Community Updates Week of 5/3/2021

Calm, Proactive Preparedness

May 7, 2021: Update to Residents

Happy Mother’s Day to All Women as We Honor and Remember Each Woman that Has Shaped Us into the People and Community We are Today!

Thank You One and All for Your Love, Wisdom, Guidance, Instruction, Compassion, Care, Hope, Joy and Inspiration!

Ohio’s COVID-19 case rate drops to lowest level since mid-October

Ohio’s COVID-19 case rate has declined for the third consecutive week, reaching levels not seen in the state since mid-October 2020. The Ohio Department of Health’s weekly case rate update Thursday showed the state had 140.2 cases per 100,000 population over the last two weeks. That is slightly lower than the rate reached in the middle of this past March before a brief wave of cases brought it up to 200 cases per 100,000 population on April 15 according to the agency.

Lorain County is exceeding the state’s overall case rate, with 155.2 cases per 100,000 population over the last two weeks. That is the 14th highest rate of the state’s 88 total counties. Lucas County tops all others in Ohio with a rate of 249.1 per 100,000.

Johnson & Johnson vaccines…will be available at two Lorain County Public Health clinics on Saturday. Details are available for those and all Lorain County Public Health vaccine clinics at loraincountyhealth.com/signup, or by calling 211. There are a variety of pharmacies and other providers also giving COVID-19 vaccines in the area, each with their own signup methods.

Lorain County also added 29 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 and eight new probable cases on Wednesday, according to Lorain County Public Health and Ohio Department of Health data. The new cases bring the county’s cumulative totals since the start of the pandemic to 19,377 confirmed cases and 5,303 probable cases. –The Chronicle-Telegram

Kendal Phones

For a week now Kendal has been experiencing phone calls dropping into a busy signal requiring a call back. Our phone carrier (Windstream) has been searching to find the cause. If you have been experiencing calls dropping on your landline phone, please report this to the front desk with your name and unit number and how long this has been happening.

Dining Meal Opt-Out

With the upcoming dining changes, we will be changing how we manage the way residents can opt out, and we will be allowing you to opt out of meals for a month:

• We will no longer be doing weekly opt-out options.
• If you choose to opt-out for a month, a sign-up sheet is posted in front of the open mailboxes.
• We are asking that you sign the sheet by the morning of May 12, 2021, so we can make the proper changes.
• The opt-out period is from 5/19-6/18.

Lorenzo Pizza Party in May

If you placed an order, delivery will be on Tuesday, May 11, and Wednesday, May 12.

The Hotel at Oberlin

The Hotel is reopening on Monday, May 10. They will continue to offer a special rate of $99 for Kendal visitors. If you book by phone (440-775-7001), just mention that you would like the Kendal rate: Rate Code: KENDAL; Booking Code: KENDAL. This rate is subject to blackout dates, typically special event dates for Oberlin College. The rate is for lodging only–meals are not included.

Note: They are currently fully booked May 13-15.

Oberlin Book Store Wall Mural

Your Vote is Needed to Decide on the best Community Wall Mural. You are invited to select your one preference of 4 designs. Designs are by Oberlin High School artists. Please vote and share with others in the community. The vote will be open until Monday, May 10. One vote per person. –Shared by Tanya Rosen-Jones

Linkage would like your help

What is the General Public’s perspective of Retirement/Senior Living Communities during the pandemic? They would welcome your and/or your family completing this survey if you want to pass it along. We will post it on Kendal’s social media as well.

Thursday Afternoon Exchange on KOTV and ZOOM

Our guests next week will be from our sister Ohio affiliate, Kendal at Granville. Join Zoom Meeting each week at this consistent address. We will provide the YouTube link to yesterday’s Zoom Exchange this Tuesday.

Monday, May 10, 7:15pm: Redistricting 101 

Zoom and KOTV – Join Zoom Meeting

In 2015 and 2018, Ohioans overwhelmingly voted for reforms to end gerrymandering. Over 70% of us in all 88 counties voted for new rules to guide district map-making, mandating the process to be bipartisan, transparent, and public. Join Kate Rivet and Robert Thompson from Fair Districts Ohio for a presentation on the 2021 redistricting process and how you can get involved in ensuring Ohio’s new maps are drawn fairly. –Carol Conti-Entin, for the Program Committee

Good Reads

Matt Baloun, Kendal at Oberlin’s Therapy Manager, Named HealthPro Heritage “Clinical Advocate of the Year” for his division – 2020 was a really tough year for many therapy programs, but it was the outpatient programs that saw quick drastic reductions in appointments as soon as COVID hit. HealthPro Heritage Regional manager Betsy Michnicki thought for sure that Matt Baloun and his team at Kendal at Oberlin were going to see drastic drops to their overall caseload, and residents might be at risk due to isolation and functional declines. This simply wasn’t the case. Matt got creative in his scheduling approach and presented a plan which allowed dedicated clinicians for IL and AL residents to be able to enter homes to provide therapy.

As the need for technology grew to keep residents in touch with their families, Matt developed a program within Kendal to work with residents who needed assistance with technology and new technology. Matt would see the resident who was struggling with technology, addressing the sequencing, cognition, problem-solving, and fine/gross motor deficits to help the residents use their devices. This helped set them up for success to be able to do telehealth appointments and stay in touch with family. This was such a need on the campus, and it has been widely recognized at Kendal as an appreciated, innovative approach to care for their residents. Read the rest of the story…

Are you a Skeptic on the Vaccines? You might find this helpful. It shows various ways that have proven effective in getting vaccine skeptics to change their minds and get vaccinated.

Did you miss the May KENDALIGHT arriving by email?

It may have gone to spam because it did not recognize the sender, Vicki DeFranco, successor to Carol Groo in Administration. Please look in your spam folders so you can accept vdefranco@kao.kendal.org.

Premier of the Documentary Film, Kendal at Oberlin Stories: World War II

Thursday, May 13, 7:15pm, followed by Q & A with interviewees John Matsushima, Jim Sunshine, Bill Rice, Mary Van Nortwick, and filmmakers Geoff Pingree and Clarissa Heart. On KOTV and Zoom webinar: Join Zoom Meeting – Stories of WWII

Today’s Statistics

Kendal at Oberlin (KaO)

Lorain County (as of 5/6/2021) – Level 3: RED

Cuyahoga County (as of 5/6/2021) – Level 3: RED

State of Ohio (as posted 5/6/2021)

May 4, 2021: Update to Residents

Governor Mike DeWine Update on May 3

Mike DeWine announced on May 3 that vaccinated staff working in nursing homes and assisted living communities will (soon) not be required to have routine COVID-19 testing. According to that same announcement, unvaccinated staff will continue to be required to test twice per week. COVID-tested staff at Kendal at Oberlin are currently following a Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) requirement to test twice per week due to a Lorain County positivity rate that peaked beyond 10% in April. CMS requires staff to continue in a twice-per-week cadence until two weeks beyond the county dropping below 10%. Thursday will conclude this requirement. We are now waiting for an implementation date for the Governor’s announced change in the testing requirement. Kendal at Oberlin continues to follow Ohio Department of Health and Federal (CMS) COVID testing requirements for staff and Stephens Care Center (SCC) residents.

COVID-19 Pandemic Memorial Grove Dedicated at Great Seal State Park

Ohio Governor Mike DeWine dedicated a new memorial tree grove on Arbor Day, Friday, near Chillicothe. It is in honor of the victims and survivors of COVID-19, as well as for all Ohioans who made personal sacrifices to protect others amid the coronavirus pandemic. The Ohio Department of Health reports the COVID-19 Pandemic Memorial Grove at Great Seal State Park includes 15 trees native to Ohio surrounding a paved trail. Benches will be added to allow visitors to reflect on the toll of the pandemic, honor lives lost, pay tribute to courageous frontline workers, and recognize the selfless actions of Ohioans to slow the spread of the coronavirus. –Chillicothe Local News

Good Reads

How Good Are Vaccines? Try 99.9999% Effective

I have a friend who works in the New York City Department of Education’s Covid-19 “situation room” — tracing cases, informing contacts and so on. She’s really good at her job, which is why I was surprised to hear her make a strange statistical assertion: Since the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are 95% effective, one in 20 vaccinated people are going to get Covid. That’s wrong, dangerously so. And given that an expert who works in the area every day can make such a mistake, I figure it’s worth some explaining….

Let’s consider the clinical trial that measured the Pfizer vaccine’s efficacy. There were two groups of about 22,000 people each. They were similar in all ways — age, health, location, activities — except that one group received a real vaccine and the other received a fake one. Over time, 162 unvaccinated participants developed at least one symptom and tested positive, while only 8 people in the vaccinated group did. That’s 95% fewer infections, suggesting 95% efficacy. But less than 1 in 2,700 of the vaccinated participants fell ill. –Bloomberg News shared by Robert Taylor

Reaching ‘Herd Immunity’ Is Unlikely in the U.S., Experts Now Believe

Widely circulating coronavirus variants and persistent hesitancy about vaccines will keep the goal out of reach. The virus is here to stay but vaccinating the most vulnerable may be enough to restore normalcy. –The New York Times shared by Anne Wardwell

Aging is Inevitable, So Why Not Do It Joyfully – Here’s “how” on Ideas.TED.com. Articles, links, TED talk all worth the time. —submitted by Linda Grashoff 

Lorenzo Pizza Party in May

You can place an order for a pizza, lasagna, or salad next week in the Heiser Lounge, no later than Friday at 5pm. Delivery will be on Tuesday, May 11, and Wednesday, May 12.

The Hotel at Oberlin

The hotel is reopening on Monday, May 10. They will continue to offer a special rate of $99 for Kendal visitors. If you book by phone (440-775-7001), just mention that you would like the Kendal rate: Rate Code: KENDAL; Booking Code: KENDAL. This rate is subject to blackout dates, typically special event dates for Oberlin College. The rate is for lodging only–meals are not included.

Note: They are currently fully booked May 13-15.

Oberlin Book Store Wall Mural- Your Vote is Needed

Help us to Decide on the best Community Wall Mural. You are invited to select your one preference of 4 designs. Designs are by Oberlin High School artists. Please vote and share with others in the community. The vote will be open until Monday, May 10. One vote per person. —Shared by Tanya Rosen-Jones

Link-age would like your help

What is the General Public’s perspective of Retirement/Senior Living Communities during the pandemic. They would welcome your doing this and/or your family if you want to pass it along. We will post it on Kendal’s social media as well. Take the survey.

Thursday, Afternoon Exchange or Watch by KOTV

Link to Thursday’s Zoom Exchange Come learn more about SSAFE (Senior Stewards Acting for the Environment) with Ted Wolner as guest sharing their work with the Kendal System.

Today’s Statistics

Kendal at Oberlin (KaO)

Lorain County (as of 5/3/2021) – Level 3 RED

Cuyahoga County (as of 5/3/2021) – Level 3 RED

State of Ohio (as posted on 5/3/2021)