Staying Safe and Connected During a Crisis

Pemberly Place continues its commitment to residents through creative engagement while following the latest health and safety guidelines.

Pemberly Place has been closely following CDC recommendations on how to slow the curve of COVID-19. Helen Crunk, executive director and recently-elected board chair of the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL), has been in communication with medical officers on the city, state, and national levels in order to deliver the best and most comprehensive care to all residents during this time of uncertainty. Helen has served on the NCAL board since 2011 and she is a past chair of the Nebraska Nursing Facility & Assisted Living Associations, so she has many contacts in the industry. As a result, the staff at Pemberly Place has implemented infection control tactics including more frequent sanitization of hard surface areas, suspending all community social activities and group dining, encouraging social distancing by not allowing outside visitors, delivering meals to apartments, and performing frequent hand hygiene for both staff and residents per recommendations from the CDC and state agencies. In addition, the on-site Archer Place Medical Clinic and tele-med partnership with Bryan Health allows residents to safely attend all medical appointments.

While Pemberly Place has been forced to limit their residents’ normal activities, they have been going above and beyond to keep the seniors in their care as happy as they can be with artwork, puzzles, card games, Snapchat filters, and laughs! They have taken up the message #CareNotCOVID to encourage the community to stay engaged with family members and friends in assisted living or nursing homes. Their staff has been working directly with family members to schedule FaceTime and Skype calls to keep in touch with loved ones.

Pemberly Place staff also went the extra mile by taking pictures of residents with personal whiteboard messages like “Thank you for taking good care of us and doing what needs to be done” and “Keep your chin up, I love you all” to share with family members via Facebook. Staff are encouraging family members to send similar photos or videos to their loved one online and tag Pemberly Place with the hashtag #CareNotCOVID. These positive messages are meant to help residents and staff feel supported during this difficult time, giving them a boost of love that they need now more than ever.

Pemberly Place is also accepting cards and letters for their residents. According to the state chief medical officer, the virus only lives on cardboard, plastic, and paper for six hours, and Pemberly Place guests only receive cards that have been quarantined for 48–72 hours.

Pemberly Place is known throughout Lincoln for their creative service planning and attention to each resident’s individual needs. They are extremely flexible in order to provide individualized and meaningful care. Their care is designed to meet and exceed the quality benchmarks set by the National Center for Assisted Living. When not social distancing, residents have access to a theater, chapel, market place, salon, fitness center, library, recreation areas with air hockey and foosball to entertain the young (and young at heart!), and more. The locally-owned community has Independent Living, Assisted Living and Memory Care options. Pemberly Place is all-inclusive so residents receive three meals a day, free cable/internet, access to their on-site medical clinic and sweet treats from the bistro.

www.pemberlyplace.com | (402) 413-9770