Coronavirus Precautions: An Update from our Edgewood Summit’s Executive Director

Edgewood Summit Test Results – All Residents Negative!

Edgewood Summit is a continuing care retirement community (CCRC) in Charleston, West Virginia. The campus is comprised of independent living residences, residential care, assisted living memory support and skilled nursing and rehabilitation. The Community has been in operation for 25 years.

Edgewood Summit took early and swift action to prevent the COVID-19 virus from entering their Community. Since the first week of March, Edgewood Summit updated our Residents, Families and Employees about the details of the virus and what steps would be needed to ensure a safe environment. These steps included: educational resources and retraining everyone in proper hand hygiene, cough, sneeze etiquette, social distancing and monitoring for any symptoms of the virus, travel from areas with confirmed cases, exposure to anyone with symptoms and to restrict visitation to our Residents.

Edgewood Summit tested all of the Residents and Staff in the skilled nursing home and assisted living memory support areas at the Hodges Center on Thursday, April 23, 2020 as directed by WV Governor Justice in the Executive Order No. 27-20. As a result of the testing, we have zero (0) Residents and zero (0) Employees who have tested positive for COVID-19, with 8 Employee whose test results are pending. We hope to have final results in the next day or so.

Guests continue to be restricted to direct care and end of life situations have been permitted for visitation. Employees continue to be screened at each shift change. Employees with signs or symptoms of illness have been prohibited from working.

Edgewood Summit understands the importance of maintaining relationships for our Residents and has provided creative means to stay in touch with friends and loved ones. Daily inhouse television broadcasts bring interesting activities into each Resident’s home along with exercise, music, spiritual and emotional support. Daily activity packets are delivered to each apartment with news, games, humor, puzzles and more. Face Time, Skype and Face Book appointments have been facilitated to ensure connections remain strong.

Transparency has been our goal with each update and being willing to answer any and all questions as they arise. Residents, Families and Employees have received regular updates by phone, by mail, email, Face Book and the Edgewood Summit website. Our Residents and Families have been very appreciative and supportive of the efforts and the response by our team.

Our hard-working Employees give generously of themselves daily doing the work of heroes by helping others in need. Employees have showed great strength of character and have been adaptable in doing what needs to be done to ensure our Residents remain safe and protected. Our Board of Directors awarded a “thank you” bonus for our Employees to show our appreciation for any hardships they are experiencing.

Updates will continue to be communicated should significant changes occur and be made available to Residents, their Families and our Employees. You may refer to our website at www.edgewoodsummit.com or the Edgewood Summit Face Book page for information and updates.

Our thoughts and prayers remain focused on our Residents, their Families and the Staff who are working hard to keep everyone safe and protected.

Questions may be directed to Diane Gouhin, Executive Director by email at dgouhin@edgewoodsummit.com.