April 23, 2020
Dear Families,
As our separation from one another continues, we know how much you yearn to interact with your loved ones here at the Jewish Home.
Although we’re prohibited from allowing in-person visits for health reasons, we want to provide ways for you to connect with your relatives here. We’re working on a variety of initiatives, and this week, we have two to get us started.
Join our “Love Letter Link!” Please overwhelm your loved one with notes, cards, posters, and pictures. We’ll share them and use them to decorate their rooms! This will surely boost their moods and help add joy for both the residents and the staff.
We’re joining the worldwide Rainbow Hunt by asking family members to create rainbows to place in the windows of the Home. This movement started in Italy, and it has three purposes; to thank healthcare workers for all they’re doing, to brighten the areas where they hang, and to give children and adults something to do for others – in both creating the rainbows and then “hunting” for them throughout their community.
To ensure safe delivery of cards and rainbows, there are three options:
- Mail them through the US Postal Service, where mail carriers are following CDC guidelines, wearing gloves, having no contact with individuals, and practicing social distancing. We are able to then receive them safely and deliver them safely.
- Email your notes to Nicole Lupinski at nlipinski@jhep.org. She can print out letters and even pictures on a color printer, and then we’ll get them to your loved one.
- Drop them at our front entrance in designated boxes, and they will be set aside in a secure spot for 24-48 hours, the time recommended to ensure no contamination exists, before being shared with our residents.
Moving forward, we are planning a Zoom service of healing for residents, family members and staff to take a few precious moments to share prayers of healing for everyone impacted by this pandemic. Stay tuned for details.
As an integral part of the Scranton community, we continue to do our part to support local businesses and they support us.
At the beginning of the pandemic, we thanked our hard-working staff by giving gift cards to Saccos, Brick Oven, Granteeds, and Dunkin Donuts. This week, Grandteeds donated pizza for our staff, Corky’s Garden Path donated beautiful flowers, and Race West Foods donated fresh produce. The Mchale family sent the staff pizza in memory of their family member. Tomorrow, Home Instead is providing a bagel breakfast for the team.
These gestures of kindness are appreciated more than words can express.
We are in touch with the Pennsylvania Department of Health daily and they are monitoring every aspect of this crisis throughout the Commonwealth.
We continue to have adequate stock of Personal Protection Equipment (PPE) and more will be arriving. We have also brought in additional environmental services support to augment our infection control efforts.
On the staffing front, we have secured additional Registered Nurses (RNs) to augment our staff during these challenging times, and in conjunction with the Center for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), we have developed an expedited program to bring additional Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) online as direct care staff.
Thank you again for your ongoing support, and we look forward to being bombarded with your notes, cards, letters, and rainbows to show residents and staff that there is hope.
Sincerely,
The Jewish Home Leadership Team
