Dear Residents and Families of Birch Bay Retirement Village,

We currently have no cases of COVID-19 among our staff and residents. Please know that we have followed and will continue to follow all state and federal guidelines set forth for resident care, staff safety, and efforts to stop the spread of COVID-19.

I would like to take this opportunity to provide an update regarding the current state of COVID-19 in our region. New cases of COVID-19 continue to be at a high transmission rate in Hancock County. The State of Maine, CDC and DHHS direct congregate care facilities like Birch Bay to use their guidelines regarding visitation, staffing, communal dining, transportation, and group activities.

Under our current guidelines in compliance with the State of Maine, only outdoor visits are available at this time. Please call the Front Desk to schedule a visit. Our Facilities Department has built an outdoor enclosure to assure that outdoor visits can continue throughout the colder months. When other facilities are unable to provide this level of continued family/resident contact, we continue to work hard to keep our residents connected to their loved ones. Please remember that outdoor visits will continue visits will continue to be limited to 30 minutes and family pets will not be permitted during visits. For a complete list of visitation guidelines, please contact James Hoke at x 5227 or jhoke@birchbayvillage.us

The newest set of Campus Safeguards is effective December 4 and will remain in place as long as Hancock County is experiencing high transmission of COVID-19. These guidelines include:

  • No resident transportation to the grocery store. We will continue to operate an in-house grocery store of limited items and offer grocery pick up from Hannaford or Walmart to go. Contact Jackie Calabrese if you are interested in a pickup at x5227 or jcalabrese@birchbayvillage.us
  • In-house transportation is available by our Activities staff for medical appointments only. Families may not transport their loved ones to medical appointments.

Due to the high transmission rate in Hancock County, if residents leave campus to visit family, shop or attend to hair appointments, they will be asked to quarantine upon their return for up to 14 days. After 5 days, their provider may order a COVID test which may shorten their quarantine period. During quarantine, our staff will be unable to enter the apartment for housekeeping or meal delivery. Any services provided by care staff will mean they will need to enter in full PPE. If there are any questions about our quarantine policy, please contact Mike Smith, RN, Director of Health Services at x 5203 or msmith@birchbayvillage.us

Thank you for your patience and understanding as we adjust our policies and practices to best protect our residents and staff. Despite the challenges, we are planning some unique and fun ways to celebrate the holidays to keep our residents engaged and smiling. Stay tuned to our Facebook page for new updates!

It is more important now than ever before that our entire community continue to be vigilant in following all guidelines recommended by the State of Maine and the CDC. Please social distance, wear a mask, limit your non-essential trips, and practice good handwashing. Thank you for helping us protect the health and well-being of all.

 

Thank you,

Peter Sullivan, MBA, RN-BC, CDP, LRCA, Executive Director, Birch Bay Retirement Village