Q&A with Courtney Cassels, Resident Service Coordinator at Mission Springs Housing for the Elderly
Caregiving Chronicles: The availability of the coronavirus vaccine is still varied depending on location. How did Mission Springs have the ability to set up appointments for residents?
Courtney: The clinics at Mission Springs are part of a federal CDC program, which focuses on residents and staff of long-term care and senior housing facilities. Therefore, Mission Springs was able to coordinate timely clinics for their residents.
Caregiving Chronicles: What dates was the vaccine given at Mission Springs?
Courtney: The first dose was administered on 01/14/2021, with the second dose administered on 02/04/2021. Those who did not get their first dose go-round received it on 02/04/2021, with their second dose clinic scheduled for 02/25/2021.
Caregiving Chronicles: How much notice were you able to give residents?
Courtney: The CDC notified Mission Springs that we would be part of this program 10 days before our first clinic. This timeline enabled a large portion of our residents (56) to complete and return their consent forms to me. I was then required to upload the forms for the CDC three days before each of the two clinics. It was a condensed period of time to coordinate the completion of the consent forms and schedule the residents, but having a second clinic enabled all residents to have a chance to receive a vaccine.
Caregiving Chronicles: With the coronavirus vaccine being a new drug, did you hit fear-based resistance from residents on the vaccine's safety?
Courtney: I did have several residents come to me and say, "I have (insert medical condition) should I get the vaccine?" or "I saw something on the news that (insert concern)."
My stance was to encourage residents not to base their decisions on the vaccine on what they may have seen on TV or heard from an acquaintance. I explained that they should reach out to their primary care physician or specialist who is versed on the resident's medical history and therefore are best suited to advise them with fact-based medical advice.
Caregiving Chronicles: What success rate did you have (people vaccinated vs. total residents)?
Courtney: Mission Springs has a total of 76 residents. Fifty-six received their second dose on 02/04, with another 13 getting their second dose on 02/25. Overall, the response was strong, and of the few who did not receive a vaccine at our clinic, several made appointments to get it at their doctor's office.
Residents have been very appreciative of the opportunity to get their vaccine at Mission Springs. Our ability to do this saved them from their worry of navigating an online scheduling system or having to take shared transportation to one of the Massachusetts mass vaccination sites.
