Capri Communities – Covid-19 FAQ

When will the vaccine arrive in Wisconsin?

The vaccine has arrived in Wisconsin. Many hospitals are in the process of administering it to their staff.  Our current information outlines that our Assisted Living and Memory Care residents who are categorized as long-term care residents, may be offered the vaccine as early as December 28, 2020.

On a December 18, 2020 briefing with Wisconsin Department of Health Services (DHS) they communicated that the priority on December 28 will be to begin in Skilled Nursing Facility settings.

How will it be administered?

The vaccine will be administered in two doses, 21-28 days apart depending upon which manufacturer’s vaccine Walgreens is given.

Capri Communities is working with our assigned pharmacy, Walgreens, who will store, distribute, and administer the vaccine, which will be free of charge to residents and staff.

The Pharmacy oversees the scheduling and sequencing the availability of the vaccine.  The pharmacy will come to each Capri Community to administer the vaccine to residents and associates.  Three to four visits over approximately two months likely will be needed to administer both doses.  Given availability and desire, we intend to offer the vaccine to new residents and team members.

If you receive the vaccine, how long until it will protect me?

Both the Pfizer and Moderna 2-dose vaccines have been reported to be 95% effective.

Who is receiving the vaccine?

In alignment with the CDC, Wisconsin is focusing the first round of vaccine distribution to residents and employees working in long-term care facilities. Capri Communities falls into this category.  Residents in our Assisted Living and Memory Care campuses will be the priority.  We are proactively requesting access to additional vaccines for our Independent Living residents as many of them are anxious to receive it and fall into other categories prioritized by the CDC.

Are residents required to take the vaccine?

No.  While it is strongly recommended, it is ultimately a personal decision.  That said, science shows the vaccine is proven to protect not just yourselves but others.

How many residents will be vaccinated in the first round?

All residents and staff in our assisted living and memory care communities will be eligible to receive the vaccine.  This is more than 700 residents. In addition, we will offer the vaccine to more than 500 employees as part of Phase 1a.

How do residents provide consent?

As Capri receives new information relative to the COVID-19 vaccine, our residents and families will be the first to know.  In the meantime, if you have questions, please reach out to local community leadership.

Is Capri prepared to receive the vaccine?

Absolutely.  We’ve been working toward this milestone for months.  Our collaborative relationship with DHS and WALA, along with the expertise of our Director of Clinical Operations, Pam Gaurkee, RN, has resulted in Capri being very prepared.  We have been educating our residents and staff, collecting consent forms and working closely with our assigned pharmacies.

What measures has Capri taken to keep residents safe?

• Safety has always been Capri’s priority, but with the onset of Covid-19, more stringent safety measures were adopted. Our early actions included:
• Limiting visitors
• Adding specialized sanitation equipment to many of our buildings
• Launching daily temperature checks for both residents and staff
• Transparent communication with residents and family members
• Education on CDC recommendations relative to Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), hand washing, social distancing, etc.
• Limiting or restructuring communal dining; offering meal delivery to apartments
• Placing capacity on programming and activities to ensure physical distancing
• Purchasing patio heaters to allow for outdoor visits
• Installing Needlepoint Bipolar Air Ionization Systems