As the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) began to spread globally in early 2020, people started to raise questions about the safety and health of their family members in senior living communities, as the senior population were those at a higher risk of contracting the illness.

While many families believed that bringing their parent or family member home was the safest thing they could do amidst the pandemic, a majority of senior living communities, including Franklin Park®, have enacted safety measures so that their locations not only remain safe during COVID-19 but may be the safest place for your older family member during this and future crises.

Franklin Park® Senior Living, with retirement communities in San Antonio, Texas, and the surrounding areas, wants to assure you and your family that, as demonstrated during the COVID-19 pandemic, we are committed to always prioritizing the health and safety of residents.

Why Senior Living Communities Can Be Safer

Dedicated and Appropriate Care

While a first instinct may be to bring a family member home in order to avoid infection, it’s important for families to think through the long-term impacts of doing so. Those who live in a senior living community live there for a reason. Senior care communities can provide a higher level of care than can typically be provided at home, whether it’s daily assistance or 24/7 monitoring. These communities have trained caregivers, clinical support, and available resources to provide residents with proper and customized care.

Specialized Services

During the pandemic, Franklin Park® Senior Living, like other senior communities, is ensuring the health and safety of residents by providing unique services and features that may not be available outside the community. Employees are undergoing health screening before every shift, spaces are being maneuvered to encourage social distancing, and heightened cleaning protocols are being put in place to control the spread of infection.

Senior living communities are also providing residents with options to have their meals delivered directly to their room as well as assistance in ordering groceries and other necessary items directly to the community. Communities are aiming to meet every possible need that a resident might have in order to keep them healthy and safe.

Stress of Relocating

For some family members, it can be a risk to move them out of their current community and into the family home. The physical and emotional stress of relocating can cause frustration, anxiety, and confusion—especially for those living with Alzheimer’s disease or other forms of dementia who are used to a routine.

Relocating your parent or family member can also put them at risk for exposure to any bacteria or virus, as germs are likely to be more prevalent out in the open than in the contained and rigorously sanitized communities. Bringing a loved one back into the community can also re-introduce more germs into the contained space, putting other residents at risk.

Franklin Park’s Response to Health Concerns

Our Franklin Park® Senior Living communities in San Antonio, Texas, and the surrounding areas, have been prioritizing the health and safety of residents since the first concerns of the COVID-19 pandemic. We have been vigilant in how the situation has evolved and implemented preventive safety measures as recommended by the CDC. Here are some of the steps we’ve taken in order to remain laser-focused on the health and well-being of residents, employees, and families.

• In accordance with The Texas Department of Health and Human Service, we’ve closed all dining rooms but have waived all meal delivery fees. Due to the specific needs of memory care residents, however, the memory care dining rooms have remained open with enhanced sanitizing.
• We’ve ensured that all employees are health screened before their shift and have access to protective protection equipment (PPE).
• We made sure that staff is spending social time with residents that are not venturing out of their apartment, including helping residents to video chat with families.
• We’ve implemented “Porch Talks” where the resident will be inside the community and a family member can be outside communicating through a window.

These are just a few of the measures that Franklin Park® has implemented to ensure healthy and safe communities. We’re committed to providing residents and families with not only safety but peace of mind. We provide regular updates so that families can feel at ease knowing their loved one is in the best place possible for them at the moment.

During a crisis like COVID-19, things can feel uncertain and frightening, but Franklin Park® Senior Living remains steadfast in our level of care for residents and their families. We are committed to providing extraordinary communities and exceptional care so that during a time of crisis, you can be assured that your loved one is exactly where they should be.

For more information on Franklin Park® Senior Living and our commitment to those in our care, visit our website today!