News &  Resources

McVey Monthly Musings: October 2020

McVey Monthly Musings

Welcome to a new month and new Musings about highlights around Sequoia Living, for Sequoia Living staff and residents.

Notable News

Introducing Charlie Shoemake, Sequoia Living’s New Chief Financial Officer

I am happy to announce that Charlie Shoemake has joined Sequoia Living as our new Chief Financial Officer. Charlie is a seasoned executive with robust experience leading finance and accounting efforts in multiple industries. He is skilled at looking at what Sequoia Living is doing today and leading us where we need to go to create an even better tomorrow. Read more about Charlie here.

Bright Spots

CARES Act Funding

With funding from the federal CARES Act, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services awarded Sequoia Living an additional $975,000 for COVID-related lost revenue from our Skilled Nursing Facilities and for COVID-19 expenses to support the health and safety of residents and staff in our seven communities.

What Good Can We Make of This?​​​​​​​

A wonderful Sequoia Living resident sent me an article posing this very question and it was just what I needed to read. Our hearts want things to just be “normal” again; our heads are saying, “Shouldn’t we want more than what was?”

At Sequoia Living, we are committed to creating our “New Next” and while others are putting energy into bouncing back, we will be bouncing forward.

Staying Connected with Virtual Activities

Even though in-person classes are still on hold, San Francisco Senior Center (SFSC) continues to engage its members with exciting virtual options for exercise, the arts, entertainment, and socialization. The Center now hosts more than 30 Zoom and teleconference classes each week, including women’s literature, meditation, grief support, photography, creative writing, fall prevention, and even a virtual Halloween costume party. SFSC has done a stellar job pivoting their offerings online during the pandemic! Visit their website to learn more: www.sfsenior.org.

At our CCRCs, Sequoia Living’s activities staff are also offering an array of enriching virtual opportunities for residents to connect, learn, and stay active as they shelter in place. Residents are tuning in to closed-circuit TV and Touchtown for fitness and wellness classes, educational lectures, movies, and forums. They’re also using Zoom for social events, committee meetings, lifelong learning courses, and more. We’ll be highlighting some of the creative ways that residents are staying active and engaged during the pandemic in future updates.

Sequoia Living Registers for Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program for COVID-19 Vaccination

Sequoia Living has registered with the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to be included in the Pharmacy Partnership for Long-Term Care Program, a federal program that enables long-term care residents and possibly staff to be vaccinated against COVID-19 free of charge to them when a vaccine becomes available. HHS and several national pharmacy chains are coordinating this program in anticipation that a COVID-19 vaccine may be available before the end of the year.

Sequoia Status Snippets

Sequoia Living Occupancy Update

Sequoia Living Occupancy Update Occupancy at Western Park, Eastern Park, Town Park Towers, and The Woods remains strong with a combined average of 94.8%. The average combined occupancy of our CCRCs is 90% (based on total capacity).

COVID-19 Staff & Resident Testing

During my recent Zoom calls with residents, several people wanted to know who pays for COVID-19 testing for staff at our CCRCs. For now, staff testing is covered under staff members’ health insurance. If staff do not have health insurance, testing is currently covered under the CARES Act. COVID-19 tests for residents are covered under residents’ insurance or Medicare.

Tips and Resources

Flu Shots

Make sure to get your flu shot! Flu shots are now available at our CCRCs for residents and staff. Community Services staff can get flu shots at local clinics, physicians’ offices, or pharmacies. Flu shots are also available by appointment for Home Office staff at The Sequoias San Francisco.

Helpful Hints for Dealing with Unwanted Telemarketing Calls

If you have noticed an uptick in unwanted calls this fall, you are not alone. Here are a few steps you can take to reduce telemarketing and other unwanted calls:

  • Register your phone number on the National Do Not Call Registry by calling 1-888-382-1222 or at www.donotcall.gov. The Do Not Call Registry only blocks sales calls, so you may still receive calls from charities, political groups, or debt collectors.
  • Block or report unwanted calls using tips from the FTC’s “How to Stop Unwanted Calls” article.
  • Use your caller ID to screen calls and ignore calls from numbers you do not recognize.

New COVID-19 Case Tracking Website from the LA Times

This new website from the Los Angeles Times tracks the latest COVID-19 data from skilled nursing and assisted-living facilities across California.

Spotting Superpowers

Sequoia Living employees have been honoring each other during our weekly all-staff calls and through flyers posted at our communities. We call it the Superhero Spotlight and stories can come from any staff person about any staff person.

Make it your job to spot the superpower of someone you work with at Sequoia Living and share their story. You can make it short and sweet or long and lovely.

The people who live and work here make Sequoia Strong.

Sara McVey

Sara McVey
President & CEO, Sequoia Living