To schedule an in-person visit or video call please give us a call.
12/29/2021
Friends, family, and residents,
You have likely heard that Jefferson County, Colorado, and most of the country is experiencing a significant surge in COVID cases, primarily driven by the newly discovered Omicron variant. While we were certainly supportive of residents spending time with family and friends over the holidays, we also feared that it could lead to an increase in COVID positive residents at Golden Pond.
Unfortunately, this has been the case. Today we have identified multiple positive cases of COVID-19 among our resident and staff populations. Thankfully, 100% of our staff and the vast majority of our residents are fully vaccinated. This has prevented most from experiencing any serious symptoms.
That said, it’s important that we do everything in our power to mitigate any further spread. Please review the following guidance, provided to us from the state of Colorado and Jefferson County. These regulations are temporary and will be reevaluated once we have closed our current outbreak with the state of Colorado.
Additionally, it’s important for the safety and well-being of our residents that we keep sick staff out of the building. For this reason, we have made contingency plans within our business to allow us to operate even when shorthanded. For example, In the unfortunate circumstance that we do not have a cook, we will likely order pizza, make sandwiches, and provide soup to our residents. Although not ideal, our number one priority is health and safety of our residents and staff.
Thank you in advance for your cooperation and understanding. As testing continues, and guidance inevitably changes, I will do my best to keep this audience updated on any pertinent information. If you have questions or concerns, please to hesitate to reach out to me directly.
Have a great week.
Sincerely,
Ben Chandler
Executive Director
11/18/2021
Friends, family, and residents,
As you have likely heard, Colorado is facing a significant surge in COVID-19 cases and hospitalizations. The Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, along with the CDC have worked together to update guidance based on county transmission rates.
Unfortunately, Jefferson County is currently experiencing a high transmission of COVID-19 cases, with nearly 11% of residents testing positive. Considering these numbers, we have been instructed by CDPHE and the Jefferson County Public Health Department to take the following precautions when caring for our residents and staff.
Additionally, guidance has been updated to include Holiday celebrations.
Although more restrictive regulations are certainly disappointing, our primary responsibility is to maintain a safe environment for our residents and staff. Additionally, it’s worth reinforcing that these changes are only predicated on current county transmission levels. As transmission increases or decreases, we will update our policies to reflect CDPHE guidance. Please use the following link to monitor transmission rates across the state.
https://covid.cdc.gov/covid-data-tracker/#county-view|Colorado|Risk|community_transmission_level
Thank you in advance for your understanding. Please contact me directly with any question or concerns.
Sincerely,
Ben Chandler
6/2/2021
Residents, Family and Friends,
I would like to take a moment and provide important information regarding recent changes to CDPHE guidance, Public Health Order 20-20, and Golden Pond policies and procedures specific to COVID-19.
On 5/31/2021, the Colorado Department of Public Health announced significant adjustments to their guidance as it pertains to communal dining, group activities, visitation, and source control. (face coverings)
As I highlight these changes, keep in mind the following:
Communal Dining/Group Activities/Community Outings
Visitation
Source Control (face coverings)
I expect that this announcement will lead to many more questions. As always, Golden Pond will continue to work with residents and their families to better understand each unique circumstance.
Please look for additional communication and contact Golden Pond directly with any questions or concerns.
4/15/2021
Friends, family, and Residents,
As county and state guidance continues to change rapidly, I wanted to provide a quick update on visitation and quarantine procedures at Golden Pond.
Visitation:
General Policies
Vaccinated Residents
Unvaccinated Residents
Quarantine:
Enforced:
Not Enforced:
Hopefully, this information provides some general guidance on our ability to provide residents with the best possible experience while living at Golden Pond Retirement Community.
Thank you for your continued support. Please contact me directly with any questions or concerns.
Ben Chandler
Executive Director
Cell: 303-521-2857
Phone: 720-740-8504
Fax: 303-278-0623
Email: ben@goldenpond.com
3/28/2021
Families, friends, and residents,
As you may be aware, we were forced to pause indoor visitation after two positive employee cases of COVID-19 were identified through weekly surveillance testing.
Although we are now able to resume indoor visitation, there have been several changes to the process, as defined by the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment. Most notably, visitors are not required to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test at the time of the visit.
Golden Pond continues to recommend that all visitors obtain a negative test result prior to any scheduled indoor visit. Testing is the best way to prevent COVID-19 spread and the inevitability of an outbreak. A single case of COVID-19 among our resident or staff population will result in an immediate shut down of all in-person visitation. Golden Pond is prepared to help provide testing if you are unable to obtain a test on your own. Please see me directly for details.
Another change to state protocol is regarding physical interaction between visitors and residents. If the resident is fully vaccinated, they can choose to have close contact (including touch) with their visitor while wearing a well-fitting face mast and cleaning their hands before and after contact.
Unvaccinated residents will be allowed to participate in indoor visitation, unless the COVID-19 county prior week test positivity rate is more than 10% and fewer than 70% of residents in the facility have been fully vaccinated.
Finally, I would like to communicate facility specific change. I recognize that offering indoor visitation from 9-noon, Monday through Friday is not ideal for many family members. We will be extending indoor visitation hours into the evening, offering appointments at 5pm and 6pm, Monday through Friday. We hope to provide weekend availability in the near future.
As mentioned in previous communications, Golden Pond and Jefferson County must continue to meet several criteria to allow for indoor visitations. Our eligibility will be reviewed weekly, and visitation may be halted at any time.
Weather permitting, we continue to encourage outdoor visitation as a compelling alternative to indoor visitation. Outdoor visits can be scheduled seven days a week, with no concern over COVID testing or vaccination.
Visit the following link to check availability or schedule an appointment. Thank you for your continued support. Please contact me directly with any questions or concerns.
2/15/2021
Residents, family, and friends,
As positivity rates in Jefferson County continue to drop, I am pleased to announce that we will soon begin the process of allowing visitors indoors, to spend time with residents.
As previously communicated, Golden Pond is required by the state of Colorado to meet six criteria when offering indoor visitation. We have largely been waiting on positivity rates in Jefferson County to move below 10%. Additionally, our timing coincides with the complete vaccination of staff and residents.
Currently, we meet all six criteria and plan to provide an indoor meeting space for residents and visitors, beginning on February 22nd. It is important to note that positivity rates will be reviewed every Friday. If at any point the county exceeds 10%, or Golden Pond is unable to meet the remaining five criteria, indoor visitation will be paused immediately.
Although plans are subject to change, I would like to highlight the process and precautions put in place to allow for indoor visitation.
As a note, we will continue to offer outdoor visitation for family and friends that cannot obtain a negative COVID test or would simply prefer to meet outside.
I would like to reinforce that this process considers guidance provided by the State and the County. Any exceptions to the preceding policy should be cleared by the Executive Director.
Thank you so much for your continued support.
1/14/2021
Residents, family, and friends,
I am pleased to announce that in the coming days, we will resume limited outdoor visitation and communal activities. After consecutive weeks of negative testing, we are cautiously optimistic that slowly and safely reintroducing these activities is achievable.
Below, I have highlighted the most immediate changes to our activity schedule.
Although I certainly expect to expand on these activities in the future, hopefully, a cautious approach now will prevent further shutdowns in the future.
Thank you for your continued support. Please reach out with any additional questions or concerns.
01/05/2021
Friends, Family and Residents,
Although especially challenging this year, I hope everyone had a nice Christmas.
A few weeks back, I communicated information regarding COVID-19 vaccination, and provided a timeline for our community. This expectation has come and gone, with very little information from the state.
As of today, we are still waiting on further information from Walgreens as to when Golden Pond will have scheduled vaccination clinics. Recent communication indicates that this may come in the next few days. The moment I have concrete information, I will update this audience.
Additionally, I would like to provide an update on outdoor visitation and group activities. We have been fortunate enough to avoid new employee and resident cases over the last couple weeks. With county case positivity rates dropping, we are very much focused on resuming outdoor visitation and allowing residents to participate safely in group activities, including meals.
That said, we believe it is prudent to delay these activities until we have completed a full week of post-holiday testing. I have scheduled a meeting with my team next Monday, January 11th to lay the groundwork for resuming many of these activities. Again, as we clarify this plan, I will provide further communication.
Thank you for your continued support. Have a wonderful week and please let me know if I can answer any additional questions.
12/16/2020
Friends, Family, and Residents,
In preparation for the COVID-19 vaccination, I would like to provide some updated information and resources for your review.
Although we have not been provided a specific timeline for vaccination, we are working with the State of Colorado and Walgreens to coordinate multiple vaccination clinics. We have requested the quantities necessary to vaccinate assisted living, memory care, and independent living, as well as those employed by Golden Pond.
Recent communication seems to indicate vaccine doses being available to our community as early as late December. When we have concrete information, I will provide further information. In the meantime, if you are power of attorney, you will likely be contacted to provide vaccination consent.
For additional information regarding vaccination, please review the FAQ and articles listed below.
Thank you. Have a wonderful week!
https://covid19.colorado.gov/for-coloradans/vaccine/vaccine-for-coloradans
https://covid19.colorado.gov/vaccine-faq
12/04/2020
Friends, Family, and Residents,
I hope everyone had a nice Thanksgiving. I wanted to take a moment to update this audience on our current efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our community.
In late September, we began testing staff weekly, and residents any time they had left the building for an extended period. Recently, staff testing has moved to twice weekly, while residents continue to be tested as needed.
To this point, we have had one resident and six staff test positive for COVID-19. In all cases, we reacted quickly to remove the individual from our community, test our residents and staff, and institute precautions to avoid further spread.
Our most recent testing produced one positive staff member. However, all Assisted Living and Memory Care residents tested negative. Considering these results, we have eased the quarantine restrictions for residents. Although we are still not scheduling group activities, or in-person visits, we have encouraged residents to spend time safely outside of their rooms. During this period, we continue to ask that you schedule virtual visits if you would like to meet a family member.
Additionally, I would like to clarify and update quarantine timelines for residents that are forced to leave the building. Due to increasing case positivity rates in Jefferson County, we have decided to institute a 14-day quarantine period for residents that leave the building for any reason. At times, there have been exceptions and we have reduced the period to 5 days. However, until case positivity rates drop, we feel the need to be consistent in the application of a 14-day quarantine.
We have been working with the State of Colorado and Walgreens regarding vaccination and are excited that it appears front line workers and residents will be among the very first to receive the treatment. Although timelines are unclear, we expect this process to begin sometime in December.
Thank you for your continued understanding and cooperation. I certainly understand the difficulty this has created for so many families and greatly apricate the support we have received from everyone.
Please reach out to me with any questions or concerns.
November 27th, 2020
Dear Golden Pond Friends and Family,
We want to make you aware that a resident has tested positive for COVID-19. The positive case was identified yesterday, and the resident is currently quarantined per guidance provided from the Colorado Department of Public Health.
Although this is the first identified case of COVID-19 among the resident population, we are certainly prepared for additional cases. The case positivity rate across Colorado has skyrocketed, and currently more than 1 in 50 Colorado residents are presumed positive for COVID-19.
In the coming days, we will again provide testing to all Golden Pond residents. Meanwhile, we strongly encourage residents self-isolate in their rooms and take necessary steps to prevent possible exposure. This includes washing hands frequently and wearing a mask while outside of the room or anytime a Golden Pond staff member enters the room.
It is our hope that by quickly taking action to prevent further spread, isolation precautions will be brief. During this period, we highly encourage family and friends to reach out to residents in whatever way possible. You can easily participate in virtual visits by scheduling an appointment at https://www.signupgenius.com/go/9040b49a8ac2ea7fb6-resident.
I will continue to keep this audience updated as we gather further information. Thank you for your support during this difficult time.
11/18/2020
Family, Friends, and Residents,
Last week, we were made aware of a presumed positive COVID-19 case with one of our employees. Although inconclusive at the time, we took swift action to halt group activities and communal dining. We also put a pause on all in-person visitation, as recommended by the Public Health Department.
This effort proved to be successful. After testing all Assisted Living and Memory Care residents, I am happy to say that we have zero positive cases.
Unfortunately, two employees have been confirmed positive for COVID-19. Although disappointing, we are taking the necessary precautions to protect our residents and other staff members. In addition to weekly surveillance testing of employees, we will again be testing all residents throughout the remainder of this week.
While we monitor the situation and await further test results, we will follow guidance provided to us by the Colorado Department of Public Health. This will include the continuation of safety measures put into place last week. Until further notice, we will be forced to discontinue in-person visitation, communal dining, and group activities.
We hope that with regular testing and limited group interactions, we can reduce additional exposure risk resume normal operating processes within a relatively short period of time. That said, the positivity rate in Jefferson County, and across Colorado is extremely concerning. We will likely continue to see interruptions in our business over the next few months.
I have attached the Colorado Department of Public Health Holiday Guidance checklist for your review. Hopefully, it will answer some of your questions regarding visitation and precautionary measures that should be taken to protect your loved ones during the holiday season.
As always, I will continue to provide information as it becomes available. Thank you so much for your understanding and cooperation during this incredibly challenging time. Please feel free to reach out to me directly with any questions or concerns.
Link to Resident Care Facility Holiday Visitation Checklist.
11/11/2020
Family, Friends and Residents,
I have some unfortunate news to share. It was determined yesterday that a staff member is presumed positive for COVID-19. Although we are still waiting on test results, it is our belief that based on exposure and symptoms, this case will be confirmed.
To be clear, we are not yet experiencing an outbreak. No residents are currently exhibiting signs or symptoms consistent with COVID-19. However, out of an abundance of caution and based on guidance provided from the Colorado Department of Public Health, we have temporarily paused the following activities, effective immediately.
While we are currently testing employees weekly for COVID-19, this has not been the case with residents. Beginning today, and throughout the remained of the week, we will be testing all Assisted Living residents.
Additionally, we ask that residents continue to regularly use hand sanitizer and wear a face covering while out of their room.
As a note, we will continue the installation of our nurse call system. All third-party workers are tested weekly along with employees. During the installation, you will be asked to vacate your room for a short period of time. Golden Pond staff will help where necessary
Golden Pond has done a phenomenal job protecting our residents, and one another. I am extremely proud of our staff. Although not ideal, this was always a reality and we have positioned ourselves well to take on the challenge. By limiting the above-mentioned activities and reinvigorating our efforts around social distancing, face coverings and hand sanitization, I’m confident that these additional safety precautions will be short term.
Please feel free to reach out with any questions or concerns. As always, I will provide additional communication as we get more information. Thank you for your continued understanding.
Sincerely,
Ben Chandler
Executive Director
720-740-8504
Family, Friends and Residents,
As you are likely aware, the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment recently released updated guidance on indoor visitation in residential care facilities.
Although this is certainly exciting news, it is important to understand the criteria involved in our community being able to allow such visits. The following six criteria must be met before we can permit indoor visitation:
Facilities in counties with 26-175 new, active cases per 100,000 people over the prior 14 days. Visitors must provide documentation that they have had a negative COVID test in the 48 hours preceding the visit. Currently, Jefferson county DOES meet this requirement.
Please note that we are working closely with the state, and have been for some time, to allow indoor visitation. We are absolutely in favor of making this a reality for our residents and their families. When we are confident that we can meet the preceding six criteria, we will communicate the next steps in the process.
Thank you for your continued patience, and please reach out to me directly with any questions or concerns.
08/14/2020
Attention Residents, Family and friends,
As many of you are aware, the Colorado Department of Public Health recently visited our community to observe infection control processes.
Although they were impressed with efforts being done to keep residents safe from COVID-19, they encourage us to revisit the recently updated COVID-19 Preparation and Rapid Response Checklist.
Most notably, residents should wear a face mask or cloth face-covering any time that they leave their room. While we certainly understand how challenging this can be, we are singularly focused on the safety of every resident.
In the coming days, we will install a hook behind the door for you to hang your mask on. Additionally, we will provide a reminder sign, encouraging you to wear a mask anytime you leave your room.
Thank you in advance for your understanding,
8/7/2020
Family and friends,
I would like everyone to be aware of a process change taking place at Golden Pond. COVID-19 has significantly limited the amount of in-person interaction families can have with their loved ones. In turn, this has left administrative staff, including Chelsea and myself, to field an overwhelming number of calls and emails from family members seeking information.
In an attempt to increase staff efficiency and respond quicker to family concerns, we will be instituting a concierge service beginning on Monday, August 10th. Our aim is to provide a single point of contact for families who can provide faster response times by answering questions and appropriately routing communication.
Cheryl Briscoe-Jones has been hired to fulfill this role. Cheryl has experience as both a caregiver and a receptionist at Golden Pond. Although onboarding and training will likely take some time, I am confident in Cheryl’s ability to provide a much-needed resource to you and your family. Cheryl will be your eyes and ears while you are unable to be with your loved ones.
The majority of this change will be handled internally. However, if you would like to contact Cheryl directly, she can be reached at the following email address.
Thank you for your continued understanding during this difficult time. As always, please reach out with any questions or concerns.
Ben Chandler
