This morning as I sat to compose the message for April, I was once more reminded of the juxtaposition of what I see versus what I’m feeling.
I glance up to look out the window and see cherry trees blossoming; I listen closely and already hear the birds chirping, and in my most favorite season of all, I see the leaves peeking out from the buds and the branches. All of this fills me with joy.
And in this moment, I’m reminded of the gravity we’re all experiencing during this most uncertain time in our history. No rule books for this one! But my message begins with the promise of Spring as the glimmer of reassurance that despite the changes that we are all navigating, we will continue to move forward; we will see this through.
Our residents and staff at Pickering Manor continue to be well and safe. We have been practicing infection control long before anyone ever heard of COVID-19 and we continue to do that with heightened awareness. We are checking the temperatures and screening all employees; both at the beginning of our shifts and as we leave the building. We are also practicing Universal Masking as a means of adding another layer of protection for our residents and ourselves.
We have temporarily cancelled all communal dining and activities as an added precaution, but rest assured, we are having impromptu dance parties in the atrium, hallway Bingo, Pokeno, and Sing-a-Longs from their doorways and one-on-one activities in their rooms. We are taking them out onto our porch in small groups; making sure we practice safe-distancing. We are also using Skype, FaceTime and phone calls to stay in contact.
My heart fills up thinking of all the ‘angels among us’....those people who continue to show up from our community to bring joy to all of us. We have been blessed with people bringing homemade cards; picking daffodils and forsythia from their gardens; local florists sending beautiful arrangements of flowers; people sewing and sewing and sewing (!) masks to provide to our staff; and the kindness of others to raise money to send meals to us as a reminder we’re being remembered. One of our family members is busy organizing an effort to raise money to buy iPads to increase the communication between our residents and their families!
So, as you can see; we WILL see this through; we will learn from this and all of us will be better prepared...after all, look out your window and enjoy an extra appreciation of those moments that we can’t overlook during this time of such uncertainty. Find them; be grateful for them.
In closing, we are grateful to our dedicated staff who leave their families every single day. They are the backbone of all we do. May we all stay healthy; may YOU stay home and we will be there for you, from a distance!
We feel your love,
Michelle
Michelle Knobloch
Chief Executive Officer
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We are thrilled to be in the final stages of the completion! Furniture has now been delivered and installed and we are now waiting on final inspections!
Keep up with all of our progress by following us on
FACEBOOK
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We want to thank our residents' loved ones, local school children, friends, neighbors, and community at large for the letters, flowers, meals, cookies, cards, and pictures which have poured in since we closed to visitors. It's a difficult time for our residents and their loved ones who aren't able to visit during this difficult time. In happier news, we'd like to share
Pickering Manor's viral video
which aired live on 6ABC on April 7!
We want to especially thank the following individuals and businesses who provided cookies, flowers, meals, and supplies to our residents and staff:
Bailey Family
Judy and Andre De Champlain
Clark's Flower Shop
Meg Griffin
Littleton Family
Misher Family
Southeastern Home Health
St. Mary's Home Care
Liz Warren
During the COVID-19 pandemic, it is more vital then every that our residents feel connected to the outside world, so we have actively linked our residents with their families via FaceTime, Skype, and phone calls.
We realize this dims in comparison to an actual visit with our residents’ loved ones, but we know that it is appreciated in the meanwhile. We currently use two (2) iPads, but suggest the possibility of asking our generous community of donors to fund additional tablets. There are so many ways that we can use them; from increasing the amount of visual electronic contact with you to using them with our physicians for a Telemedicine Conference Call. We can also use them with our residents to do games, music or activities as well as being able to reach out to a loved one for any reason.
If you would like to donate to the COVID-19 Fund, please
use the form
or call our Development Department at (215) 968-3878 Ext. 1112 for more information. Thank you for your generosity during this difficult time!
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Director of Nursing Terry Ziegler with resident Irene Bittner using the iPad to connect with family
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Thanks to our neighbors Penelope & Violet for the lovely paper flower bouquets!
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Below are just some of the wonderful pictures we received from our local school children; they continue to brighten residents' and staff spirits!
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DON'T MISS OUT!
DRAWING IS APRIL 24th!
Sponsored by Peruzzi Automotive Group and First National Bank of Newtown, you have YOUR CHOICE of 4 different models of cars, OR $25,000 in CASH!!
Please be advised due to the COVID-19 pandemic,
we will NOT host a public party
this year, but we will hold a live Facebook drawing at the same time as the party, Friday, April 24 at 5:30 pm. We will notify the winners after the drawing. In addition,
we will not accept any last-minute ticket sales on the property due to restrictions on social distancing
.
We ask you make any last-minute purchases by 3:00 pm on Friday, April 24 before the link is disabled.
if your ticket is purchased on or after April 17, a ticket will not be mailed, but held in the development office and brought to the drawing.
Your chance to win one of these cars offered by Peruzzi Automotive Group:
1
st
Prize:
2020 Mazda CX-5
2020 Nissan Rogue
2020 Buick Encore
2020 GMC Terrain
OR $25,000 cash!
2nd Prize:
$1,000 VISA Gift Card
3rd Prize:
Two tickets to Sips & Suds on Saturday, Nov. 14 ($150 value)
Ticket Price $100
Only 800 tickets will be sold!
Drawing: Friday, April 24, 2020
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AUXILIARY NEWS
Spring Luncheon
: Please note that due to COVID-19 restrictions, the Spring Luncheon on Thursday, April 16th at 11:30 am has been postponed. Stay tuned for information on a rescheduled date!
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For more information on the campaign and how to donate, click
here.
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Think Spring!
Join us in June at Trenton Country club for the Newtown Rotary's Annual Golf Outing to benefit Pickering Manor! Click
here
for more details!
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About Pickering Manor
Located in Newtown, PA, Pickering Manor is a non-profit senior-living facility offering 10 semi-detached cottages, 24 apartments, 22 private personal care rooms and 47 licensed skilled nursing beds.
Pickering was founded in 1963 and is the only community-owned and operated senior residence in Pennsylvania.
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