Community Update for week of 5/1/2023

May 2, 2023

Update to residents on 5/2/2023

May 11, the Ending of the Public Health Emergency

May 11 will mark the official end of the Federal Public Health Emergency. As such, many of the requirements of the Health Emergency will begin to unwind. The following will be effective next week on May 11:

Masks

• Masks will continue to remain optional in the Heiser Community Center. If necessary due to any significant outbreak on or off campus, they will be required again.
• Kendal staff are to ask Independent Living residents, “Would you like me to wear a mask”? when entering an Independent Living home.
• Masks will continue to be required for a time in the Stephens Care Center (SCC). We have now changed from requiring the KN95 mask to permitting a medical procedural mask in the SCC. These are available at each entrance to the SCC.
• Independent Living residents passing through the SCC still need to wear a mask.

Kiosks

• Kiosks will still be used for visitors to sign-in. We will be removing the health screening questions. These will be replaced with signage at each Kiosk of what to do if you have any signs/symptoms of COVID or any infectious illness.
• Independent Living residents passing through the Stephens Care Center will no longer have to check-in at the Kiosks, however, all Independent Living residents will need to have their Kendal name tag prominently worn. SCC residents and staff want to know other residents by name, and some SCC residents have voiced that they want to make sure someone belongs in their home when seeing them pass through.
• Staff will no longer need to use the Kiosk.
• Volunteers, private duty staff, contractors, construction workers, et al non-residents and non-staff will still need to register their presence at Kendal through the Kiosk and prominently wear their sticker badge to signify to all their registration on campus. 
• Kiosk locations will be re-evaluated.

Community Activities in the Stephens Care Center

• We will begin to slowly reintroduce community activities in the Stephens Care Center where Independent Living residents will be free to participate and enjoy.
• Independent Living residents and visitors will be welcome to dine with SCC residents in the Friends Corner Dining Room.
• Intergenerational Activities in the SCC between Early Learning Center students and SCC residents will begin to slowly resume.

COVID Bivalent Booster Availability

People over 65 or with immunocompromised conditions are being urged to get a second COVID Bivalent Booster if it has been more than 4 months since your last COVID vaccine. We are in a new phase of the COVID pandemic and vaccines are readily available at local pharmacies. In the past, during previous phases of the pandemic, we were fortunate to have local pharmacists volunteer on their days off to provide COVID boosters here on the Kendal campus. Now, local pharmacists are urging Independent Living residents to visit their pharmacies to get an updated COVID Bivalent Booster. Storage requirements for the COVID vaccines make it prohibitive for Kendal to store the COVID vaccine on campus. 

For Stephens Care Center residents only, Kendal is working with Remedi Pharmacy to offer booster shots on site. Everyone else should go to a local pharmacy.

After you get your COVID Bivalent Booster, please bring your updated COVID Vaccine Card to the Health and Wellness Clinic so that we can update your Medical Record and track COVID vaccines on campus.

Where to get your COVID Bivalent Booster (be sure to take your Insurance Card and COVID Vaccine Card with you):

Drug Mart – 122899 Leavitt Rd, Oberlin, OH  44074     Phone: (440) 774-5212

• Call the scheduling hotline at (844) 625-0843 to schedule a vaccine appointment OR
• Schedule on-line:  https://clinic.discount-drugmart.com/covid/register/

CVS Pharmacy – 297 S. Main St, Oberlin, OH  44074             Phone: (440) 774-3531

• Call and set up an appointment – using phone number above OR
• Schedule on-line:  www.cvs.com
  • Click on COVID-19 booster, testing, treatment & records
  • Scroll down to COVID-19 vaccines, click Schedule a COVID-19 vaccine.

Walmart Pharmacy – 46440 US-20, Oberlin, OH  44074        Phone: (440) 774-6734

• Walk-in Pharmacy hours
  • Mon–Sat:  9am – 7pm. Sunday: 10am – 6pm
  • Complete paperwork while waiting in store OR
  • Complete paperwork on-line https://www.walmart.com/store/5309-oberlin-oh/pharmacy
    • Select COVID-19 vaccine appointments (under Pharmacy Services), then Click “Schedule Now”

Rite Aid Pharmacy – 100 S. Leavitt Rd, Amherst, OH  44001   Phone: (440) 988-5832

• Walk-in Pharmacy hours – Closed from 1:15pm-2pm for lunch
  • Mon – Fri 9:00 AM – 9:00 PM, Sat 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM, Sun 10:00 AM – 6:00 PM
    • You may schedule on-line:  www.riteaid.com/pharmacy 
    • Click on menu top right, Select COVID-19, Schedule a vaccination.

Coffee Hour

Next week on Wednesday, May 10, at 9:30 am in the Langston.

Lawn Chair Drill Team

Once again, the Kendal Lawn Chair Drill Team delighted the crowds at the Oberlin Big Parade. Thank you everyone who was involved in this fun event! The Chronicle Telegram ran a nice article before hand with some great photos, too. https://chroniclet.com/news/350242/kendal-at-oberlins-lawn-chair-drill-team-gears-up-for-big-parade/

Congratulations to the Wordly Wise Spelling Bee Team

The Wordly Wise spelling team won first place at the United Way fundraiser event last week. Congratulations to Robin Lauren, Mary Behm, Kathleen Cerveny, and Kim Preston for bringing home the trophy. Proceeds from the event will support local education initiatives for preschool and middle school age children.

Dining Update

From Greg Zehe, Director of Hospitality Services & Assoc. Administrator

Update on the High School Recruiting Events

In the past two months, we have participated in job fairs at 5 different local high schools. Our list includes Oberlin High School, Vermilion High School, Elyria Catholic High School, Firelands High School and the Lorain County JVS. As you can see, we recruit from a wide area. We do this for two reasons. First, in today’s world, a relationship with just one or two high schools will not yield the number of staff needed. Second, we want to avoid a situation where all of our student staff has “Homecoming” (and similar events) on the same night!

We are not finished yet; we still have events scheduled in May at Elyria High School and Amherst High School.

The planning and execution of representing Kendal at these critical recruiting events is accomplished through a partnership of Lisa Wilken, Dining Room Operations Manager, and Stephanie Sutton, Administrative Assistant for Hospitality Services. Many thanks to them both for their efforts!

Housekeeping/Laundry Update

Window Cleaning

Our 2023 annual window cleaning will begin on May 13 and continue on May 14 with the Main Campus common areas scheduled first, followed by the 2nd floor outside windows of the apartment building. We want to look our best for Open House, and this was our only “window” at this busy time of year for our vendor, H&B Window Cleaning. This is the same company we used with good results in the past. We appreciate their experienced crew as they have learned their way around our campus, making their work very efficient. Crystal Hall will be here on Saturday May 13 to make sure things go smoothly.

Auditorium CLOSED May 15-16 for Floor maintenance

The auditorium has been reserved for a 24-hour period STARTING Monday May 15 at 5 pm UNTIL 6 pm Tuesday May 16. Please stay out of the Auditorium during this time. The floor will get a light scrub and then top coated with a non-slip sealer. This is not a floor wax, but rather a non-slip sealer that will impart a subtle shine to the oak parquet floor. If you have any questions, please reach out to Crystal Hall, 775-9199, cyhall@kao.kendal.org

Other Annoucements

OC Environmental Communications presentation

Thursday May 4 from 1:15-2:15 PM in the Auditorium. Oberlin College “Environmental Communications” students will present recent Environmental Dashboard initiatives focusing on the re-booted City/College/Schools Ecolympics, the new Elementary School solar-powered dashboard, a College sustainable infrastructure display, and the promotion of regional climate planning and action in NE Ohio. 

Western Reserve Land Conservancy – Field Trip RESCHEDULED

The tour of the Oberlin Preserve led by Kate Pilacky (originally scheduled for tomorrow) has been rescheduled to Tuesday, May 9 – giving the birds, plants, and people more of a chance to warm up!  Sign-up clipboard is at the open mailboxes. Car pooling. Gather at 9:45 AM at Heiser entrance. (Shared by Ted Wolner)

Thank You, Oberlin Bike Shop

We had the Oberlin Bike Shop here last week on April 26 and they serviced over 30 residents’ bicycles! A big thanks to Randy and the Oberlin Bike Shop Staff! We all look forward to a great bicycle season. Sincerely, Kathy Caldwell, Fitness and Wellness Committee.

COVID News/ Statistics

Governor Mike DeWine’s regular COVID Press Conferences: https://ohiochannel.org

In case you were wondering… Why does Zip Code 44074 have only 1 reported case, while Kendal had 6? Two reasons: the results of home-tests are rarely reported to the Health Department by people who test themselves. And: there are differences in the reporting timeframe. Kendal data is for the past 7 days with today as the end point (5/2/23), whereas Lorain County’s end point is 4/28/23.