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 Diana Marquardt, RN, our Infection Preventionist, RN at dmarquardt@threepillars.org

Thank you.

Mark Strautman, President & CEO

Onsite Visits (Last updated March 31, 2022)

NEW! As things continue to change with CDC guidance we would like to remind everyone that the newest guidance allowing the general public to end quarantine after five days does not apply to nursing home residents, patients, or visitors. Please read the questions carefully when you screen in on the kiosk.

• Indoor visits with a resident in apartment or room (4 or less visitors at a time):
  • Residents may have visitors any time. Please be mindful of the risks associated with visiting during an outbreak - see the section below which indicates if a building is in Outbreak status.
  • Please note that ALL visitors to campus must sign-in and screen at an Accushield kiosk in the entrance of the building they're visiting. You'll receive a visitor sticker badge upon successful sign-in.
  • Do not let visitors in the building from other doors if they have not screened.
  • Pets are allowed to visit any building on our campus.
  • All visitors should self-monitor for symptoms after their visit and notify us if they develop symptoms and/or later test positive for COVID-19.
  • Please follow visitor guidelines for the building you are visiting (listed below) - surgical masks and face shield/goggles may be required. Your vaccination status may alter this requirement.
  • Visitors who wish to attend a worship service with a resident are welcome to do so if they are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccine and follow all the usual building vistor sign-in protocols. 
  • COVID-19 testing is not required before visiting, although we are happy to offer them to interested visitors.
  • For Riverside Lodge, Compass Point, and Masonic Center for Health & Rehab residents, a Resident Negotiated Risk and Waiver of Liability Agreement is required by the resident or Resident Responsible Party before or at the time of the first in-person, onsite visit during the pandemic, whether it's indoors or outdoors. This form is kept on file. If you are the Healthcare Power of Attorney for an RSL, CP, or MCHR resident, please complete this form.
  • We also suggest reading the CDC's resource, "How to Protect Yourself and Others from COVID-19"
  • Each visitor must complete an Onsite Visit Informed Consent and Assumption of Risk form. This form is then kept on file, so you only need to complete it (or a similar Indoor/Outdoor version of it) once. We invite you to print and bring it along with you, or we will have copies available.
  • For the safety of the residents and our community, after any onsite visit, we ask all visitors to self-monitor for symptoms found on this “Post Visitation Self Screen” form.

  • Indoor visit guidelines by building- current visitor policies state: 
    Please note: regardless of the building on campus, it is critical that all visitors or vendors enter through a main entrance so they can screen on our Accushield kiosk and receive a guest name badge. Do not let visitors in the building from other doors if they have not screened. Additionally, all visitors should self-monitor for symptoms after their visit and notify us if they develop symptoms and/or later test positive for COVID-19.

    • MCHR: On 11/12/21, CMS issued updates to visitor policies in skilled nursing facilities. We have diligently and gradually incorporated these updates into our own policies.
      • All visitors must wear a surgical mask and face shield/goggles in common areas (including children 5-years-old and older).
      • Residents may now have more than two visitors at a time as long as the core principles of COVID-19 Infection Prevention are followed.
      • Visitors may spend time together in resident rooms or approved areas, space permitting.
      • Visitation is allowed for all residents at all times.
        
        If you have questions or would like to see a complete copy of our MCHR Visitor Policy, contact Cayla Piehl, Health Services Administrator / 262.965.7212.
    • RSL: 
      • All visitors must wear a surgical mask and face shield/goggles in common areas (including children 5-years-old and older).
      • Residents may now have more than two visitors at a time as long as the core principles of COVID-19 Infection Prevention are followed.
      • There are no visitor age requirements.
      • Visitors may spend time together in resident rooms or approved areas.
      • Compassionate Care visits are allowed during outbreak status.
        
        If you have questions or would like to see a complete copy of our RSL Visitor Policy, contact Cayla Piehl, Health Services Administrator / 262.965.7212.
    • CP:  
      • All visitors must wear a surgical mask and face shield/goggles in common areas (including children 5-years-old and older).
      • There is no limit to the number of visitors that a resident may have at a time if space permits; if there will be more than 10 visitors, please see below regarding extra steps to take.
      • There are no visitor age requirements.
      • Visitors may spend time together in resident apartments or common areas.
      • Residents without symptoms may have visitors during Outbreak Status.
        
        If you have questions or would like to see a complete copy of our CP Visitor Policy, contact Jodi Cigelske, RN, Director of CP Catered Living / 262.965.7250. 
    • VOS: 
      • Visitors who are up to date with their COVID-19 vaccine, including children, may choose to wear a mask in common areas or not. All unvaccinated visitors 5-years-old and older must wear a surgical mask in common areas of VOS.
      • Unvaccinated guests may not eat in our restaurants or participate in activities.
      • There is no limit to the number of visitors that a resident may have at a time; if there will be more than 10 visitors, please see below regarding extra steps to take.
      • There are no visitor age requirements.
      • Visitors may spend time together in resident apartments or common areas.
        
        If you have questions or would like to see a complete copy of our VOS Visitor Policy, contact Heidi Behlke, VOS Housing Manager / 262.965.7421. 
        

• Family gatherings & groups (defined as 5 or more visitors at a time in a group setting – either visiting with a resident or for a group gathering like Masonic meeting, church picnic, etc…) - It's important to us that our residents can enjoy social interactions while staying healthy, and that we share our beautiful campus with other groups.
   

• For all gatherings, these guidelines apply. (See below for additional or different gathering guidelines based on indoors or outdoors):

  • All gatherings require the group identifies a dedicated “contact person” to take the lead on communicating all guidelines to the group members and overseeing adherence. Guidelines differ from smaller visits as outlined above. This contact person will: 

    • Communicate the number of attendees and any setup requests to the Concierge or Lifestyles employee.

    • Review the below guidelines with a Three Pillars employee prior to the gathering.

    • Receive the necessary materials as applicable: surgical masks, sani-wipes, guest badge, etc…

    • Clearly communicate the guidelines to all who will attend and ensure adherence to them during the gathering.    

    • All visitors should be informed of visitor guidelines (and to arrive early enough to allow time for screening and donning the appropriate PPE as indicated for indoor gatherings).

    • If any guests or other household members have any of these symptoms, they should not attend: (fever over 100.0 F, cough, sore throat, shortness of breath, congestion/runny nose, headache, myalgia, vomiting/diarrhea, new loss of taste/smell, positive COVID-19 test in last 10 days, had an unprotected exposure to someone with COVID-19 in last 14 days)

    • If Three Pillars residents who are not up to date with their COVID-19 vaccine are in attendance, they will physically distance from others.

    • Our Dining Services department is not able to accommodate food or beverage catering for family gatherings. Visitors are welcome to bring in their own food and beverage.

    • Residents may have gatherings in their apartment or room as space permits, or they may speak with any Concierge or Lifestyles employee about reserving a common space room or outdoor Woods Pavilion to accommodate their group.

    • If a common space room/area is used, the employee will reserve it using our internal system to ensure proper setup and cleaning is completed before and after the gathering.

    • There is no time limit to family gatherings as long as space and schedules permit. 

    • Guests or dedicated contact person will sanitize chairs and surfaces after the gathering using the provided sani-wipes.

• Indoor Gathering – Additional Guidelines:

  • All visitors at indoor gatherings must be up to date with their COVID-19 vaccine in order to participate.

  • All guests will enter and park at the building in which they are gathering. 

  • They must enter through the main doors and screen using the kiosk, as well as don the PPE indicated for that building prior to entering.

  • All guests will leave directly from their gathering space after the event.

  • Pets are allowed to visit.

• Outdoor Gatherings in our Woods Pavilion – Additional Guidelines:

  • In the case of inclement weather, the event will need to be rescheduled.

  • All guests will enter and park off Hwy 18, near our Guest House and white Maintenance house - 36293 Sunset Drive.

  • They will walk directly to the Woods Pavilion without entering buildings or screening at our kiosks.

  • If a guest needs to use the restroom, the dedicated contact person will escort them into the Holz Pavilion entrance (**using a Guest Badge**) to use the restroom just inside that door to the left. They do not need to screen at an Accushield kiosk. If the individual is unvaccinated, they must wear a surgical mask while indoors.

  • All guests will leave directly from the Woods Pavilion after the event.

  • Pets are allowed to visit outdoors.
     

• Campus guest lodging options are available to rent for overnight stays - Contact our Concierge team to inquire about a reservation. 
   
• For virtual visits via FaceTime, Skype, or Zoom, please contact the following:
  • Melissa Gibbs for Masonic Center for Health and Rehab or Riverside Lodge | 262.965.7233 or email
  • Tina Rose for Compass Point | 262.965.7232 or email
  • Concierges for Village on the Square | 262.965.7390 or email

We look forward to seeing you on campus - thank you!

Current Restrictions, Cancelations, and Closures (Last updated May 4, 2022)
If any building is in Outbreak Status, it will be noted below.

The majority of our resident activities have been reinstated for our vaccinated residents, with some restrictons for our unvaccinated residents. We continue to monitor the trends of the pandemic and make changes to our activities and events when needed. 

Current Guidelines for Programs and PPE by Building: 

• VOS  
• CP - CP is currently in Outbreak Status
• RSL and MCHR - MCHR is currently in Outbreak Status

Our Wellness Connection is currently open to residents, staff, and volunteers. Please note: We’re reviewing reopening plans for the community, but do not have firm dates at this time. We’ll update everyone as soon as we get closer to reopening to those groups. 

For Waukesha data, visit the Waukesha County website.

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 only strengthened that commitment, and even opened our eyes to new opportunities that will stick around long after the pandemic.

During the months the restrictions were most stringent, we worked hard to creatively keep our residents physically, socially, and spiritually healthy, engaged, and connected. Whether it was scheduled window visits, outdoor scavenger hunts, or Bingo via Zoom, there were still a lot of ways to have fun at Three Pillars. Now, as restrictions relax, we're grateful to be able to offer a bit more programming to our residents. Read below about all we did during the pandemic. 

• Read more about a few ways our team worked with our residents during the pandemic.
• In honor of Older Americans Month in May 2021, we created our seventh annual music video – read the press release here and watch the video here
• We know it was hard for our residents and their loved ones not to see each other regularly or have social visits. We offered (and continue to offer!) options and make it simple to set up a window visit or virtual call with someone who lives at Three Pillars. Please contact us if you're interested and we’ll be happy to arrange that:
  • Compass Point: Tina Rose, 262.965.7232
  • Masonic Center for Health & Rehab: Melissa Gibbs, 262.965.7233
  • Village on the Square: Concierge team, 262.965.7390
  • For instructions on how to use Zoom for a virtual call, click 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.
• In early 2020, 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 felt the love! View photos here. THANK YOU to all who participated in this generous effort.
   

How Can I Help? (Last updated August 16, 2021)

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. The following are ways to support our work:

• Make a financial contribution and cover the cost incurred for our new Accushield screening kiosks, which allow staff and approved visitors/vendors to answer screening questions and have their temperature taken before coming into Three Pillars. 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
  • Face shields
  • Surgical masks
• 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!                     

FAQs

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