Taylor Community takes precautionary steps for COVID-19

LACONIA — Visiting hours have been reduced and contingency plans have been formulated at the Taylor Community, whose 400 retirees are part of a large local population considered at higher risk of coronavirus. 

New Hampshire has one of the most elderly populations in the United States, and Belknap County has the second oldest population in the state, according to the U.S. Census. 

Those at higher risk of the disease, which has infected more than 114,000 people worldwide and killed 4,000, include those over the age of 70 and those with underlying medical conditions, said Dr. Anthony Fauci, the head of infectious diseases at the National Institutes of Health and a member of the White House Coronavirus Task Force. 

“If you're a person with an underlying condition — and you are particularly an elderly person with an underlying condition — you need to think twice about getting on a plane or on a long trip," Fauci said in published interviews. "And not only think twice, just don't get on a cruise ship."

Michael Flaherty, executive director of the Taylor Community, said visiting hours to its licensed assisted living and nursing home facilities have been reduced from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. to 9 a.m. to 4 p.m., ensuring that the business staff is available to help when visitors are present. 

“We're asking visitors when they do arrive how are they feeling, do they have a fever, have they been out of the country, do they feel as though they've been impacted and we’re asking them to wash hands and then wipe them down with Purell or sanitizer before entering areas where residents are living,” Flaherty said. 

Anyone who should come down with coronavirus would be quarantined, he said. 

Outside entertainers are not being allowed into these licensed facilities. Independent living areas are not affected, with the exception that cleaning protocols have been enhanced.

“We’re doing some additional cleaning, wiping down buses after every trip, dining rooms several times a day, chair railings after meetings,” he said. 

Flaherty said the Taylor Community does not want to overreact to the health challenge, but also wants to do everything necessary to protect its residents in line with protocols issued by the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the state Department of Health and Human Services.  

“We haven’t taken drastic steps but we’re prepared to take drastic steps if necessary,” he said. 

"If we have a pandemic on our hands and school systems are closed down, what would that look like? There would be no outside visitors to the community, no entertainment, we’d shut down social activities, shut down restaurant on campus, provide food on a delivery basis to our residents. 

“That's the worst case scenario. We’d self quarantine if necessary and keep them isolated from the rest of the community.”

Staff members have been notified that their responsibilities might change temporarily.

“The grass can wait to be cut if necessary,” Flaherty said. “Groundskeepers can do housekeeping if needed. Senior management can help out with making sure cleaning is done.”

Shelley Richardson, the administrator of the Belknap County Nursing Home, said officials are closely monitoring information coming from public health authorities.

“The front lobby has been set up as normal during flu season, with gloves, masks and hand sanitizer,” she said. “We’re watching staff members for travel or anything of that nature.”

The CDC says information reported so far suggests that most of the cases of the virus, called COVID-19, are mild. Information from China, where the disease was first reported, indicated that serious illness occurs in 16 percent of cases.

“More cases of COVID-19 are likely to be identified in the coming days, including more cases in the United States,” the CDC reports on its website. “It’s also likely that sustained person-to-person spread will continue to occur, including throughout communities in the United States. It’s likely that at some point, widespread transmission of COVID-19 in the United States will occur.

“Widespread transmission of COVID-19 would translate into large numbers of people needing medical care at the same time. Schools, childcare centers, and workplaces, may experience more absenteeism. Mass gatherings may be sparsely attended or postponed. Public health and healthcare systems may become overloaded, with elevated rates of hospitalizations and deaths. Other critical infrastructure, such as law enforcement, emergency medical services, and sectors of the transportation industry may also be affected. Healthcare providers and hospitals may be overwhelmed. At this time, there is no vaccine to protect against COVID-19 and no medications approved to treat it.”

Meanwhile, some people in the Lakes Region are curtailing some travel in line with Fauci’s recommendations. 

David Pearlman, chairman of the Taylor Community Trustees, lives part of the year in Meredith and part in La Jolla, California. 

He and his wife have cancelled an Alaskan cruise vacation.

On the other hand, they are planning to travel soon from California to Boston to see their grandchildren and their daughter.

“We’re getting on an airplane tomorrow and flying cross country,” he said. “We'll be loaded with cleaning supplies and will clean the seat and tray tables and all the things we'll be touching,” he said. 

Charlie St. Clair, who heads up Laconia’s Motorcycle Week, is at Daytona Beach this week for that community’s Bike Week.

He said concerns over coronavirus hasn’t diminished the Florida event.

“We have seen no effect on either Bike Week or Spring Break,” he said in a text message. “Also, the Auto Train was full coming down here.”

Karmen Gifford, president of the Lakes Region Chamber, said she has not seen much of a business impact locally, either.

“We have two chamber trips planned, one going to Greece in October and Thailand in November,” she said. “We know that people are a little nervous.”