COVID-19

Communities that serve seniors are at an increased risk for COVID-19.

We remain committed to the health and safety of our staff and residents, while keeping our community informed. Early on we addressed this by putting a number of policies and procedures in place that focused on the safety of our residents and staff.

Thank you to the dedicated staff that work even harder now during this pandemic to keep our residents safe and happy – you are truly Heroes.

Below you’ll find information about the restrictions in place, what we’re doing to keep our residents engaged and active, and helpful links and contacts for more information.

You can also sign up for our email list and receive updates about what’s happening at Three Pillars and specifically around COVID-19.

If you have any questions, please contact Mary Medina, our Infection Preventionist, RN at mmedina@threepillars.org

Thank you.

Mark Strautman, President & CEO

Background Information

Current Restrictions

Guidelines & Precautions

Background Information

What is a coronavirus and COVID-19?

Coronaviruses are a large family of viruses which may cause illness in animals or humans. In humans, several coronaviruses are known to cause respiratory infections ranging from the common cold to more severe diseases, such as Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) and Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS). The most recently discovered coronavirus causes coronavirus disease COVID-19.

COVID-19 is the infectious disease caused by the most recently discovered coronavirus in December 2019.

Watch for symptoms of COVID-19

People with COVID-19 have had a wide range of symptoms reported – ranging from mild symptoms to severe illness. Symptoms may appear 2-14 days after exposure to the virus.

People with these symptoms may have COVID-19:

Fever greater than 100 degrees
New or worsening cough (not associated with an existing/known condition – smoking, snoring, allergy nasal drip).
New or worsening shortness of breath or difficulty breathing (not associated with existing/known condition or anxiety).
Sore throat (not associated with an existing/known condition – smoking, snoring, allergy nasal drip).
Myalgia (muscle/body aches of unknown cause).
Chills
Chills with repeated shaking
New, worsening, or unexplained headache
New loss of taste or smell
New, worsening, or unexplained congestion or runny nose
New, worsening, or unexplained nausea or vomiting
New, worsening, or unexplained diarrhea

You can learn more by going to the Centers for Disease Control Symptom page. There is a self-assessment on there as well.

What are we doing to keep our residents and staff safe?

Requiring all staff wear a surgical mask while at work
Screening all staff before the start of their shift
Following a strict cleaning and disinfection process across campus
Voluntarily testing asymptomatic staff and residents - all negative to date
Limited communal dining and activities
Implementing shopping alternatives for residents
Facilitating video calls and window visits to help our residents and families stay in touch
Sending regular staff and family updates

Current Restrictions, Cancelations, and Closures (Lasted updated July 30, 2020)

We continue to create opportunities for our residents and families to stay engaged. However, because of this pandemic, there are a number of activities we suspended until it is safe to resume them. We are actively working on recovery plans now, and as soon as it is safe to resume them we will.

The following are restrictions currently in place, as well as what’s canceled and closed until further notice:

Limited to scheduled window visits
No group activities, gatherings, and outings
Limited communal dining
No worship gatherings
No large group gatherings
Wellness Connection - Closed
All Lunch and Learn programs - Canceled
Friends & Family Chicken BBQ - Canceled
In-person Tribute Path Dedication Ceremony - Changed to virtual
Halloween Haunted Woods - Canceled
Gala - Rescheduled virtually for October 30, 2020

Guidelines & Precautions

An important part of staying healthy is paying attention to and practicing the precautions we have in place.

We follow guidelines and requirements from the Wisconsin Department of Health, and those from the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), which are based on the CDC (Center for Disease Control & Prevention) guidelines.

Some of the most important things we can do to protect ourselves and others includes:

Wear a mask when out in public
Practice good hand hygiene, including washing your hands for a minimum of 20 seconds and high alcohol hand sanitizer when soap is not readily available
Maintain good social distancing of at least six feet while around others
Stay home when you’re sick
Avoid mass transit, but wear a mask if it's necessary

How We're Maintaining Our Physical, Social, and Spiritual Health

We are committed to our residents’ happiness, while providing them opportunities to remain active. The COVID-19 restrictions and requirements have only strengthened that commitment.

We have worked hard to creatively keep our residents physically, socially, and spiritually healthy, engaged, and connected.

Whether it’s scheduled window visits, outdoor scavenger hunts, or Bingo via Zoom, there are still a lot of ways to have fun at Three Pillars.

Read more about a few ways our team worked with our residents during the pandemic.
In honor of Older Americans Month in May, we created our sixth annual music video. While we couldn’t do this year's project in partnership with KM Perform as we traditionally have, we weren't about to let a pandemic stop the fun. We stayed safe and healthy as we created this video, celebrating this year's national theme of, "Make Your Mark," in a BIG way – read the press release here and watch the video here!
View our photo gallery featuring all the ways we’ve stayed physically, socially, and spiritually healthy, engaged, and connected during COVID-19

We get by with a little help from our friends – the community rallied around our residents and staff to show their enormous support and love!

Read about dozens of outdoor decorations donated by two local community members.
Watch a special drive-through motorcycle parade by the Widow’s Sons Masonic group.
Scan our Facebook feed for tons of posts about an outpouring of generosity by numerous local businesses who have donated meals and gifts to our staff and residents.
We put out a request for community members to send “Sunshine Mail” to our residents during this time of isolation – read the press release here. We were overwhelmed with the response; our residents definitely feel the love! View photos here. (And YES, we’re still asking for sunshine mail to be sent – keep it coming.)

Please send letters to:

Three Pillars Senior Living Communities

Attn: Sunshine Mail

410 N. Main Street

Dousman, WI 53118

To schedule a window visit or virtual call with someone who resides at Three Pillars, please contact us and we’ll be happy to arrange for that:

- Compass Point: Tina Rose, 262.965.7232
- Masonic Center for Health & Rehab: Melissa Gibbs, 262.965.7232
- For instructions on how to use Zoom for a virtual call, click here.

Wellness

Our Wellness Connection Coordinator, along with our Lifestyles and Recreation teams, are doing everything they can to keep our residents in touch with their loved ones and engaged with creative activities.

Wellness is important - you are your best investment! That means doing what you can manage each day to meet physical, mental, spiritual, social, intellectual, environmental, and financial needs.

Here are some helpful resources:

Movement is important, but make sure you do what works for you. You know your body best. Slowly progressing into a daily movement routine is smart training. Try this simple chair movement to get started.
It’s amazing what five minutes of mindfulness can do for you. Take time to relax and be present with this five-minute guided body scan.
Every day is a new opportunity, and taking as little as 10 minutes for yourself each day has been proven to make a positive impact on health in a variety of ways.

We look forward to offering more opportunities for you to find your happy, healthy place. If you would like more information, please contact Dawn Mans, our Wellness Connection Coordinator at 262.965.7017.

How Can I Help?

We are humbled by the generosity of individuals, families, friends, and businesses who have asked how they can help our staff and residents during the COVID-19 pandemic. Our staff are working hard to safeguard the well-being of our seniors, and we are grateful for the support we continue to receive.

We get a lot of questions about how to help or get involved. Outside of sending sunshine mail for our residents, the following are other ways to support our work:

Make a financial contribution. Generous donations of any size will allow us to purchase essential personal protective equipment (PPE), provide additional opportunities for communication between residents and families, enhance staffing to oversee increased cleaning procedures, and continue to rent a trailer, where staff temperatures and screenings occur at the start of every shift. Make an online donation here to support these critical efforts.

Donate personal protective care items. We are always in need of the following items, which are put directly to use:

Hand sanitizer with at least 60% alcohol
Safety glasses or goggles
Handmade cloth masks

Donations can be dropped off in our white donation mailbox near our entrance at 410 N. Main Street, Dousman, WI 53118.

Donations can also be mailed to:

Three Pillars Senior Living Communities

Attn: Chief Development Officer

375 State Road 67

Dousman, WI 53118

Thank you for your kindness and support!

Stay Connected

If you want to stay in touch with the latest COVID-19 updates, consider signing up for our email list.

You can also follow us on our social channels below

Additional Resources

To schedule a window visit or virtual call with someone who resides at Three Pillars, please contact us and we’ll be happy to arrange for that:
- Compass Point: Tina Rose, 262.965.7232
- Masonic Center for Health & Rehab: Melissa Gibbs, 262.965.7232
- For instructions on how to use Zoom for a virtual call, click here.
Have a general COVID-19 question pertaining to Three Pillars? Please email our Infection Preventionist, RN, Mary Medina at mmedina@threepillars.org
To become an approved visitor, please call our Chief Operating Officer, Dave Rademacher, at 262.965.7425
Have a question about the latest happenings in the state? Please visit the Wisconsin Department of Health Services

FAQs

Below, please find answers to some of the most frequently asked questions:

Open All

I want to drop off a package for my loved one - where do I do that?

You may label and drop the package off in the vestibule of the building in which your loved one resides at. A member of our team will retrieve, sanitize (if applicable), and deliver it. If it’s something that cannot wait in the vestibule, please call ahead to arrange the drop-off:

MCHR – 262.965.2111
Riverside Lodge – 262.965.7397
Compass Point – 262.965.7180
Village on the Square – 262.965.7390

A resident has an outside appointment - do they need to isolate when they come back?

No, they do not. They must wear a mask and maintain social distancing while out in public. We encourage residents to leave only for essential medical appointments.

If a resident who’s previously been in isolation takes a COVID-19 test and the results are negative, can they get out of isolation sooner?

The short answer is no. Our regulatory guidance from the Department of Health Services (DHS) is that residents who are new residents, readmissions, or symptomatic need to isolate for 14 days regardless of a negative test result. Our clinical staff recommend that approach throughout campus areas not licensed through DHS.

Do I have to wear a mask when visiting?

Yes. If you are on Three Pillars’ campus for a scheduled visit, you must have a face covering / mask on—it is a proven deterrent to putting others at risk for the virus.

My loved one resides at Three Pillars and I’d like to bring them to my home for a meal - can I do that?

Yes, it is the right of all residents to come and go, but depending on the circumstance and safety measures taken, the resident may be asked to isolate on return in order to protect neighboring residents.

When are you going to open up for visits?

We are working through recovery plans, which include onsite visitation, as well as a number of other requested services, such as wellness, beauty shops, and dining rooms. Regulatory guidance and best practices currently do not allow it or do not recommend it. We will keep everyone posted as soon as we know more.