Mask Mandate Change

As many of you are aware mask requirements have been lifted in hospital settings and other public places for several months now.  Circle Center has evaluated the recent changes and guidelines for our type of community setting and we now feel it is time to lift our mask requirements for staff and visitors.

Effective May 1, 2023, masking will be optional and not a requirement for all those on site.

We have learned a lot in dealing with COVID and as a result have developed operational procedures and protocols to further enhance our infection control efforts. We receive regular oversight visits from both our licensing body, the Virginia Department of Social Services, and the Virginia Department of Health.  They have helped us fine tune our procedures and remain great partners in keeping us up to date with the latest recommendations and guidelines on infection control and COVID specifically.

CAREGIVER ROLE:

Here are some recommendations and reminders for you regarding the important role caregivers play in helping us manage infection control and some key things we will be doing to both monitor and respond to outbreaks moving forward.

• Remember, it has always been the case that if your loved one is not feeling well they should not attend the Center. We ask that you keep your loved one home if they exhibit any signs or symptoms of COVID or other contagious illness such as fever, chills, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, or cold symptoms and call our nursing team to let them know.  Many of our participants have varying degrees of disease and most are immunocompromised so if in doubt keep your loved one home if they feel ill.

• We also require the same of employees and visitors by asking employees to stay home if they are feeling ill and we have signage in our lobby asking all visitors not to enter if they have any signs and symptoms of COVID or other contagious illness.

• If your loved one or anyone in their household tests positive for COVID-19 please keep them home and notify our nursing team immediately. Your prompt communication allows us to conduct contact tracing as soon as possible, thereby curbing any possible spread.

• Masking is optional meaning anyone is welcome to make their own personal choice regarding masking or not masking. We pride ourselves on a judgement free atmosphere of individual respect and dignity and we ask you to support us in that effort.

• Center leadership will follow the health department dashboard weekly to monitor community levels for Henrico County. That dashboard, should you wish to follow it as well, can be found at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website, under community level data tracking.

• The dashboard designates community levels as low, medium, or high. Center leadership will assess community levels weekly and respond accordingly based on community level status. In cases of high levels for instance, we will notify families and participants via email communication and through signage at the front lobby.  In these instances, masking may again be a requirement for visitors and staff.

Monitoring community levels weekly allows us to be more flexible and either take additional preventative measures to protect those in our care when rates are high or signal us to discontinue the use of layered prevention strategies when rates are low.

SUMMARY:

We believe this response is a more effective way forward as we continue to find ways to live with COVID, still monitoring for the illness, while also providing the best care possible for those who come to us for great programming and social engagement.  Our staff look forward to sharing the smiles behind our masks with participants once again.  We know they’ve missed that critical part of human interaction.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to reach out to Casey, Jay or Heather.

Casey 355-5717 ext. 214
Jay 355-5717 ext. 210
Heather 355-5717 ext. 203

Thanks to each and every one of you for your support and cooperation always, and especially over the past three years.