COVID-19
Keeping our Residents Safe & Healthy
Enhanced Cleaning and Safety Measures
At Trinity Health Senior Communities, our priority is the health and safety of our residents and colleagues. We ask that our residents and colleagues do all that they can to support our community by following the COVID-19 core principles of:
- Washing hands for at least 20 seconds with soap and water. If soap and water are not available, use of an alcohol-based rub is acceptable;
- Wearing masks at all times you are in common spaces or have any opportunity of being within six feet of someone other than the person you live with (residents,) or wearing appropriate personal protective equipment at all times (colleagues);
- Practice social distancing, leaving six feet between yourself and others.
In addition, our housekeeping/environmental services teams are taking every step recommended by leading health experts to limit any possible spread of the virus. Our colleagues are constantly working throughout our communities to thoroughly disinfect our common areas in accordance with The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's "COVID-19 Infection Prevention and Control Recommendations" and "Guidelines for Environmental Infection Control." High-touch surfaces and equipment are cleaned at least once per day following manufacturer's instructions for use. Our kitchens, dining rooms, fitness centers, and areas for worship are high attention zones as are all of our gathering spaces. This is in addition to the arrangements housekeeping makes with residents for the regular cleaning of their apartments.
We take great pride in how our communities look. We want our residents and visitors to feel comfortable in and delighted by our spaces. Even more importantly, we at THSC count Safety as one of our Core Values. Our enhanced cleaning measures are just one more way we provide a healing, nurturing environment for all.
Latest News on Covid-19
We take safety seriously. Trinity Health and Trinity Health Senior Communities now require our colleagues, clinical staff, and contractors to be vaccinated against COVID-19. MORE »
CNN.com, writer Eliott C. McLaughlin delved into the many ways COVID-19 vaccines are improving seniors' lives. He featured Mary Ellen Philp, a resident of Bellbrook in Rochester Hills, MI. MORE »
It remains current practice that visits from family members; friends and non-essential health care personnel are limited or restricted based on current guidelines and COVID-19 activity in each community. Exceptions are made only in compassionate care situations such as end-of-life care (and in those cases, restricted to the resident’s apartment or room only). All visitors entering the community for compassionate care purposes will be screened prior to entrance. No visitors will be permitted if they show signs of respiratory infection (fever, cough or sore throat), have been in contact with someone with or under investigation for the COVID-19, or have traveled outside of the country within the last 14 days to any restricted countries.
Additional steps we are taking to minimize resident and colleague risk include:
Active screening of all residents and colleagues for fever and respiratory symptoms; all colleagues are screened at the beginning of each shift. Any ill colleagues identified will be immediately be sent home to seek care and self-isolate.
Ongoing reminders of the importance of social distancing and proper hand hygiene.
Limiting group sizes, or cancelling internal and external communal dining and group activities when indicated by CMS and state guidelines and COVID activity in the community.
Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, we know how the necessary visitation restrictions impacted our residents and families. While our dedicated staff continue to facilitate connections via Facetime and Zoom, email, telephone calls, and window visits, we know that residents and families yearn for the resumption of personal visits.
CMS guidelines state that outdoor visitation is preferred (to indoor visitation) when possible, because there is reduced risk of transmission with increased space and airflow. However, weather conditions, temperature, air quality, and the individual resident’s health status may hinder the ability to visit outdoors. THSC supports the resumption of indoor visitation in our communities when possible, based on specific CMS and state guidelines. Prior to visiting one of our communities, it is best to contact the community directly as visitation options are based on current COVID-19 positivity levels and regional restrictions.
Each of our communities has a process in place to limit the number and size of simultaneous visits, as well as the number of individuals visiting at any one time. We ask all residents and families to respect and follow the guidelines in place, and to adhere to safe infection control practices. Residents and families are asked to practice proper hand hygiene, wear face coverings and maintain social distancing while visiting.
Seeing friends and family is vital to our residents' health and overall wellbeing. Trinity Health Senior Communities encourages you to use devices such as smartphones, tablets and computers to keep in touch with your loved one to provide emotional support and promote safety and healing. You can call your loved one’s cell phone, send a text or use one of the video chat applications below.
If your loved one does not have a device that supports video chat, ask a member of our team to help schedule a video chat on a community-owned device.
Ways to Connect Using A Patient's Phone or Tablet:
Below are some options to stay connected through video chat using a personal device. Select one both you and the patient have access to or can download.
- Facetime
- Google Duo
- Facebook Messenger
- Zoom
We will continue to monitor COVID-19 developments at the local and national level to ensure we have the most effective precautions in place. We are committed to keeping our residents and families apprised of any new developments regarding visitation.
COVID-19 Vaccine FAQs
How long does the vaccine protect for? Will a booster shot be needed?
According to the CDC, those who are fully vaccinated will continue to be protected against serious illness and hospitalization. However, some study data suggests that immunity may decrease after the six-month mark for those who were fully vaccinated with the Pfizer vaccine.
In August 2021, the CDC and FDA announced the recommendation of a third primary dose for moderately to severely immunocompromised individuals (due to chronic illness, cancer treatment, transplant surgery, etc.) at least 28 days after they received the second dose of one of the mRNA COVID-19 vaccines (Pfizer-BioNTech (Comirnaty) or Moderna).
The week of Sept. 20, 2021, the FDA authorized a booster dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for millions of Americans to be administered at least six months after their second dose of the Pfizer vaccine.
The new recommendations by the CDC cover certain groups—those over age 65, individuals with certain underlying medical conditions and people in high-risk jobs, including some health care workers. There has not been a recommendation for boosters for either the Moderna or Johnson & Johnson vaccines; however, we do expect that information will be coming soon and will share the latest with you.
Can a woman who is trying to get pregnant, is pregnant or breastfeeding receive the vaccine?
Yes, the vaccination is recommended for all people 12 years and older, including people who are trying to get pregnant, are pregnant, breastfeeding, or may become pregnant in the future. Data from thousands of people who are pregnant, breast-feeding and those who became pregnant after vaccination confirms that the COVID-19 vaccine is safe and effective before, during and after pregnancy.
In fact, the CDC has issued a health alert recommending those who are pregnant, recently gave birth, are breast-feeding, or trying to become pregnant receive a COVID-19 vaccine as soon as possible.
The CDC V-Safe data shows no increase in adverse outcomes in pregnant women who receive the COVID-19 vaccine. There is also no evidence linking vaccines to infertility. The risks of COVID-19 infection outweigh any known or potential risks of vaccination while pregnant or trying to conceive.
Pregnant women are at a higher risk to get ill with COVID-19 compared with non-pregnant women. A study was conducted before the Delta variant; results published by the Journal of the American Medicine Association showed pregnant women with COVID infection are 15 times more likely to die in hospital, 14 times more likely to require intubation and 22 times more likely to have a premature birth.
See the CDC’s COVID-19 Vaccines While Pregnant or Breastfeeding info page.
I have a condition that makes me immunocompromised. Should I receive the vaccine?
I have a condition that makes me immunocompromised. Should I receive the vaccine?
Yes. People who are immunocompromised are more likely to be hospitalized and get seriously ill from COVID-19. It’s recommended you get vaccinated if you are immunocompromised. These people may not get as much protection after two doses of the vaccine as do people with normal immune systems. For that reason, a third dose of the vaccine is now recommended 28 days after the second dose. It’s recommended that the third dose comes from the same manufacturer as the first two doses.
This only applies to Moderna and Pfizer vaccines (not Johnson & Johnson). If you are immunocompromised, discuss the vaccine with your doctor for a personalized recommendation.
Do the vaccines protect against the new COVID-19 variants, such as the Delta variant?
The vaccines authorized are highly effective at preventing severe disease, death, and provide protection from the Delta variant. The vaccines are not 100% effective and some fully vaccinated people may experience illness. It’s important that as many people as possible get vaccinated to slow the spread of variants.
If you have additional questions on precaution or screening, please visit: