Lebanon Valley Brethren Home

CONTINUING CARE RETIREMENT COMMUNITY PROVIDING HOUSING, HEALTH CARE, AND RELATED SERVICES.

NURSING CARE - IN 2021, THE NURSING CENTER OF THE LEBANON VALLEY BRETHREN HOME (D/B/A LONDONDERRY VILLAGE) SUCCESSFULLY NAVIGATED ONE OF THE MOST CHALLENGING YEARS IN ITS 42-YEAR HISTORY. THE CORONAVIRUS PANDEMIC CONTINUED TO EXERT ITS INFLUENCE THROUGH SPORADIC CASES, MORE FREQUENT STAFF TESTING, AND A CONTINUING NEED TO USE SOCIAL DISTANCING AND INDOOR MASKING. IN THE EARLY MONTHS OF 2021, VIRTUALLY ALL OF THE NURSING RESIDENTS AGREED TO RECEIVE THEIR FIRST AND SECOND DOSES OF THE PFIZER VACCINE; A LITTLE MORE THAN HALF OF THE STAFF ALSO ROLLED UP THEIR SLEEVES FOR THE PFIZER VACCINE. SINCE THAT TIME, THE NURSING CENTER HAS CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE OCCASIONAL POSITIVE CASES OF COVID-19, BUT THE INCIDENCE OF SERIOUS ILLNESS, HOSPITALIZATION, AND DEATH (FROM THE VIRUS) HAS PLUMMETED TO NEAR ZERO. THE PA DEPARTMENT OF HEALTH RESUMED ITS ANNUAL NURSING HOME INSPECTIONS IN 2021 AND THE NURSING CENTER WAS VISITED BY THE DOH IN APRIL OF 2021. IT WAS A VERY SUCCESSFUL SURVEY WITH ONLY TWO MINOR DEFICIENCIES, AND THE NURSING CENTER RETAINED ITS 5-STAR CMS QUALITY RATING. BY MID-YEAR IT BECAME CLEAR TO MANAGEMENT THAT LONDONDERRY VILLAGE WAS EXPERIENCING THE SAME CHALLENGES AS OUR COMPETITORS WITH RESPECT TO STAFFING; NURSING STAFF, IN PARTICULAR, WERE RESIGNING AT A MUCH HIGHER-THAN-NORMAL RATE, TYPICALLY BECAUSE OF STRESS AND BURN-OUT FROM THE PANDEMIC. NATIONALLY THIS TREND BECAME PART OF WHAT HAS SINCE BEEN CALLED "THE GREAT RESIGNATION", A LARGE SCALE VOLUNTARY REDUCTION IN THE WORK FORCE WHICH HAS CREATED INTENSE LABOR SHORTAGES IN MANY PARTS OF THE ECONOMY. THE LV NURSING CENTER WAS ALSO ADVERSELY AFFECTED LATE IN 2021 BY THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT'S COVID-19 VACCINATION MANDATE, A REQUIREMENT THAT LED TO AT LEAST 15 STAFF RESIGNATIONS. IN VIEW OF THE STAFFING CONCERNS, MANAGEMENT AND THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES DECIDED TO TEMPORARILY CLOSE TWO OF OUR GREEN HOUSE NURSING UNITS, AND TO CONSOLIDATE THE REMAINING STAFF IN OUR FOUR OPEN GREEN HOUSES AND OUR LEFFLER CARE NURSING UNIT. OUR NURSING CENSUS FLOATED DOWN TO A MANAGEABLE 70 OR SO RESIDENTS, AND HAS BEEN IN THAT REGION EVER SINCE. OUR GOAL FOR 2022 WILL BE TO RECRUIT ADDITIONAL STAFF SO THAT WE CAN RE-OPEN OUR TWO GREEN HOUSES.PERSONAL CARE - IN THE PERSONAL CARE UNIT, THE PANDEMIC CONTINUED TO AFFECT EVERYDAY LIFE FOR THE RESIDENTS WHO RESIDE IN THAT AREA. RESIDENTS WERE PERMITTED TO RETURN TO THE MAIN DINING ROOM, BUT SOCIAL DISTANCING REGULATIONS REQUIRED THE TABLES AND SEATS TO BE SPREAD OUT IN A FASHION THAT WAS NOT CONDUCIVE TO TABLE CONVERSATIONS. FAMILY VISITATION WAS RE-OPENED IN PERSONAL CARE, BUT WAS STILL SUBJECT TO INDOOR MASKING RESTRICTIONS. THERE WAS A PRONOUNCED INCREASE IN ADMISSIONS TO PERSONAL CARE IN 2021, POSSIBLY A RELEASE OF THE PENT-UP DEMAND CREATED BY THE INITIAL LOCKDOWN PERIODS OF THE PANDEMIC; THE CENSUS ROSE TO ABOUT 36 RESIDENTS, ABOUT 15-20% HIGHER THAN NORMAL. OUR PERSONAL CARE ADMINISTRATOR RESIGNED IN 2021 AND WAS REPLACED BY LPN AMANDA ZIEGLER. INDEPENDENT LIVING - THE INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY LIKEWISE CONTINUED TO BE IMPACTED BY THE PANDEMIC, BUT IN MANY WAYS ALSO STARTED TO RECOVER FROM THE EARLIER RESTRICTIONS. THE CAFE' WAS RE-OPENED AT MID-YEAR, AT FIRST FOR TAKE-OUT ONLY, AND LATER FOR IN-PERSON DINING. LIKEWISE THE CONVENIENCE STORE AND FITNESS CENTERS RE-OPENED FOR RESIDENTS TO ENJOY AGAIN. GROUP ACTIVITIES STARTED TO RESUME, ALBEIT IN COVID-SAFE FASHIONS AS RESIDENTS (WEARING MASKS) GATHERED AGAIN FOR ACTIVITY PURPOSES, AND OUTDOOR ACTIVITIES PROLIFERATED. THE INDEPENDENT LIVING COMMUNITY CONTINUED TO EXPERIENCE STRONG DEMAND AS A STEADY STREAM OF NEW RESIDENTS MOVED ONTO THE CAMPUS. LONDONDERRY VILLAGE INDIRECTLY BENEFITTED FROM THE STRONG REAL ESTATE MARKET AS NEW RESIDENT PROSPECTS WERE ABLE TO EASILY SELL THEIR EXISTING HOMES, AND OFTEN FOR PRICES THAT WERE WELL ABOVE THEIR EXPECTATIONS. LONDONDERRY VILLAGE BEGAN MARKETING IN 2021 FOR ITS NEW INDEPENDENT LIVING EXPANSION, FOX RUN. PHASE 1 OF FOX RUN IS SLATED TO COMPRISE 7 SINGLE FAMILY HOMES, 2 DUPLEX TOWNHOMES, AND A TOTAL OF 24 ONE AND TWO BEDROOM 'HYBRID' APARTMENTS. BY THE END OF THE YEAR, WE HAD RECEIVED DEPOSITS ON 7 NEW FOX RUN ACCOMMODATIONS. HOWEVER, A START DATE FOR THE CONSTRUCTION WAS STILL BEING HELD UP BY DELAYS IN GETTING LAND DEVELOPMENT APPROVALS FROM THE COUNTY AND TOWNSHIP. WE ARE CERTAINLY HOPING TO GET THE FOX RUN PROJECT UNDERWAY IN 2022.