greetings!

First and foremost, we wish to thank everyone for a smooth and successful outdoor, personal visit process. From our end, all has gone well; we hope your experience has been the same. Based on reservations over the past three weeks, we will continue with three visit days per week. Sunday is likely to remain constant, and the other two days may change each week based on other events occurring in the community, our team’s schedules, as well as to offer flexibility for you. As a reminder, please contact reception at (708) 479-1082 for visit days and reservations. Reception is required to contact visitors 24 hours in advance of the visit to complete a COVID-19 screen, and another COVID-19 screen is required upon arrival. Our screening station is outside of door #2, which you will see on the right after entering from 183rd Street.

We also wish to thank everyone for your patience, selflessness, and kind words of understanding as we continue to balance the ease of some restrictions and maintaining the safety of your loved ones and our employees.

Starting Tuesday, July 21, we will be opening the dining room on a limited basis, serving the noon meal in the dining room and the community room at the south end of the first floor. Like restaurants, we have to limit our capacity to maintain social distancing, thus the reason for utilizing the community room. We will also have two seating times; one at 11:30 am and another at 12:45 pm. Residents will be offered a choice of dining location and seating time. While we are required to maintain social distancing, Tony has arranged the dining room to maximize the ability for residents to visit.

Opening the dining room is another process that we will work through to achieve a smooth flow like outdoor visits. Residents will be escorted to and from the dining room. At the end of each seating, the dining staff will thoroughly sanitize the tables and chairs and other touch surfaces to prepare for the next group of diners. Breakfast and the evening meal will continue to be delivered to the resident’s apartment.

As a result of this, we will be eliminating the 11:30 am timeslot for outdoor family visits. We will continue with a three day a week schedule with visit times at 10:00 am, 2:00 pm, and 3:30 pm.

We know returning to the dining room will bring great joy to our residents, and we look forward to providing a bit more “freedom” to their lives. We will be communicating this and the necessary reservation procedures to the residents on Sunday.

July 9, 2020

“Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change.”
― Mary Wollstonecraft Shelley, Frankenstein

The pandemic has created an incredible amount of change for our nation and such great sacrifice and frustration for each of you. During change, we take comfort in what we know and what is familiar. And then more change occurs.

As some of you may already be aware, some members of our team have left or will soon be leaving our community. While we wish them well in their future endeavors, we want to reassure you that our goal remains the same – to provide superior health and hospitality services, delivered every day with passion and integrity from our trusted family to yours. As we navigate the changes happening around us, we remain committed to keeping communication lines open to our residents and their loved ones with regard to happenings at our Evergreen community.

We recognize that these changes may raise questions and/or concerns, and we want everyone to know that we are more than happy to take time to talk with you to address any you may have. We sincerely believe that these changes afford us a unique opportunity to invigorate the quality care, teamwork, and high-performance standards that you deserve, and we expect.

We look forward to welcoming Megan, our new Life Enrichment Coordinator, and Joelle, our new Community Relations Liaison, the week of July 20. They are excited to join our Evergreen Family. Questions and concerns related to resident wellness will be addressed by Director Carol Ricken or Regional Director of Operations Rhonda Morrow, RN, with whom many of you are very familiar.

Respectfully,
Carol Ricken
Administrator

July 1, 2020

Greetings!

Our first week of family visits has been successful. Reservations and phone screening appear to be going well; I thank you for your cooperation. This will continue as our method for visitation until IDPH allows for open visiting.

We had visitation available Monday – Friday last week, but unfortunately, we cannot continue at that pace as we do have to maintain all the normal functions of the organization. Thus, we will be offering outdoor visitation three days each week, and the days will vary for the convenience of all involved. This week we will offer visitation on Monday, Wednesday, and Sunday. The times will remain at 10 a.m., 11:30 a.m., 2 p.m., and 3:30 p.m. and visits will be 45 minutes. If these times are not convenient for you due to work or other commitments, please let us know, and we will work to accommodate your schedule. Please call reception to identify available days and times and to make your reservation.

We continue to celebrate our 100% negative testing results, but the outbreaks in our southern states have us concerned as we know this virus does not remain confined to any geographic border. Out of concern for each other and our residents, we continue to ask our staff to remain cautious and avoid groups and social gatherings during their personal time.

We are grateful and proud of our team, and all they have accomplished for our community while working in our challenging environment.

June 19, 2020

Dear Residents and Family Members,

Hot off the press—at 8:48 this morning, we received notification from IDPH that residents and family members will be allowed outside visitation with restrictions. I have included the IDPH communication so that you will know what to expect upon visitation and our requirements for this opportunity.

We have all been waiting for this day, and we know how difficult the separation has been for all of you. However, I have to insist that we be fully prepared to execute this safely and to IDPH requirements, our licensing body. I also have to reiterate that IDPH still expects us to continue with a shelter in place environment for our community—I feel like such a party pooper!

Outdoor visitation will begin on Monday. We will begin taking reservations tomorrow, Saturday, at 10:00 am. To 4:00 pm. Visitation times for Monday through Friday of this coming week will be at 10 am., 11:30 am., 2:00 pm., and 3:30 pm. So that we can maximize the number of visitors, visits, for now, will be limited to 45 minutes. While we would like to begin this sooner, there is more than we anticipated that needs to be put in place and staff to schedule to comply with the IDPH requirements.

Spacing and safety control will allow for 8 residents per time slot. Visitors will be greeted near the main parking lot and given a reservation ticket that will allow the visitor to proceed to the courtyard. Please follow the sidewalks on the south side of the property to access the courtyard. If work commitments prevent you from visiting during the day, let us know, and we will do our best to accommodate. We will be working with staff to add evening visits during the week.

At this time, we are restricted to visitors 18 years and older. We will let you know when that restriction is lifted. A resident is allowed only 2 visitors at one time. If a group of more than two arrive, only two at a time will be allowed in the courtyard. Residents who are on any isolation or quarantine precautions are not able to partake of this opportunity until their precaution period is over.

Please call our main number at 708-479-1082 to schedule your visit. Please provide the names of all those who will be coming to visit. All residents will be given an opportunity to receive visitors before additional visits are scheduled.

On another note, we have received 99% of our COVID test results back, and all were negative. That is welcome news, but it only represents one day in time. We must continue with our safety protocols as the virus remains active in our nation and our geographic area. Twice this week, IDPH added more stringent restrictions on all long term care communities under which we are now categorized.

All negative results, however, do allow us to begin considering how we can provide limited services to the residents. At this time, we have selected to focus on podiatry, and we are assessing the viability of limited salon and dining services. And, with no positive cases, we are joyfully able to participate in limited outdoor family visitation per IDPH guidelines.

We ask for your continued patience. It is exciting to be able to ease restrictions and provide everyone with a bit of needed emotional relief. It also adds another layer of responsibilities and requirements for our team. We need to continue to operate our business; our team needs to manage our usual and customary roles. The safety protocols that we must follow to remain COVID-free adds additional responsibilities to many. We have to balance managing the business, to provide social engagement for all our residents, and now adding the long awaiting opportunity for personal visits. While we are thrilled

for this opportunity for you and your loved one, we ask that you understand the team’s need for rest and the ability to recharge.

Looking forward to sharing in your joy with this opportunity to get a little closer to your loved one.

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

IDPH Outdoor Visitation Guidance for Long-Term Care Facilities

June 18, 2020

Long-Term Care Facilities (LTCF) may allow outdoor visitation for residents when certain conditions are met. Visitations must be limited to two visitors at a time per resident. The maximum number of residents and visitors in the outdoors space at one time is predicated on the size of the outdoor space. The LTCF must ensure that a minimum distancing of six feet is achievable in the outdoor space when determining the maximum number of residents and visitors who can simultaneously occupy that outdoor space. The LTCF must clearly communicate and enforce social distancing of six feet between the resident and all visitors. The facility must set the maximum number of visitors allowed in a single day.

Visitors must schedule an appointment with the facility to visit a resident. The LTCF must prescreen visitors via phone with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) symptom checklist not more than 24 hours in advance. The facility must also screen visitors on arrival with the CDC symptom checklist and a temperature check. Residents with active COVID-19 infection, either laboratory-confirmed or symptomatic, are not allowed to participate in outdoor visits. Residents receiving visitors should also be screened with the CDC symptom checklist prior to the visitor’s arrival. Visitors displaying symptoms should not visit the facility.

Visits must be limited to outdoor areas only. However, they may take place under a canopy or tent without walls. Outdoor spaces must have separate ingress and egress, which does not require the visitor to enter the LTCF building. Visitors must not enter the facility at any time during their visit. For the duration of each visit, the resident and visitor must wear a face covering. The facility may set the time duration of each visit.

The facility should have staff supervision during each visit to ensure the use of face coverings and social distancing. The facility may determine whether supervision is continuous or intermittent.

June 12, 2020

Greetings. We continue to be encouraged as the state of Illinois continues to re-open, following Governor Pritzker’s Restore Illinois plan. Because we serve the most vulnerable senior population in a community living environment, there are further specific guidelines recommended for our communities, much more stringent than from the governor’s plan. This certainly has had a great impact on you, our residents, and families, and we appreciate your patience as we continue to follow the guidelines that have been set forth to keep you and your loved ones safe. We want to ensure you are educated on the importance of remaining vigilant to our current protocols as the best approach to minimizing the risk of exposure.
Please understand, the recommendation from Evergreen Senior Living, Heritage Operations Group, Illinois Department of Public Health, and the Centers for Disease Control continues to be: shelter in place with the following services:

In apartment resident meals; no communal dining
Independent leisure opportunities
Mail delivery
Essential medical appointment transportation only
Visitor restrictions
Mask use
Continue to self-isolate in your apartment

In line with our mission, encompassing choice, dignity, compassion, and respect, we have set forth adaptations to the following services if you chose to participate, pending no positive results after mass testing:

Salon Services: Salon services will begin on a reservation basis, with the first wave of services being limited to haircuts only. Colors and permanents will begin after all residents have received a haircut. The first haircut will be complimentary as a token of appreciation for your patience during these past three months. Reservations for colors and permanents will begin by July 1. If we finish with haircuts prior to July 1, we will begin taking reservations for those services earlier. Only two residents will be allowed in the salon at one time, one in the chair and another under the dryer if necessary. Staff will prompt and escort residents to their appointments. All residents will be required to wear a mask. The salon will be disinfected following services to each resident. Podiatry: We will initially schedule the podiatrist for two consecutive days, and on those days, the podiatrist will provide services to our community only. Our goal is for the podiatrist to see all residents over these two days, but residents will be prioritized based on need as evaluated by the nurse. Residents will be escorted to the salon by staff. A full-length Plexiglas shield will separate the resident from the podiatrist. This shield will allow only the lower legs and feet to be exposed to the podiatrist. Only one resident at a time will be allowed in the salon, using alternating chairs so that the chairs and protective shield can be disinfected between residents. Future appointments will be managed similarly. All residents will be required to wear a mask.

Transportation: To maintain control of resident exposure, transportation will be provided to medical appointments on Tuesday and Thursday. A maximum of three residents will be allowed on the bus in addition to the driver, with social distancing of six feet required between seated residents. Residents will need to wear masks at all times. The bus will be disinfected at the start and end of all trips as well as following a resident being dropped off at each appointment.

Recently, we have received several inquiries about moving into Evergreen Senior Living. Our distinguished services remain the desired living option for seniors. Virtual tours and apartment selection are provided to prospects via facetime or Zoom. Paperwork preparation and reservations are completed electronically or through the mail. Once we gain approval to accept new move-ins, there will be a strict move-in process, utilizing one moving company that has been vetted and has agreed to our safety protocols. It will be very different from your move-in experience, and our new residents will be required to be COVID tested prior to move-in.

All family and friend visitor restrictions continue as required by IDPH and recommended by the CDC and the State of Illinois Governor’s office.

*Out of consideration for the ongoing safety of our residents and staff, we continue to recommend against outside appointments. Individuals who choose to leave the community for appointments will need to self-quarantine for 72 hours.

Our community’s leadership will continue to evaluate these adaptations, the risk, and the reward they bring. If, at any time, we feel the overall wellness and safety of your loved one or our employees is in jeopardy, we will consider removing or further modifying these options. If these alternate choices prove successful and the number of cases in our region continues to decrease, we look forward to our next steps of creative and coordinated family visits, using the recommended social distancing and IDPH guidelines.

We are closer to the end than the beginning. We welcome your questions or concerns; please feel free to contact me at 708-789-1801.
Please be cognizant of your choices and the risk it may bring; your actions will greatly impact the lives of others: your family, friends, and neighbors.

June 10, 2020

On May 28, the Illinois Department of Public Health issued a rule under the governor’s disaster proclamation that all employees and residents of long term care communities will be tested for COVID-19. It is unclear if this will be applied to assisted living communities; however, it is likely, and thus, our corporate office has given us direction to prepare for testing. We have begun the preparation needed and hope to have this completed the week of June 15, assuming we are provided the test kits this week.

Testing with be required for all employees, and we strongly recommend all residents comply with testing as well.

If all residents and employees test negative, we continue with the protocols that we have been operating under and begin preparation for easing restrictions. This will be a gradual process and will continue to be led by IDPH.
If a resident were to test positive, per CDC guidelines, the severity of their symptoms would determine whether they remain in the community to be cared for or be sent to the hospital for treatment. Residents who test positive for Covid-19 and remain in the community will be restricted to their apartment for a minimum of 14 days and remain symptom-free for 72 hours with no symptom-reducing medication.

We are required to obtain a physician’s order for this test, as well as receive and document verbal consent from the resident or POA. We have begun this process this week. For efficiency, we will email consent requests to the POA if applicable.

We are uncertain as to the timing of the results, but when they are received, you will be notified. IDPH requires 24-hour notification of any positive cases.

While the pandemic seems to be easing, actions such as this might cause concern. The primary purpose of community-wide testing is to identify any asymptomatic cases that could result in an outbreak. We will keep you informed as this progresses. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact me or Pauline McGrath, Wellness Coordinator.

Sincerely,
Carol Ricken
Director
Evergreen Senior Living-Orland Park

June 5, 202

A month or so ago, I was documenting a procedure, and I ended the communication with “at any time you feel things getting out of control, stop and regain control.”

I am communicating with you today that I am hitting the pause button.

Most of us are generally pleased that the governor announced the transition to the Phase 3/Recovery stage. With that came hope and excitement of returning to activities that have been delayed or ceased, and over the past week, we have received multiple calls per day inquiring about or informing us of doctor appointments that have been made for our residents. We understand that many appointments have been delayed for weeks or months, but the protocols to keep our residents and employees safe are still as much in force as they were 6 weeks ago. Under the direction of the CDC and IDPH, we continue to respond with what is essential.

COVID-19 is still alive and present in our geographic area, and we do not know the consequences of the recent unrest that has surrounded our community. Allowing family members to pick up their loved ones and take them out at will, breaches safety protocols that have kept our community COVID free for almost two months. While some residents and family members may be willing to accept quarantine upon return (not being allowed out of the apartment for any social or outdoor events for a period of days), it presents a risk to our community as well as quickly depleting our scarce PPE supply that we must conserve for the possibility of future cases.

If an appointment is desired, please inform us so that we can contact the physician to determine the necessity and arrange telehealth when possible. If there is an appointment that requires physical contact or a procedure, we can help coordinate visits with the physician and the resident and family as well as provide transportation for these visits. This team has worked very hard to keep our community healthy; please work with us to schedule care for your loved one.

We understand the strain that this pandemic has caused you and your loved ones, and we know that many are beyond impatient. We are closer to the end than the beginning. We ask for your continued understanding and support as we stay the course through the remainder of this pandemic.

May 29, 2020

Greetings!

I am looking at blue skies, puffy white clouds, lush green grass, and enjoying the feel of the cool breeze. Our COVID-19 numbers remain unchanged for another week. Is this the glimmer that we have been awaiting?

I hope so. There is a “however” in this story. While the number of COVID-19 cases and the state’s positivity rate are declining, while the state has entered phase 3, COVID-19 is still alive and present in our geographic area and our residents, your loved ones, remain at risk. One breach, one false negative, one exposure can still create an outbreak in our community. The protocols to keep our residents and employees safe are still as much in force as they were 6 weeks ago. Remaining COVID-free among our residents and employees is still our greatest concern.

While businesses are re-opening with eased restrictions, long-term care, rehabilitation, assisted living, and congregate living communities, restrictions remain unchanged. At this time, the Governor’s office is reporting that our industry’s reopening likely will not come until phase 5. IDPH reported today that in collaboration with our industry association leaders, they are developing a plan for safely easing restrictions for our industry’s communities. Our corporate office, under the guidance and direction of IDPH, is also developing a plan for the gradual easing of restrictions for our communities. Today, I cannot identify when that will be, but I am confident that we will have more to share next week.

With the state reopening, we have received many inquiries about visits, doctor appointments, the salon opening, etc. At this time, we continue to respond with what is essential; this is also the response of IDPH. We have become adept at physician telehealth visits. If your loved one has an appointment, please provide us with the physician information, and we will arrange a visit via iPad with the resident and their physician if the physician deems the appointment as essential. There are some essential appointments that require physical contact for procedures. We will coordinate the need for such visits with the physician and the resident and family when necessary.

IDPH stated today that salon services in our communities are not essential, and community visitation remains restricted. While these are two of the top three resident requests, dining room eating being the third, based on resident comments, I cannot say for certain that a family visit would take priority over hairstyling!

The residents are enjoying getting outside on nice days and having small group activities in the common areas. With warmer weather, outdoor activities are occurring more frequently. Please do not attempt to enter the courtyard space during this time. We thank you for understanding and look forward to a grand celebration in the courtyard for all of us upon release from this pandemic.

Enjoy the weekend.

May 20, 2020

Over the past several weeks, there has been an initiative to test all employees and residents in skilled nursing facilities; this may be asked of assisted living communities as well. A representative from the assisted living division of Illinois Department of Public Health contacted Evergreen Senior Living Orland Park to inform us that although they are not certain that it will occur, they are making preparations to test assisted living communities but do not yet have details of who will conduct the testing or when it may be performed.

Testing directed by IDPH does not require a physician’s order, and although a resident will not be forced to submit to the test, residents will be educated on its purpose and strongly encouraged to comply.

Thank you for your continued patience, and we will keep you informed as we learn more.

May 15, 2020

With the heavy rains yesterday, I believe Spring has finally arrived. Everything is so green today, and warmer weather seems to be stabilizing. This past week, we have cautiously allowed small group gatherings in the sitting areas of each floor and hope to be transitioning this to the courtyard soon. Any resident “outing” is carefully orchestrated, following a detailed plan to ensure resident safety. Amanda, Haleigh, and Hannah have also carried out creative hallway activities allowing residents to engage from their doorways.

Along with the many discussions and disagreements about reopening businesses, our state, parks, etc., we are also in the initial stages of what our re-opening will look like. While I have no details at this time, I can convey it will be deliberate and limited. Our geographic area remains in the thick of this pandemic, which creates high exposure for all of us and continued risk to your loved one. I commend our Evergreen Senior Living employees for their efforts over the past two months and continually remind them to be conscientious with all their decisions and actions, especially as our society grows restless with social distancing and refuging at home.

Another week has passed, and our numbers remain unchanged, for which we are grateful. Over the past two weeks, IDPH has changed the COVID notification requirements to residents, families, and employees. Upon any positive case, or three or more symptomatic residents or employees within a 72 hour period, an organization is required to provide the following resident, employee, and family/POA notifications:

Immediate notification to the resident and the resident’s primary contact upon results of a positive COVID-19 test
Verbal notification of a new case or suspected outbreak to all residents, residents’ primary contact, and employees by 5 p.m. the next business day
Written notification of a new case or suspected outbreak to all residents, residents’ primary contact, and employees by 5 p.m. the next business day
Written notification to all parties upon any additional case following the initial outbreak

And with that, I hope and pray that we will continue to simply share in these updates that our numbers remain unchanged.

As a reminder regarding deliveries: the COVID-19 virus can be transmitted with deliveries. For our part, we sanitize mail and packages that come into the building. We respectfully ask that you conscientiously prepare and package items that will be delivered to the community, ensuring clean hands when packaging and again when dropping off. We thank you for your help in our efforts to remain COVID-free.

Enjoy your weekend, and stay healthy. Thank you for your continued support.

May 8, 2020

Mother’s Day Greetings to all Moms and those who have loved and provided care and inspiration like a Mom. We were hoping for warm weather as a Mother’s Day gift to our residents, but consistently warm weather continues to be elusive. Amanda and her team have Mother’s Day recognition gifts for all the Moms, and Chef Tony has a fabulous menu including shrimp cocktail, beef tenderloin or salmon, and a cheesecake or apple pie for dessert. Count me in!

With the passing of another week, we report that our numbers have not changed; we have no new cases. Information from IDPH is likely to require all residents to wear masks when daily care is provided, such as receiving assistance with getting ready for the day. We will be distributing masks to all residents over the weekend.

Approximately 20 major meatpacking plants have temporarily closed during the past several weeks due to COVID-19 outbreaks among employees. Most processing plants are operating at approximately 30% capacity. This will likely impact our menu planning due to expected shortages and cost increases. There is no certain information regarding the timeframe for restoring to full production; we will keep you informed. In our war chest, however, is Chef Tony, and he will continue to provide nutritious and tasty meals regardless of what is in the cooler or on the storage shelves.

As weeks continue to pass, we are receiving more deliveries for your loved one. This is understandable and, in many cases, necessary. Please be aware that the COVID-19 virus can be transmitted with deliveries. For our part, we sanitize mail and packages that come into the building. We respectfully ask that you conscientiously prepare and package items that will be delivered to the community, ensuring clean hands when packaging and again when dropping off. We thank you for your help in our efforts to remain COVID-free.

Enjoy your weekend, and stay healthy.

May 2, 2020

Hello. Please forgive our void of communication over the past 10 days. The good news is that with cautious delight, we can continue to report no new employee or resident cases, and pray daily that our cases remain static as we carry on life during the COVID-19 pandemic.

More good news is that our residents, your loved ones, were able to “break free” for a bit this week. Monday and Tuesday, we took advantage of nice weather and allowed residents to get outside. This was done with great thought and planning. Residents were provided a mask and personally escorted to the courtyard and back to their apartment so that they would not have contact with any surface–elevator buttons, door handles, etc. Residents enjoyed the fresh air, some rolled up their pant legs and took in the sun, and others took the opportunity to walk the path. While it was only for a limited amount of time, I know they relished the occasion, and it also enlivened us to share in their short breath of freedom.

On Monday, we had the fortune again to have access to a hospital-level sanitation process that had been completed in early April. This process eradicates any surface contaminants and is more effective than all the sanitizing that we are completing on a daily basis. While I can say this is just one more tool to maintain safety, it is a tool that we would not have easy access to without our Evergreen Senior Living business partner.

As always, I thank you for the many well wishes, masks, and treats that have been delivered. The staff truly feel appreciated by your kindness. Please continue to keep us in your thoughts as we have many weeks before this risk lessens. Your loved ones are troopers, and we are privileged to provide care to them during this difficult time.

Stay well

May 1, 2020

A message from Benjamin Hart, President & CEO of Heritage Operations Group, which manages Evergreen Senior Living of Orland Park:

Dear Residents, Family, and Community members,

To date, Evergreen Senior Living of Orland Park has experienced a total of ten (10) positive COVID-19 cases. These consist of six (6) employees and four (4) residents. The last resident to test positive for COVID-19 was on March 30, and the last employee to test positive was on April 6. The residents who have tested positive for COVID-19 have since passed away. We track and monitor our testing data for all residents, employees, and vendor partners on a daily basis.

Recently, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) has begun publishing COVID-19 testing data on its website. Unfortunately, the data on this website related to Evergreen Senior Living of Orland Park is incorrect. IDPH shows on their website that Evergreen Senior Living of Orland Park has incurred fifteen (15) total positive COVID-19 cases and seven (7) deaths. IDPH’s data related to Evergreen Senior Living is erroneous, and we are currently working with IDPH to get this data corrected. Other long term care providers are experiencing this same issue with IDPH’s data as well. Please know that we are disclosing our COVID-19 data to you in full transparency.

Sincerely,

Benjamin Hart
President & CEO
Heritage Operations Group, LLC

April 20, 2020

For the past three weeks, we have been required to report all confirmed resident and employee COVID-19 cases to IDPH. We have also been tracking, for our own safety measures, any staff or residents who have presented with even the slightest symptoms, initiating infection prevention protocols when concerned, exceeding “as necessary” protocols.

As many of you have been made aware, the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) is publicly reporting all confirmed cases and deaths related to COVID-19. The numbers reported for Evergreen Senior Living in Orland Park are incorrect. We are in contact with the head of IPDH’s assisted living division in Springfield, who committed to correcting the inaccurate data. At this time, the source of this inaccurate data is unknown.

We walk a fine line with privacy compliance and reporting. We have kept you informed of active COVID-19 cases while trying to maintain the privacy of our residents and their family members as well as that of our employees. Unfortunately, there has not been open reporting across our industry; IDPH now requires all data to be shared.

Please be aware that confirmed cases reported include both employees and residents. Outcomes for residents are based on hospital test results communicated to us by hospital representatives. Employees who are tested are not asked for the place of employment, nor are they provided with any written documentation of their results; instead, they self-report results. Our current data includes four confirmed residents, six reported employees, and four deaths. While we are cautiously delighted to report no new resident cases in almost 3 weeks, nor employee cases for 2 weeks, we mourn the loss of four beautiful souls, which overshadows any victories over this virus.

We respectfully and cautiously consider the information the media is presenting. Historically, senior living communities, especially skilled nursing, have been represented poorly and harshly by the media. There are poor quality nursing facilities in our country, but the majority of our long term care communities provide compassionate quality care. While there are war stories that media promotes, we can, in far greater abundance, share stories of great care and positive outcomes. It is logical, albeit disheartening, that long-term care and senior living communities have the greatest exposure and COVID-19 adverse outcomes; our population is the at-risk population and reside in congregate living settings.

Please be assured that we are taking great precautions to keep your loved ones safe; they are members of our Evergreen family and are revered by our staff. We continue to thank you and the residents for your patience and understanding as we remain on this troubling and emotionally taxing journey. As always, thank you for the many well wishes and thoughtful considerations that have been sent our way; they provide us with a smile and inspiration.

April 16, 2020

Friends and family of Evergreen Senior Living in Orland Park…we hope this communication finds you well.

We are cautiously delighted to report that our community has not had any positive COVID-19 cases for the last two consecutive weeks. We have had four positive resident COVID-19 cases, and our team continues to work very hard to ‘flatten our curve.’ For that and at this moment, we are grateful. It is the little wins to which we commit ourselves, day in and day out, that lead us to the successes for which we strive.

We continue to follow the protocols from the Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) and the Cook County Department of Public Health in efforts to flatten the curve. These protocols include vital signs and symptom tracking twice daily for all residents and three times daily for any symptomatic residents, isolation for symptomatic residents, ongoing staff education of PPE, infection prevention and disinfection procedures, and temperature and symptom assessment prior to the start of every shift for all employees. We are also involved in daily conference calls with our corporate COVID-19 task force to ensure proper execution of updated protocols in coordination with the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and IDPH, as well as the continuation of delivering services, meals, mail, and social engagement to the residents.

We continue to receive heartfelt messages and videos of well wishes… keep them coming; they are inspirational to our residents and our staff! Thank you for entrusting us with the care of your loved one.

April 14, 2020

We hope you had a safe and happy Easter! Please enjoy a video that was put together, especially for our residents at Evergreen Senior Living, by the Mothers of Preschoolers (MOPs) group from Parkview Christian Church here in Orland Park. We sure miss spending time with them and look forward to getting back together soon…

Enjoy the video!
{source}<iframe width=”425″ height=”239″ src=”https://www.youtube.com/embed/9MYMwg6_o9E” frameborder=”0″ allow=”accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture” allowfullscreen></iframe>{/source}

April 10, 2020

In many cultures, this day, Good Friday is a day of reflection on sacrifice. There is much sacrifice occurring in our lives recently. Family and friends must be apart from each other to safely quarantine, some must work under strained conditions, while yet others are laid off. These are overarching concerns that disrupt normal feelings of content and safety.

While it is positive that a week has gone by with no new reported cases among our residents, it provides us with only a small feeling of relief. The next two weeks are anticipated to be the height of the pandemic in our geographic area. For this reason, despite a few warm days, we are going to remain steady with our protocol in maintaining the in-apartment refuge. During warmer weather, we have encouraged residents to open up their windows and allow fresh air to energize their senses; we greatly look forward to freely walking the community and grounds again soon.

With Easter Sunday coming upon us, we want to recognize the family tradition and fellowship it brings; our intention is to recognize the significance of this day through special meals. Breakfast will include hot cross buns, scrambled eggs, buttermilk pancakes with syrup, bacon, and sausage. Dinner features brown sugar glazed ham, mashed sweet potatoes, mixed spring vegetables, tossed green salad, and assorted pies. Also, two of our young employees are offering their talents to provide piano and voice entertainment around our community.

We continue to ask that you keep those well-wishes and cheerful messages coming! Videos, craft projects, pictures, etc. can be sent via email to atinman@heritageofcare.com or by USPS, and we will gladly deliver. May this weekend bring you blessings of love, joy, peace, and hope… and may it linger in your heart forever.

April 6, 2020

Hello Evergreen Senior Living in Orland Park family and friends. Just a few updates from the weekend as we settle into our new, temporary normal of sheltering in place.

For your general knowledge, as you continue to send cards and letters cheering folks up, the mail is being dropped off by the postman in a container, and our team members are delivering it after it has been sanitized.

Comforting our residents’ hearts and spirits is just as critical as safeguarding their health during an outbreak. FaceTime and Skype are wonderful ways to stay connected; please give us a call to help coordinate our “virtual visit” (708) 479-1082.

Our team members are working tirelessly and extremely hard. Out of concern for your loved one, they continue to come to work to provide the care and support to each resident. Our delivery of care has changed due to the necessary infection control measures that affect the routines of our residents. They must tolerate this change, and for many, this can be difficult and frustrating. The staff is doing their best to accommodate residents’ schedules in order to prioritize tasks and additional protocols from the state and county health departments. We have asked the residents for even more patience and understanding as they know that we will get to them, just at a different time than to what they are accustomed. I am so proud of our employees!

On a happy note, at least two residents have made the most of this, opening their doors that are across from each other and doing exercises together from their individual living rooms! Also, we had several thoughtful neighbors dress their toddler children in costume and parade around the community with “happy spring” signs, entertaining the residents from outside their windows.

Sending love and prayers to each of you, our Evergreen family, as we remain committed to each other through such an uncertain time. We look forward to continuing to serve you and your family.

April 2, 2020

Hello, and welcome to another day of updates from Evergreen Senior Living in Orland Park! We hope you find this communication easy to access and that it provides you with solid information and education to continue entrusting us with the care of your loved one.

We realize watching everything unfold from home can evoke feelings of helplessness and create confusion. Please have confidence and trust in us as we are taking our direction from the experts: The Center for Disease Control (CDC), Cook County Health Department, and our corporate office’s Chief Nursing Officer. We also ask that you use these sources for education instead of the general media.

The flow of personal protective equipment (PPE) from manufacturers to local distribution is being controlled by the CDC. This week, we did receive a supply of PPE, likely because we are working with active COVID-19 in our community. We are grateful for this supply.

Emotions are high, and understandably so. As a reminder, privacy laws prevent us from sharing details with you, for example, names of residents, areas of the building, apartment numbers, etc. in which we have positive tests. Thank you for your understanding as we preserve our residents’ and team members’ privacy and dignity. As the virus accelerates, we need your help now more than ever: we ask for your support in emphasizing the importance of ‘sheltering in place’ with your loved ones through increasing your calls, virtual visits, and emails. As you know, our community and residents are very social, the ‘life of the party’ if you will, and this added measure has been hard to digest for everyone.

Our team members are positively outstanding. They have put concern for your loved ones over everyone else, their own families, and self. During this time, it’s easy to think selfishly…and they have not. We are so grateful they stay committed to us in this battle. Additionally, as part of a larger company, Heritage Operations Group, we have the additional benefit of relying on them for reinforcements as caregivers, nurses, and culinary team members.

Finally, we are fortunate to have amazing business partners who have connected Evergreen Senior Living in Orland Park with a company whose business is hospital-grade sanitation. They are giving us additional guidance and direction on how to best disinfect high-touch areas throughout the building.

Unless urgent, continue to use this link, https://www.evergreenslc.com/orlandpark/updates, to access updates, as I will be focusing on leading our team and residents through this uncharted territory. I realize how unsettling this time is; rest assured we have never worked harder to protect your loved ones. We love them too.

March 31, 2020

It is a daily-changing healthcare climate as the spread of the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) continues in our cities, across the country and world. Thank you for your patience as it is our first priority to directly care for your loved ones at Evergreen Senior Living in Orland Park. We do understand the importance of timely communication and education moving forward and intend to give multiple updates weekly regarding COVID-19.

We can share with you that our community has an outbreak of COVID-19; the health department defines an outbreak as two cases. Privacy laws prevent us from sharing details with you, for example, names of residents, areas of the building, apartment numbers, etc. Thank you for your understanding as we preserve our residents’ privacy and dignity.

We can also share that we are in constant communication with the Cook County Health Department, following their guidance and ensuring the proper protocols are being followed in order to minimize the additional risk of exposure to our residents as well as our team members. We are regularly screening temperatures of our residents throughout the day, as well as employees at the start of every shift. Infection control and prevention procedures are common and routine in our community, however, heightened during this time. As an added measure to control the spread of the virus, residents have been ‘sheltering in place’ just as you are. For our residents, this means staying in their apartment. We ask for your assistance in emphasizing the importance of this measure with your loved one through your calls, virtual visits, and emails. They love hearing from you!

Regarding our team members that you have grown to love and trust, we continue to face challenges every day. Please be confident we are meeting the essential needs of the seniors in our community and have adjusted hospitality services to better meet the demands of our current environment. Shower assistance has been adjusted to weekly or as needed. In apartment housekeeping, we continue to focus on bathroom and kitchen cleanliness to free-up additional disinfecting for high-touch surface areas in the community. Meal delivery continues with a full breakfast, along with a choice of sandwich/soup combo for lunch, followed by complete dinner options for the evening meal.

Unless urgent, please use this link, https://www.evergreenslc.com/orlandpark/updates, as I will be focusing on leading our team and residents through this uncharted territory. I realize how startling this communication may be; rest assured, we have never worked harder to protect your loved ones. We love them too.