March 11, 2020
Dear Family Members and Guardians,
Governor Baker has called a state of emergency in Massachusetts to help government offices, schools and organizations respond to the growing concerns around the potential spread of Covid-19/Coronavirus. Sunshine Village is keeping up-to-date with all information as the situation unfolds and; most importantly, responding quickly to keep the individuals we serve and our staff as safe and healthy as possible.
No one knows how long or how extensive the spread of the virus will be, but we are closely monitoring the state and federal recommendations. With weather-related emergencies, we have had to close our programs and this current communicable disease creates similar challenges. With the current situation we can only control how we react and meet our responsibilities. We will make important decisions such as the possibility of closing program sites only if absolutely necessary. Below is our plan to respond to what we know now and what we can control to keep communication open and lessen the impact on everyone at Sunshine Village.
To date, we started an even more robust cleaning and disinfecting protocol for all of our sites. We have also begun handwashing and coughing instruction and regular reminders. There will be a fun contest to encourage peer-to-peer education on proper techniques and their importance in fighting the spread of germs. We are also utilizing all available hand sanitizing options and encouraging all who are sick to stay home. We are also restricting visitors to our sites and are assessing community access for the individuals we serve. Sunshine Village is committed to providing you with updates as appropriate and will communicate information to you in three ways:
- The most current information, including potential closings, will be updated on our website’s homepage www.sunshine.us
- Email and letter will be used whenever possible for important, but less time sensitive information
- Personal phone calls for individual specific issues and concernsWe ask that you notify your program site of all planned travel for your loved one, yourself, or for any family or friends that come into contact with your loved one, so that we can give further instructions based on our compliance with state or federal recommendations. We also recommend that you visit the following state website for further information on travel precautions: mass.gov/2019coronavirus.
Please contact your program manager or case manager with any questions or concerns. Thank you for your support as we respond to this ongoing situation.
Yours truly,
Gina Kos
Executive Director
CC: Department of Developmental Services
