Sunshine Retirement Living Issues Statement Regarding Heightened COVID-19 Prevention Protocols

BEND, Ore., March 20, 2020 /PRNewswire/ -- As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve and impact the country and the world, Sunshine Retirement Living, (www.sunshineret.com), a Bend, Oregon-based, family-owned senior housing company, continues to singularly and relentlessly focus on preventing the spread of the virus within its 32 premier independent living, assisted living and memory care communities in 16 states across the country. Luis Serrano, CEO of Sunshine Retirement Living, today has issued the following statement regarding the company's heightened infection prevention protocols:

"We are all aware of the extraordinary impact that coronavirus is having on our communities and our country at large. Today, I want to assure you that we are singularly focused on the health and wellbeing of our residents and our employees.

Since day one at Sunshine Retirement Living, our strict health and safety guidelines, carried out by our highly professional caregivers, front-line staff and management teams, continue to be our highest priority.

We are in constant contact with the CDC (www.cdc.gov) and state and local health officials for the most up-to-date information on how we need to care for and protect our senior residents and their caregivers. We will continue to do so relentlessly. But this crisis will only be weathered with the support of everyone together. I am personally asking you today to please keep calm but vigilant, to keep in constant communication with our local management teams, and to keep your own standards of hygiene and social isolation at the highest level possible.

In response to the crisis, here are the key, critical protocol that Sunshine Retirement Living is implementing at our communities:

• Residents, who may feel ill or are beginning to exhibit any symptoms, will be asked to remain in their apartments and alert their community's health management team, who will follow all CDC protocols to prevent any illness from spreading.

• Visitation is restricted at each of our Assisted Living and Memory Care communities to protect our most vulnerable seniors.

• Visitors to our Independent Living communities are limited based upon guidelines from the CDC. All people entering the community will be screened at the front door, including residents and staff.

• To alleviate the stress around this situation, our communities are helping to facilitate video conferencing and other virtual communication tools between residents and loved ones.

• To enable social-distancing, we are hand-delivering home-made meals three times a day to our residents in our Independent Living communities and are encouraging in-room activities to limit person-to-person contact. Dining and activities at our Memory Care communities will remain in-place as these communities are secure.

• To maintain our highest priority of health and safety at each community, we are in the process of hiring and training more staff, especially among those who may have recently lost their jobs due to this unprecedented crisis.

• It is critical that we still open our doors to new residents who need our help and seek a new home. However, all tours will be conducted digitally, and additional strict screening processes will be implemented for new residents to ensure everyone remains safe.

• It is likely that some of our valued staff will be impacted economically by this pandemic, and I want to help where I can. Over the next three months, I am donating 50% of my salary to directly help employees who are faced with extreme financial difficulties from this crisis. I will review each of these hardships on a case-by-case basis to assess the best way to help.

Our company has 32 different communities in 16 states but today and over the coming months, we must come together in this country as one community with compassion, empathy and mutual support. We will continue to step up our communications to keep you informed of any developments as this crisis continues to evolve. I also encourage you to contact our local management teams with any questions you may have.

Stay safe. Stay healthy. And stay vigilant. And please know that now more than ever, our team is committed to People, Passion and Excellence."

About Sunshine Retirement Living
Based in Bend, Ore., Sunshine Retirement Living manages 32 retirement communities in 16 states, offering senior apartments, independent living, assisted living and memory care. A family-owned business with more than 20 years in the senior housing industry, Sunshine Retirement Living's mission is to be the preferred senior living provider offering value, choice and independence while promoting health and social interaction that exceeds residents' expectations and enriches the lives of both residents and staff. By providing meals, housekeeping, activities, transportation, utilities and in-house management staff, Sunshine Retirement Living continues to build an unparalleled community feeling in each property. For more information, visit www.SunshineRet.com or connect socially, @SunshineRetirementLiving.

SOURCE Sunshine Retirement Living