COVID-19 Status Update

Update 2/19/21

In our commitment to transparency with our greater community we are sharing that a resident has tested positive for the COVID-19 virus recently. The resident has mild symptoms and is self-isolating in their apartment home. The resident did receive the first dose of the vaccine at our clinic. We are conducting contact tracing and if any other resident came into direct contact, they will be notified.

Out of an abundance of caution we are cancelling group activities at this time and we are strongly discouraging outside visitors at this time. We encourage Bella Vita residents to stay in their apartment homes except for essential medical visits, grocery shopping, and exercise. We are providing symptom self-monitoring logs at our concierge desk. Additionally, we ask residents to wear a mask when exiting their apartments and while in community spaces.

We are diligently maintaining daily virus-mitigation cleanings and careful assessment for any signs or symptoms of COVID-19.  These precautions help protect the health of both residents and team members.

Please know we are working very hard to ensure the well-being of everyone who lives and works at our community. Our second in-community vaccination clinic is scheduled for March 11^th.

Update1/6/21

Vaccine Update 

We continue to work on trying to set up a COVID-19 Vaccine clinic in our community. We’ve learned from our pharmacy partner that at this time, stand-alone independent living communities are not a priority for the vaccine clinics. However, it is a fluid situation, and we continue to advocate for an on-site vaccine clinic here at Bella Vita.

However, we do not want anyone to miss out on a vaccination opportunity while we’re advocating for a clinic. Therefore, we are now suggesting that each resident take the opportunity to receive a vaccination through other resources if available. We’ve gathered some ideas and resources here to help in this process.

1. The UC Health System is providing those +70 vaccines through a registration and lottery system. You can read more details on their website at https://www.uchealth.org/today/older-adults-rejoice-as-they-begin-getting-coronavirus-vaccines/. If you already have a My Health Connection account with UC Health, log into your account to register for vaccine consideration. If you don’t, you can still create an account and register for vaccine consideration, https://www.uchealth.org/access-my-health-connection/.
2. We believe several primary care doctors and HMO insurance providers will offer the vaccine. Please call your doctor and your insurance customer service number to ask about their plans to provide the vaccine.
3. We are aware of a partnership with Safeway that allows everyone in Governor Polis’s 1B vaccine tier to receive the vaccine; however, those appointments are limited and are quickly taken. We also have learned that the program is being overhauled at this time and we will share more information about this potential option as we learn more.

We have inquiries into the state of Colorado and the Tri-County Health Department regarding additional options. Once we know more, we will share the latest updates.

In the meantime, we must remain vigilant and good neighbors to each other. Please continue to wear a mask anytime you are outside of your apartment, wash your hands often, and use hand sanitizer and monitor yourself daily for signs and symptoms of COVID-19. If you experience any symptoms, please call the concierge desk immediately.

Thank you for your patience and persistence. Together, we will get through this.

COVID-19 Vaccine Distribution Plans

We are patiently waiting to receive information on when our vaccine clinic will open for Bella Vita residents and team members. We want you to get ready now. All residents and team members need to have their most current insurance cards. If you misplaced your insurance card please make sure you get a replacement card for yourself or your loved one as soon as possible, so the process moves forward as smoothly as possible. Please take a look at the below links for further information.

• A Frequently Asked Question document provided by the American Medical Director Association (AMDA)
• The Pfizer Vaccine and Moderna Vaccine information sheets ( we are not sure which we will receive at this time)
• A flyer about the myths and facts of the vaccine
•  When we communicate our clinic dates, we will provide directions on how to submit your consent form.

COVID-19 Vaccine Administration Plans

Frequently Asked Questions | 12.10.20

This Frequently Asked Questions document is intended to give information to residents, families, team members, and the general community regarding the status of rolling out the COVID-19 vaccine in our communities. Information is changing daily. There are times the federal directive and state directives are different. Christian Living Communities (CLC) – Cappella Living Solutions is committed to providing accurate information as timely as possible. This document will be updated and available as changes warrant. For vaccine-specific information, we request the CDC documents be shared.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has prioritized older adults and people working in Long-Term Care to be part of the first-tier to receive the vaccine. Will residents of Bella Vita be involved?

All CLC-Cappella communities are registered with the Pharmacy Partnership for Long Term Care Initiative to be part of the vaccine’s first-tier distribution. We are waiting to hear if residential (independent) living residents/team members will also be included in the first-tier distribution.

Where does the vaccine approval currently stand?

Now that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines have been approved, the federal government has begun distribution to the states for inoculations. Each state will then set a state-specific timeline and process for vaccine distribution and administration. We anticipate all of the states we support will follow the CDC tier guidelines for prioritizing who will receive the vaccine first, but that has not been firmly confirmed.

Once the states get the vaccine, how will it be distributed to Long-Term Care and Residential Living?

These are some of the details still being worked out. At this point, because all of our communities are registered in the federal pharmacy partnership, we will receive the vaccine through either CVS or Walgreens pharmacy or both. We will request the pharmacy teams coming to our community to administer the vaccines to residents, however, Bella Vita residents may need to go to a local vaccine clinic. We are awaiting more details and will share information as we have with our Bella Vita family.

How will the vaccine be rolled out in our Community?

We will begin by educating residents, families, and team members. The CDC has provided some information sheets that will be distributed and posted on websites to answer questions specifically around vaccine development, safety, and why getting the vaccine is beneficial. We will work with our assigned pharmacy, who will store, distribute, administered the vaccine. The pharmacies will also document and report our vaccine administration progress.

For vaccine-specific questions, please refer to the CDC handouts.

8 Things to Know About Vaccine Planning

Benefits of Getting a COVID-19 Vaccine

Learn more on how the CLC-Cappella Communities prepared to receive COVID-19 Vaccine Here.

Update 11/20/20

Level Red Goes Into Effect Tonight

Governor Polis’s Level Red order goes into effect this evening at 5:00 pm. The designation impacts everyone in our county and is aimed to stop the spread of COVID-19. Just this week, the Governor released a new statistic that 1 out of every 100 people in the Denver metro area is infected with the virus. We also know that some state hospitals are already at capacity.

The order very specifically states that anyone considered in a high-risk population should stay home. People ages 65 and up are considered a high-risk population in the order definition; therefore, according to the state order, residents in our community should stay home unless they need to leave for a medically necessary reason.

The order also closes restaurants but still allows for take-out and delivery, and it limits the sizes of gatherings indoors. Again, this applies to everyone who lives in our county, not just senior living. The Centers for Disease Control has also issued a strong advisory asking people not to travel this Thanksgiving.

All of this information is hard to hear. We’ve been working to understand how this order impacts our senior living community. We have been seeking guidance from the state health department and local agencies for any changes in protocols and operations. These conversations are ongoing. Therefore the information listed below may change; this is what we know as of now, and what we must do to be in compliance with the new State order:

1. All life gatherings are limited to five people and should be with people each resident is frequently around, their “COVID Bubble Buddy”. This is a term a group of residents came up with to describe what the health order refers to as pods of people, a “household”. Now is the time for all residents in our community to identify their “Bubble Buddies,” up to five people in your specific neighborhood, that you can socialize with while maintaining a safe bubble, creating your household. Residents must continue to wear a mask, keep six feet of social distance with each other, and wash their hands frequently if they are together with their “bubble buddies.”
2. With the risk of exposure so high in our area, we are also asking residents to consider the health and well-being of their neighbors before leaving the community for a non-clinical visit. We know we have a conscientious group of people who want to be a good neighbor.

Now is the time to pull together as a community and “protect our house.” We want to be safe and responsible for each other. We also want to be creative and find ways to retain and build a connection with each other for our mental and emotional well-being. Please start talking with your neighbors about building your “bubble buddy” system. Work together to place calls to each other, schedule video chats, and small groups of five gatherings with social distance. Now is the time to establish your tribe of people within our community.

We know these restrictions are worrisome. Please stay in communication with your loved one, schedule video visits, send care packages, drop off cards and favorite meals, and let us know if you have concerns so we can try to help.

We are in this together. With new vaccines on the horizon, we have to now more than ever, support and love each other, and we will get through this together.

Update 11/13/20

Holiday Season

With the holidays fast approaching, and our community and states COVID-19 positivity rate increasing, it is important for all of us who live and work at Bella Vita to take extra precautions this holiday season.

Governor Polis recommends no more than six to 10 people gather together. We are highly recommending that Bella Vita residents consider making alternative plans to stay in the community for your holiday. If you choose to leave the community to gather with family and friends we will request that you maintain a self-isolation period for 14 days upon your return to ensure the health and well-being of everyone who calls Bella Vita home.

The Centers for Disease Control (CDC) has issued some holiday guidelines for all of us to consider if we choose to take part in a gathering.

• Take into consideration the local county positivity rate before planning a gathering.
• Those preparing food should wear a mask at all times.
• If two or more households are gathering, everyone should wear a mask.
• For residents hosting a small apartment gathering, you do not have to count each in community apartment as a separate household. Bella Vita is considered one household according to CDPHE, however, you must still adhere to no more than six to 10 people, and you must practice social distancing.
• Keep the gathering small and short in duration to limit exposure risk.
• If possible, have a window open or better yet, host the meal outside. Governor Polis has asked for no more than two households to gather together.
• Attempt to maintain social distancing of six feet or more at all times.

With the surge in cases in our community and nationally, we all must do our part to stop the spread of the virus and protect each other from this very contagious virus.

Thank you for your support and understanding during this challenging phase of our community’s life.

Update 6/2/20

Resident Recovered from COVID-19

We are pleased to share some good news, the resident that tested positive for the COVID-19 virus has recovered and is no longer in isolation. There are no new COVID-19 cases at Bella Vita but we must all continue to utilize good infection control, hand hygiene, self-monitor for symptoms, use the buddy system to check-in on each other and follow Governor Polis’s Safer at Home Order.

We encourage Bella Vita residents to stay in their apartment homes except for essential medical visits, grocery shopping, and exercise. If you would like a COVID-19 symptom self-monitoring log they are available at the Concierge desk. Additionally, we ask residents to wear a mask when exiting their apartments and while in community spaces.

Bella Vita will continue maintaining restricted visitor access. Team Members and care essential visitors will be screened before entering the community. All team members and essential visitors must wear a mask. We are diligently maintaining daily virus-mitigation cleanings and careful assessment for any signs or symptoms of COVID-19. These precautions help protect the health of both residents and team members.

We are currently reviewing Bella Vita’s Life Enrichment Program and will be providing guidance within the coming week for opportunities to soon re-engage in group activities with your neighbors. Please know we are working very hard to ensure the well-being of everyone who lives and works at our community.

Q: What is being done to protect residents and staff?

A: We continue to implement rigorous virus sanitizing protocols daily.  The county health department continues to direct our actions. Residents’ temperatures are taken twice daily and the team is vigilantly monitoring all signs and symptoms for everyone who lives and works at Bella Vita.

Q: Is Bella Vita Safe?

A: The COVID-19 Pandemic is a world-wide health crisis. While no place at this time is immune to the virus, we continue extraordinary precautions with the guidance of local health officials and the CDC.

Q: What are the ‘rules’ your respective communities follow to detect, contain and isolate COVID-19?

A: The health and safety of our residents and team members is our top priority and we will continue to practice all federal, and local mandated measures as well as our organizational procedures to limit exposure of COVID-19 in our communities.

Q: Who is allowed to visit your communities?

A: Bella Vita residents are able to have outside visits with social distancing and wearing a mask for family visitors.  We are still under CDC restricted visitor status and adhering to visitation guidelines established by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment and CDC is limited to:

• ‘Essential Need Only’ visits. Essential need visits include care providers. Visits must be brief.

Q: How are visitors being screened?

A:  We screen everyone entering the building everyday immediately, including team members and essential care providers. Screening includes:

• Fever screening, we take temperatures of everyone, including team members
• Cough and/or shortness of breath
• Sore throat
• Any travel outside of country or state
• Identifying if they have visited another senior living community
• Questions on purpose of visit
• Once screening is complete, visitors must wash hands before visiting residents and after leaving the community

Q: Can you describe your training protocols?

A: CLC/CLS already conducts extensive yearly training for all team members in managing infections and preventing the spread of infectious diseases. These protocols are multi-disciplinary and prescriptive to prevention, containment and how to stop the spread of the disease should it occur.

All communities are following a special set of coronavirus-specific policies and procedures modeled after our very successful flu and norovirus protocols. Training and protocols include:

• Provide training for all employees on infection control standards
• Report and act quickly if any symptoms are reported in the community
• Start isolation procedures immediately if COVID-19 is suspected
• Follow state report guidelines for any confirmed cases

Q: What is done if a team member or resident shows symptoms?

A: If a team member has any symptoms, they are required to stay home and report symptoms to their doctor to determine if they meet COVID-19 test standards. If a resident exhibits symptoms, we ask for them to notify the community, contact their doctor to determine the best plan for testing and quarantine in their apartment.

You can view the last organizational Town Hall Webinar pre-recorded on June 25th here.

Cappella (or CLC) President and CEO Jill Vitale-Assume recently hosted a FB live event with two clinical experts, CLC Medical Director Dr. Erick Gomer MD, and VP of Clinical and Compliance, Pat McBride, RN, BSN, MSN. Watch the video to hear these experts sort COVID 19 Vaccine fact from fiction.

Center for Disease Control and Prevention: https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-nCoV/index.html

State of Colorado: https://covid19.colorado.gov/

Arapahoe County, CO: https://www.arapahoegov.com/covid19