COVID-19 Response FAQs

COVID-19 Response FAQs

At Chelsea Jewish Lifecare, the safety and well-being of our residents and staff is our number one priority. Please know that we are carefully monitoring all aspects related to COVID-19 and have implemented the recommendations and guidelines given to us by state and federal health experts. This page is intended to provide additional information to residents, family members, and staff based on common questions we are receiving. While this situation is rapidly evolving, we will do our best to update our website with the latest information.

What is Chelsea Jewish Lifecare doing to protect the safety of my loved one living in your facility?

Even before COVID-19, Chelsea Jewish Lifecare strictly maintains and follows effective infection control procedures as mandated by state and federal regulations. With COVID-19, we have taken additional steps to help prevent the spread of the virus, including but not limited to:

• Daily monitoring and screening of residents and staff for signs of an infection including temperature checks
• Conducting limited small group activities while practicing safe social distancing or converting group activities to individual plans to support resident engagement
• In room delivery of meals and/or staggered dining schedules and physical distancing during resident meal times
• Instituting a no-visitor policy effective March 12^th with limited exceptions for medically necessary visits and end-of-life and “compassionate care” situations
• Asking non-essential employees to work from home to limit exposure

How can I find out how my loved one is doing?

We are committed to keeping you well-informed of your loved one’s status. We will be calling families at least once a week to give you general updates and more frequently as needed to provide individualized communication on matters like a change in condition, a specific care need, or a change in the care plan. You are also always welcome to call our staff at any time to get an update or have any questions.

With no visitation, how can I best stay connected with my loved one?

It is important that family members and friends stay connected with their loved ones especially during this challenging time. We have deployed extra mobile devices in our facilities to help facilitate virtual communication. We are happy to help arrange phone and video calls through Skype and FaceTime so that you may continue to interact with them. Please use the contact information listed below for each facility to schedule a call.

What are you doing to address potential feelings of resident isolation at this time?

We understand the importance of addressing not only our residents’ physical needs and comfort, but also their social well-being. Our Activities and Life Enrichment Teams have put together and are implementing programs to continue to engage our residents in fun and meaningful ways. Examples include activity carts, art projects, musical performances, and scavenger hunts. We encourage you to follow our Facebook page where we will be highlighting many of these activities.

Can I drop something off for my loved one?

We ask that you do not come to our facility for any reason to minimize the risk to our residents and staff. We assure you that all your loved one’s needs are being met, including free laundry services. If you do absolutely need to send something, please send it via the mail and allow time for delivery and appropriate screening. Families sending supplies to Assisted Living residents are highly encouraged to purchase them from online retailers like Amazon or CVS and be sent directly to the facility. Please note that as a precaution, we will be holding mail and packages securely for 48 hours prior to being delivered to residents.

What can I do to help support your organization and staff in this difficult time?

Chelsea Jewish Lifecare has always been proud of the commitment and dedication of our staff in providing high quality care to our residents. Although it is no different even in this unprecedented situation, we recognize the additional hardships some of our staff may be experiencing. Some may have to leave children at home or support other family members who may have lost jobs due to the shutdown of non-essential businesses. We have therefore established an Employee Assistance Fund to help our staff in these unique situations. Please consider supporting our efforts by making a donation to the Employee Assistance Fund.

For online donations via credit cards, please visit Chelsea Jewish Employee Assistance Fund

For donations via mail, please address the check to Chelsea Jewish Charitable Foundation, Inc. with “Employee Fund” written in the memo and mail it to 240 Lynnfield Street, Peabody, MA 01960.

We know that the protective measures we have put in place represent a severe trial for our residents and those who love them. We appreciate your understanding and patience as we all work together to keep our residents and staff safe during this time.