Dear Residents and Families of Birch Bay Retirement Village,

I hope you all are having a nice week. 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. We will continue to work closely with MDI Hospital, the CDC, DHHS and CMS to ensure that we are adhering to the highest standards of safety and care for our community.

Beginning July 1st, we will beginning the next phase of our Birch Bay Campus Safe Guards plan which will be effective through July 15th. Many of the guidelines will stay the same as the last two weeks. Guidelines include:

  • Families may drop off supplies and groceries at the main entrance during office hours.
  • Visits outdoors, all must be supervised, no mile radius restriction.
  • Social small group gatherings allowed up to 8 as space for physical distancing allows.
  • Apartment residents may go to essential personal appointments in their vehicle in addition to medical appointments.
  • Limited, reservation only, physically distanced use of Bay Vista room for meals.
  • Once weekly pre-scheduled pick up of groceries or prescriptions from Hannaford Bar Harbor.

FAMILY VISIT GUIDANCE: Please note that we are proposing a change to the process of arrival and screening for family visits. We are now asking resident families to arrive 10 minutes before your scheduled visit time to meet our screener outside the Birch Bay Inn main entrance rather than calling the front desk upon your arrival. If you do not see the screener outside the main entrance then please wait a few minutes for her to arrive. We appreciate your patience and understanding. If you have any questions regarding the visiting process, please contact Sara Starbuck or Herb Pratt.

We will continue to provide you with periodic updates with as much information as we can on our efforts to combat COVID-19. We realize that many of the restrictions and guidelines suggested by the CDC for long-term care communities seem harsh to residents and families. However, in working with our colleagues in other retirement communities around the state and in balancing the needs of our small community here in Hancock County, we have worked hard to keep a balance between resident health with safety and quality of life. I feel that we are offering many more opportunities here at Birch Bay for socialization and family involvement then many other communities are able to provide. Due to recent increases in tourism in the greater community and the uncertainty around adequate masking or quarantine practices among vacationers, we are focusing our re-opening efforts over the next two weeks on increased activities and socialization opportunities on campus.  With that being said, we always welcome your suggestions as to where we could improve the quality of life for residents during this difficult time.

On behalf of the entire Birch Bay Retirement Village community, I want to thank each of you for your continued support and understanding. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or concerns you may have.

Sincerely,

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