May 15, 2020

Dear Vicar’s Landing Member,

I want to thank you for your continued patience and good cheer as we work through this pandemic. It was exciting to be able to open the dining room and Blue Heron Café to members! We were also happy to be able to offer water aerobics and as you have seen the classes are filling up so quickly, we have had to add another. We have been made aware that gyms throughout Florida will re-open on Monday.  Thank you for your patience a little bit longer while we formulate a plan to open our fitness areas while insuring safe distancing and disinfecting procedures.

With the changes in the local area as we move into “reopening” Florida, we have also updated our approach to those we ask to self-quarantine. At this point, we will only ask for members to self-quarantine if they are showing signs or symptoms of the virus or if they are awaiting a COVID-19 test result.

As always, I will remind you to keep your guard up! Please continue to follow the guidelines that have been in place all along and to keep a six foot distance from others, follow good hand hygiene protocols, avoid touching your face, and consider wearing a mask if you will be out in a public place. I will also continue to ask that visitors not be invited to the campus. Older adults tend to be most susceptible to the virus so we want to continue our efforts to keep you as safe and healthy as possible.

Regards,

Bruce Jones

May 8, 2020

Dear Vicar’s Landing Member,

There has been a bit more excitement here this week as we have reopened our dining areas. So far, it seems to have worked out well. For those of you taking advantage of the dining venues, I appreciate your patience with reservations, using hand sanitizer, and being served by masked individuals. We want to bring some normalcy back to you, but we also want you to remain safe and healthy. We will continue to offer complementary pick-up and delivery for now, so if you do not feel safe coming out to dine, feel free to continue to enjoy those services.

One service I have heard from many of you about is our computer support. I know many of you took advantage of the guys being here to help with your IT problems. With the loosening of retail restrictions, I have consulted with Ray Donelly, the owner of the IT company, and Kendall Bryan to be sure we are ready to provide IT services to members safely. Ray and his team will resume computer support as of next Monday. Below are the steps to take if you need computer support.

• Call 904-395-0285 or enter a request for IT support in Cubigo
• One of the guys will try to help you remotely at first
• If you have a laptop or portable device, they will arrange a time for you to bring it to the classroom on the second floor of the Administration building
• They will then take your device to their office to work on it and let you know when you can pick it up
• If you have a desktop or need home support, they will arrange a time to meet with you and arrive wearing a mask and will use protocols for hand hygiene and social distancing
• If they cannot fix the issue quickly, they will take the desktop back to their office to complete the fix and let you know when they will bring it back to you

As always, I want to reiterate that the virus is still present, and you continue to be at risk. With restrictions loosening, I fully expect we will see a second resurgence of infections. For that reason, please continue to remain on campus, stay at least six feet apart from others, use good hand hygiene, and take advantage of our complementary grocery shopping service. If you must go out, be sure to wear a mask, though remember that we tend to touch our faces more with a mask, so it will be vital to wash or sanitize your hands often and try not to touch your face or the mask.

I hope you have a safe, enjoyable, and healthy weekend!

Bruce

April 30, 2020

Dear Members,

By now, you have probably heard that Governor DeSantis is starting to relax restrictions related to the COVID-19 virus. We are making plans to ease the restrictions on our campus that match what is being done in the larger community. To that end, watch for a communication from Abby Bacolor about the reopening of our dining areas. The Governor is going to allow restaurants to reopen for outdoor dining and indoor dining at 25% of capacity. This may mean you will have to wait for a table as we will not be able to seat everyone at once. Abby will relay all the details to you in a separate memo.

The order from the Governor was very specific about salons, fitness centers, and bars remaining closed for now. We will follow any further direction closely and will open those areas as soon as we are able.

There will be no change in the near term to the restrictions in the Windsor Health Center or the Stratford Assisted Living. They will remain closed to visitors and follow strict isolation precautions until the Governor eases those restrictions. We anticipate it will be quite a while before those restrictions change.

We will still be monitoring staff daily and avoiding large groups. It is very important to note that the easing of restrictions does NOT indicate that the virus is gone. It indicates that we were able to “flatten the curve” and maintain hospital bed availability. I fully anticipate a second wave of infections as people start to interact more. For that reason, I still STRONGLY recommend that you remain on the campus, keep a social distance from people, follow good hand hygiene, avoid touching your face, and allow us to do grocery shopping. That means that I also ask that you avoid going out to eat at local restaurants as there is still a significant risk of contracting the virus and we want to avoid that happening. I also will continue to urge that no visitors be invited to campus for the same reasons. This is not the time to let our guard down! I do not know how long this will last but our concern is your safety and wellbeing so we will move slowly in getting back to the way things used to be.

Thank you for understanding our cautious approach. We are all anxious to get back to normal, but I know you are as happy as I am at the prospect of dining in the dining room or the Blue Heron Café soon!

Best regards,

Bruce Jones

April 24, 2020

Dear Vicar’s Landing Members,

As we were dealing with the unfortunate police activity event on Wednesday of this week, I stationed myself with security at the front entrance. In that relatively short period of time, I was surprised to see how many members were returning to the campus from being out. That experience is prompting me to continue my plea to stay the course with our efforts to keep the virus off the campus. Yes, it seems we are past our peak, but the virus is still out there. The isolation steps we are taking are not to eliminate the virus, but to slow the spread or “flatten the curve” as you have heard on the news. If you go out on an unnecessary trip and pick up the virus, you could leave it on an elevator button or a handrail and pass it on to your neighbors. The best way to avoid the spread of the virus at Vicar’s Landing is to avoid public places, keep your distance from others, and follow proper hand hygiene protocols.

That brings me to my next point. Beaches have opened for exercise which signals the start of a loosening of restrictions we will see in our area. Soon, we will see retailers and restaurants reopening – perhaps with restrictions, but open nonetheless. That will be a welcome change for the economy, but I urge you to wait before getting back to regular shopping and dining out. The virus is still there, and the members of Vicar’s Landing are still at risk. Hopefully, when those changes come, we will be able to open our fitness center and resume small group activities to bring some level of normalcy to our day-to-day life.

Finally, we are working on our plans to resume dining in the main dining room and the Blue Heron Café when the restrictions are lifted. You can expect that when that happens, there will be some differences. We will probably seat fewer people at a given time and the staff may be wearing masks and gloves to serve. We will keep a close eye on best practice recommendations to ensure your continued safety and wellness. Janice and Josh are also working on our plan to restart activities when the time is right. As soon as the restrictions are lifted and we feel we can safely get back to regular activities and exercise, we will do so.

In the meantime, though, please keep to our current restrictions. Maintain at least a six-foot separation from other people, regularly wash or sanitize your hands and avoid touching your face. Thank you for your patience and diligence as we ride this out together!

Best regards,
Bruce Jones

April 16, 2020
Residents, Staff and Families,

The Governor of Florida issued a clarification of Executive Order 20-006 which addressed visitation to nursing homes and assisted living facilities. The Governor amended the order to coincide with the expiration date of Executive Order 20-52 which established the Declaration of Emergency set to expire on May 8th 2020. The population that we work with has been and continues to be the most vulnerable population as it relates to COVID-19. Given this fact, I would anticipate that as we hopefully begin to see some restrictions being lifted, nursing homes and assisted living facilities may be the last in line to have relief. These Executive Orders have been amended throughout this emergency and they could be shortened or lengthened given the situation at that time. While the news has been more positive as of late, we still remain vigilant and are continuing to do all that we can to prevent this virus from entering either facility. I have included a copy of the Executive Order that mandates the visitation restrictions that are in place. As always, please reach out should you have any questions.

Kendall G. Bryan Jr., NHA
Director of Health Services

Click to view Executive Order

April 8, 2020

Dear Members of Vicar’s Landing,

It has recently come to my attention that I have been remiss in letting you know what procedures we have put into place regarding staff. For weeks now, we have required every employee to first report to the Windsor Health Center vestibule to submit to a screening process that is recommended by the Centers for Disease Control. Once cleared for the day, the staff member receives a dated sticker to wear showing they have been screened.

In addition, all contractors on campus doing apartment renovations and construction work must submit to the same screening before reporting to their work location. They also receive a sticker showing they have been screened.

Before PS Salon decided to close until the stay at home order is lifted, those staff completed our daily screening. In addition, I reviewed their corporate policies related to COVID-19 to ensure a level of detail required through this time.

Please know that the health and safety of all members is our top priority. I am participating in daily conference calls regarding any new guidance or processes to help prevent the spread of the virus. Unfortunately, I have several colleagues around the country who have the virus on their campuses, and I am learning from their procedures, too.

This is a serious virus because it is novel, and humans do not yet have antibodies required to fight it. It is also serious because it can be transmitted so easily. The CDC continues to maintain that the best way to prevent the spread is to keep a social distance from others (at least six feet, but ten is better!) and wash your hands or use hand sanitizer regularly. I also can’t stress enough how important it is to stay at home. We are only as safe as the person before us who touched the shopping cart or the door handle. The more we minimize those interactions, the better off we will be. If you haven’t done so already, please consider using our grocery shopping service. We will go weekly and get whatever you need from Publix and then bring it to your door to help you avoid going off campus and bringing the virus back.

Thank you for your continued patience through this process and for your good cheer in adhering to the recommended guidelines. I also appreciate your support of our staff as we shift roles to continue to provide you with exceptional care and services. Vicar’s Landing truly is a special place!

Regards,
Bruce Jones

April 7, 2020
Vicar’s Landing Members
Dale Pirkle
Oak Bridge Updates

Today the Members Oak Bridge Advisory Committee and I met to discuss status of the Oak Bridge expansion. Of course, we were careful to ensure we respected the proper social distance from each other.

The update I shared today is that everything has slowed down due to pandemic. There are obviously a lot of uncertainties. We maintain our interest in the expansion and feel it is in the best interest of Vicar’s Landing to proceed. Having said that, we are proceeding cautiously as we move through the due diligence process. We still plan to purchase the two acre parcel. However, the Bridge Loan we have been pursuing is taking longer to process as the banks are overwhelmed. We anticipate securing the loan and closing on the land no later than June 30^th. A key provision in the agreement is that if we are unable to move forward for any reason, the Millers will buy it back from us at the same price.

Our development team are all working from home. We have been conducting Zoom meetings. Given our inability to gather, we have decided to postpone our interviews with contractors. We have identified three finalists. The interview with each of them is now planned for early May. Other key areas we continue to work on during this period of observing isolation are as follows:

• Continue to work on Memorandum of Understanding (“MOU”) for an alternate access via Sawgrass Village

• Prosser (our engineering firm) is working with us, the county, the Millers, the HOA, and our Owners Representative on the new sanitary lift station. Progress has been made that we believe all parties can support. The current lift station built over 40 years ago is failing. The new one will support Oak Bridge and the elementary school, will provide a force main into other Sawgrass Players Club communities, and will fully support our development

• RLPS is finalizing floor plans and will begin work on renderings for the buildings

• We are finalizing our plans to seek approval from the Office of Insurance Regulation for expansion

• The key requirement for us to sign the long-term lease and secure bond financing is to have 75% of units presold.  Our goal was to have this accomplished by the end of the year.  We will work with the owners as to how the pandemic is affecting our ability to complete our due diligence. They have been very cooperative and supportive throughout these uncertain times.

I look forward to the days when we can return to our town hall meetings. I am sure there may be questions you have. Please submit those to Arden and I will address them in our upcoming quarterly meeting.

Thank you and please stay safe!

Dale

APRIL 6, 2020
TO MEMBERSHIP OF VICAR’S LANDING

In conversation with Bruce Jones, CEO, I understand that there is an important and legitimate concern about fellow members who are leaving the campus to go to Publix, go to friends, run other errands and then return to our campus.  It is not my intention to become a watchdog because I have too much respect for each of you.  However, in deference to the vast majority of our members, let’s review the facts.

• It has been determined that you can carry and spread the virus weeks before the disease is manifested on your person

• When you leave our campus, you will come in contact with a community which now has 31 active cases in our zip code.

• There is no need for any member to go to Publix because that service is being provided generously by our staff.  I used it and it is wonderful.

• Arrangements can be made for delivery of prescriptions with your pharmacy.

With all of this in mind, please, please observe the Governor and Management’s directives about staying at home.  All the members who are intentionally doing this would ask and appreciate compliance from everyone.  With every good wish for good health and happier days,

Sherrie Tatham, President, VLMA

April 3, 2020
Members of Vicar’s Landing
Bruce Jones, CEO 

Attached is the message sent out last week announcing our process to pick up your groceries at Publix and deliver them to your home.  We understand there may be an employee at Publix who has been diagnosed with the coronavirus, so we wanted to take steps to further protect all our members.

The first week has worked well. On Thursday, we filled 31 orders for the west side of the campus. On Friday, we filled 34 orders for east side of the community. We delivered orders for grocery items, pet food, ice cream, wine, beer, and we even picked up prescriptions. Feedback from those members that have participated has been very positive. We strongly encourage all members to take advantage of this service as a way to ensure their continued health and wellbeing.

In addition to the attached information, we have identified steps that will help us with speed and accuracy.

Please ensure you print your list in clear and legible handwriting. You may also type your list and send or email it to Arden (aspies@vicarslanding.com)

Secondly, please be flexible on the brand, but specify the product. For example, if you ask for coffee, let us know if you want grounds, K-cup pods, instant coffee, etc.

Lastly, as a reminder:

Members who live in the Canterbury Homes or in buildings A-D need to drop their lists into the box on the counter near the mailboxes by end of day of Tuesday so the list can be complied on Wednesday. This is a change in the time the lists were due.

Members who live in buildings E-I need to drop their lists into the box on the counter near the mailboxes by end of day on Wednesday so the list can be complied on Thursday. This is a change in the time the lists were due.

Since we are relying on the Publix staff to pull all the requested items, we cannot guarantee a delivery time, however, we try to get them to your home as quickly as possible.

March 30, 2020
Members of Vicar’s Landing

As always, it is our best interest to keep you safe and well.  It has come to our attention that some employees at the Sawgrass Publix have tested positive for COVID-19.  Due to this recent development, Vicar’s will be implementing a process by which we will pick up your necessary groceries at Publix for you so you will not have to jeopardize your health and safety.

• Blank Shopping Lists and a drop off box will be provided at the mailroom.

• Complete the top of the Shopping List with your name, building/apartment number, and phone number

• Complete the shopping list.  Please write very clearly and be specific in naming your items.  Drop the completed list in the drop box in the Mailroom by 1 PM.

• Members who live in the Canterbury Homes or in buildings A-D need to drop their lists into the box on the counter near the mailboxes by end of day of Tuesday so the list can be complied on Wednesday. This is a change in the time the lists were due.

• Members who live in buildings E-I need to drop their lists into the box on the counter near the mailboxes by end of day on Wednesday so the list can be complied on Thursday. This is a change in the time the lists were due.

• We will ring your doorbell.  If you are not home, we will place your groceries in your apartment.

• The Vicar’s grocery order will be billed to our corporate account and then, in turn, billed to your monthly statement.

As I am sure you are aware from your trips to Publix, there are limits on items such as paper products, frozen vegetables, can goods, eggs, etc.  There could be instances where the item you have requested is not available.  A substitute may be purchased in its place.  Also, some of the items you have selected could be offering a buy one, get one free.  You can indicate on your shopping list if you would like the BOGO.

This is a service that we are happy to provide for you and we will continue to do so until the pandemic passes.  We would like to ask you to only shop for your basic, weekly needs.  We thank you in advance for your patience and understanding as we work through this process.

Should you have any questions, please do not hesitate to contract us.

Sincerely,
Bruce Jones, CEO

March 27, 2020
Message from CEO Bruce Jones

Dear Vicar’s Landing Member,

We are now three weeks into our new procedures related to the COVID-19 coronavirus. I appreciate your adherence to the procedures and the cheerful way you are approaching our current circumstance. I know many of us are itching to get back to our old routines, to be able to have lunch in the Blue Heron Café, to play Bridge or spend time in the fitness center but please recognize that the better we are about social isolation, the better off we will be. I have numerous colleagues across the country who have active cases of the virus on their campuses. These are high-end, lovely communities like ours that are now on complete lock-down and quarantine. Unfortunately, multiple residents have died at one of these communities. I am hopeful our efforts will continue to be successful so that our outcome is excellent.

The reason we are isolating is that this virus spreads so easily and does not necessarily manifest quickly or severely in many cases. We need to remain ever vigilant to be sure we keep the virus at bay. This means to stay on campus as much as possible, please don’t invite others to come visit, and wash hands frequently.

During this time, we are continuing to work to be sure we have the supplies we may need, staying informed about any changes in the virus or guidance form the government, and keeping the campus as clean and sanitized as we can. I know this is hard on many of you, but please recognize that it is just as hard for our staff. They have the same anxieties about catching this virus and we all fear being the person that brings it to Vicar’s Landing or home to our own families. The staff, though, have approached all the changes with grace and professionalism because they care so much about your health and safety. Please consider this when a request takes a little longer or when a staff member doesn’t have the time to stop and talk.

Janice and Josh are also working hard on creative diversions. You will see regular messages from Janice outlining interesting things to find online or giving suggestions of ways to pass the time. I know many have stopped us and mentioned how they appreciated having exercise classes on the in-house channel! Josh is working on some fun video projects that we will put out to you very soon.

Again, I thank you for your patience as we work through this unprecedented time together. We are doing the right thing by continuing to isolate and keep a social distance from others. Following this protocol will protect you, your friends and loved ones, our staff, and the health care professionals on the front lines of this pandemic.

Best regards,
Bruce Jones

March 17, 2020
Message from CEO Bruce Jones

Dear Vicar’s Landing Member,

I want to thank you all for your patience and support as we work through the ever-changing procedures related to our attempts to mitigate the impact of the COVID-19 coronavirus. As most of you know by now, the steps the government is taking, and that we are following, are an attempt to slow the spread of the virus to not overload our health care system. The way we can help is to stay out of the general population, stay away from large groups, and stay away from people who may have compromised health.

I also want to stress that we shouldn’t panic as new restrictions come out. They are meant to help with public safety since this virus is novel to humans, so no one has antibodies to fight it. It is focused on a person’s lungs, which is why we are to keep a “social distance” of six feet. Any potential droplets fall to the ground within that distance. However, the virus can live on surfaces for some period, which is why it is vitally important to wash your hands frequently and not touch your face. Per the Centers for Disease Control, if soap and water are not readily available, use hand sanitizer to protect yourself. There are some great resources on the CDC website.

Since it’s best to stay away from people, I want to reiterate that we strongly recommend visitors not be invited to the campus. Remember that some people can carry the virus with few if any symptoms and those people can spread germs very quickly. This is about protecting yourself and your neighbors. For that same reason, I strongly recommend that you stay on campus unless it is vitally important for you to go somewhere. To that end, you should make sure you have enough medication and medical supplies you may need. If you would like to stay on campus but need groceries or supplies that cannot be ordered on Amazon, perhaps a fellow member can shop for a group of members to limit outside exposure. You may also call the Vicar’s Landing Home Health Agency to hire a staff member to shop on your behalf. A member asked me why the back of the Stratford building was blocked off. The answer is because of COVID-19. We have a single point of access for the Windsor Health Center and the Stratford in order to limit the number of people in and to be sure they are appropriately screened per the Florida Emergency Order. The walkway between the two buildings is blocked to prevent unscreened people from coming into those spaces. In addition, the deck is blocked off so that the members living in the Stratford can have an outside space to enjoy while in this quarantine period. I appreciate your understanding of this inconvenience.

If you have any questions related to COVID-19 or our procedures, please be in touch with me. We will get through this together and, God willing, we will prevent the virus from getting on our campus.

Best regards,
Bruce Jones

March 17, 2020
IMPORTANT CONTACTS

Centers for Disease Control

Florida Department of Health

Emergency Management Executive Order relating to Nursing Homes and Assisted Living

March 14, 2020
Health Center & Stratford Visitation Policy Update

As of 10:30am CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) updated their guidance for limiting the transmission of COVID-19 for all facilities (Health Center and Stratford) nationwide, it states:

Facilities should RESTRICT VISITATION of ALL visitors and non-essential health care personnel, except for certain compassionate care situations, such as an end-of-life situation. In those cases, visitors will be limited to a specific room only.

For individuals that enter in compassionate situations (e.g., end-of-life care), facilities should require visitors to perform hand hygiene and use Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), such as facemasks.

Decisions about visitation during an end of life situation should be made on a case by case basis, which should include careful screening of the visitor for fever or respiratory symptoms. Those with symptoms of a respiratory infection (fever, cough, shortness of breath, or sore throat) should not be permitted to enter the facility AT ANY TIME (even in end-of-life situations).

Those visitors that are permitted, must wear a facemask while in the building and restrict their visit to the resident’s room. They should also be reminded to frequently perform hand hygiene.

Additional Guidance:
• Cancel communal dining and all group activities, such as internal and external group activities.

• Implement active screening of residents and staff for fever and respiratory symptoms.

• Remind residents to practice social distancing and perform frequent hand hygiene.

• Screen all staff at the beginning of their shift for fever and respiratory symptoms. Actively take their temperature and document absence of shortness of breath, new or change in cough, and sore throat. If they are ill, have them put on a facemask and self-isolate at home.

• For individuals allowed in the facility (e.g., in end-of-life situations), provide instruction, before visitors enter the facility and residents’ rooms, provide instruction on hand hygiene, limiting surfaces touched, and use of PPE according to current facility policy while in the resident’s room. Individuals with fevers, other symptoms of COVID-19, or unable to demonstrate proper use of infection control techniques should be restricted from entry.

Advise visitors, and any individuals who entered the facility (e.g., hospice staff), to monitor for signs and symptoms of respiratory infection for at least 14 days after exiting the facility. If symptoms occur, advise them to self-isolate at home, contact their healthcare provider, and immediately notify the facility of the date they were in the facility, the individuals they were in contact with, and the locations within the facility they visited. Facilities should immediately screen the individuals of reported contact, and take all necessary actions based on findings.

Again I want to stress that this is a Federal Mandate and we have no flexibility on exemptions, these new visitation restrictions will be strictly enforced. While I understand that this will be a hardship for some, please know that it is only being done to protect the resident’s in the health center, Stratford and you. I very much appreciate your cooperation and understanding in what is a difficult time for everyone.

Kendall Bryan
Director of Health Services