COVID-19 and its impact on Senior Living

As you are all aware, COVID-19 is the abbreviated name for a strand of Coronavirus, which has quickly swept through the nation. It is a respiratory virus that can easily spread from person to person. While we watch the progression of the virus all over the world and news, it’s normal to worry about its fate, especially in the geriatric population who is most affected. As senior advisors, we work directly with seniors every day, and for many, this is a growing concern for families and their loved ones.

North Star Senior Advisors was started to help our seniors in need and provide resources to the community. It is still our responsibility to keep our seniors safe at all costs during this time.

What does this mean for you and/or your loved one?

We still do not know a lot about the virus and its impact. What we do know is that seniors and families need to have a plan in place as they are most at risk. Senior living communities could actually be a great option for your loved one during this time.

While this may sound counter intuitive, many of these communities can offer peace of mind as your loved one will have quality of life with care and medication oversight, meals provided, housekeeping to ensure a sanitary environment, and an in-house emergency response system. In the event your loved one were to show COVID-19 or flu-like symptoms, assisted living communities have emergency healthcare staff on site to assist and perform the necessary precautions, ensuring immediate action was taken rather than if they were home alone.

A great benefit of working with North Star Senior Advisors is that we are closely monitoring assisted living communities’ protocols, prevention and infection control based on guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Florida Department of Health, and the Florida Agency for Health Care Administration. As we remain up to date on their precautionary measures, we can better inform and guide you to senior living.

Several safety procedures and plans have already been put into place in senior living communities and while some vary slightly, they are doing their due diligence to ensure the safety of their staff, residents and incoming family. They are strongly enforcing certain guidelines and being stringent on who enters and leaves. For those that absolutely have to enter such as medical professionals, they are screened for fevers, must fill out a form describing their recent trips or interactions, and given hand sanitizer before and after entering.

Another great advantage of working with us is that we can assist with virtual tours, something assisted living communities are offering instead, since visitors are prohibited at this time. As senior advisors, we remain a resource for families and provide a guided path to senior living, especially during a time where direction is warranted.

Due to rapidly changing circumstances of COVID19, we are communicating directly with senior living communities for updates to be able to relay the information to you. If you or a senior loved one needs immediate assistance during this time or have additional questions, we are here to help! Visit www.northstarsa.com or call a senior advisor today at 407-796-1582.