Coronavirus
Questions or Concerns relating to Coronavirus and Homewood
Please call our hotline number 1-301-223-4410 or email info@hmwd.org.
COVID-19 Vaccine Update
To: All Homewood Staff, Residents, and Family Members:
Re: COVID-19 Vaccine Update
Your health and safety is of the utmost importance to us, and Homewood Retirement Centers continues to make every effort to prevent and contain the spread of COVID-19. We are extremely grateful for the distribution of the vaccine, and it has given us much hope and momentum toward the reopening of our communities. Vaccination is a significant step forward in the fight against COVID-19, and many of our residents and co-workers have made this their top priority.
Currently, more than 93 percent of residents and 67 percent of co-workers, company-wide, have received the vaccine which is ahead of the industry average. The number of vaccinated residents and co-workers continues to grow each week, and we are working diligently with our local pharmacy providers to educate our residents and co-workers about the vaccine’s benefits.
Currently, Homewood is not mandating that its residents or co-workers receive the vaccine. All of the currently available vaccines remain available under “Emergency Use Authorization. In addition, there are various federal and state laws in place, and others being proposed, that impact our decision regarding vaccine mandates. Because of these considerations, Homewood, like many hospitals and senior living organizations, has been advised not to mandate the vaccine at this time.
Without a vaccine mandate, Homewood has made significant progress in just a few short months in eliminating the virus from our communities. Homewood’s last positive resident COVID-19 test was January 28, 2021. The vaccine appears to be highly effective in protecting those vaccinated and fortunately, positivity rates around the organization have dropped significantly. While unvaccinated co-workers should make every effort to protect themselves and others, Homewood Retirement Centers continues to require all co-workers to follow local, state and federal guidelines regarding infection control, personal protective equipment, screening and routine testing in order to maintain a safe environment and reduce transmission.
While we know there is still much work to be done, we will continue to partner with local, state and federal officials to raise awareness and further steward our vaccination program. As more and more people continue to get vaccinated, we remain optimistic that we will rise above the uncertainty and that better days are ahead for our communities.
Respectfully,
Richard Miller, Vice President of Operations
Homewood Retirement Centers, Inc.
Community Coronavirus Pages
Each of our communities have posted their update on their individual sites. Please click through to their information below.
Homewood at Spring House Estates
Thank You
Thank you to all of the co-workers, volunteers, and well-wishers who are helping us get through this together.
How You Can Help
If you would like to help please contact Pat O'Toole at the Homewood Foundation at 301-582-1434 or potoole@hmwd.org.
External Resources
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Coronavirus Page
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov/index.html
Maryland Department of Health Coronavirus Page
https://coronavirus.maryland.gov/
Pennsylvania Department of Health Coronavirus Page
https://www.health.pa.gov/topics/disease/coronavirus/Pages/Coronavirus.aspx
Information for Families of Nursing Care Facilities Staff and Residents
Frequently Asked Questions
#HomewoodStrong Stories
We held a parade on campus yesterdat for our residents in Independent Living at Homewood at Williamsport. Wonderful to see everyone! We had a blast! Stay Safe.
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=2924079240987405&id=110119465716744
With the help of some handy residents, we placed our Heroes Work Here sign at Homewood at Martinsburg. And they really do! Thank you to all our staff members! Together--we can do this! #HomewoodStrong
https://www.facebook.com/HomewoodAtMartinsburg/posts/2799277226807375
As a huge thank you to all of our co-workers for the hard work they put in each and every day, our coporate office, Board, and donors provided Olive Garden meals for each staff member and their families. Thank you for this kind gift! It was greatly appreciated by all! #HomewoodStrong
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=3931137820260310&id=156487691058694
