12/28/20 Update: Vaccination and indoor visits lifting spirits for care center residents, families, and employees
December 28, 2020
Last week, Lyngblomsten confirmed with CVS Pharmacy (our pharmacy provider) that COVID-19 vaccination would begin for care center residents and care center employees this week! Residents and care center employees will receive the first dose of the Moderna vaccine on Tuesday, December 29, and Wednesday, December 30, and a second dose three weeks later in mid-January (dates yet to be determined). CVS staff will administer the vaccine, with Lyngblomsten employees providing support.
Care center leadership has been working round-the-clock in order to prepare for vaccinations. Steps we’ve taken include educating our residents, their families, and staff about the vaccine; scheduling vaccination times; collecting consent forms and other required paperwork; and setting up the space where employees will be vaccinated (residents will be vaccinated in their rooms). The excitement is palpable!
At this time, there is a limited supply of the vaccine available to Minnesotans, and so the Minnesota Department of Health (MDH) has prioritized certain groups (including residents and employees of skilled-nursing facilities) to receive the vaccine first. Because of this, Lyngblomsten wants to ensure as many of our residents and care center employees are vaccinated on the 29th and 30th, as it could be quite some time before more is available.
We are still confirming with CVS when the vaccine will be available for tenants of our two housing buildings (the Lyngblomsten Apartments and The Heritage at Lyngblomsten), housing staff, and other non–care center staff. MDH guidance states that persons who live and work in senior housing settings are prioritized (albeit second tier) to receive the vaccine, so we expect it will be available for them in early January.
Another exciting development is that MDH has approved our request to host indoor visits for care center residents and their family/friends in our Newman-Benson Chapel! It’s been a long process getting these indoor visits approved and is only possible because of the unique design of our chapel. This large space is separate from the care center with its own air handling system, making it an ideal location for hosting safe indoor visits during the cold winter months. These pre-scheduled visits began today, and we will be following all health and safety requirements from MDH in offering them. These requirements include limiting the number of residents and visitors in the chapel at one time, having visitors enter the chapel directly through a service door (not through the care center main entrance), disinfecting visiting areas between visits, and having everyone wear personal protective equipment.
While we still need to limit how we offer visits between our residents and their loved ones, we’re confident and hopeful that this week’s vaccinations mark the beginning of life “returning to normal” on campus. We’re looking forward to the day when we’ll be able to welcome family, friends, volunteers, and visitors back on campus. Until that day, thank you for your continued support, encouragement, and prayers!
