Coronavirus (COVID-19) News

We’re writing to provide you with an update on our continued safety protocols. Governor DeSantis issued an executive order permitting a Phase III reopening of many services, such as restaurants opening at full capacity. But the risk to the residents we serve remains great. Therefore, Westminster will continue to take a cautious approach to resuming services and reopening amenities at our communities.

Today, we published a letter to residents from Chief Operating Officer Garry Hennis, describing our ongoing efforts to keep residents safe, including regular testing of our team members.

Download the full letter here:

• Letter to residents

Last week, Governor DeSantis issued an executive order permitting a Phase III reopening of many services, such as restaurants opening at full capacity. The current number of new COVID-19 cases has remained low in Florida for the last several weeks, with a 7-day average of approximately 2,500 new cases per day. This is good news for many. However, the risk to the residents we serve remains great. Therefore, Westminster will continue to take a cautious approach to resuming services and reopening amenities at our communities.

Today, we published a letter to residents from Chief Operating Officer Garry Hennis, describing our ongoing efforts to keep residents safe, including regular testing of our team members.

Download the full letter here:

• Letter to residents

Today, we are writing with an update on our COVID-19 testing and our visitation program for Assisted Living and Health Center residents. There are many new requirements for COVID-19 testing imposed by the state and federal governments.

We understand that residents and their family members want to be able to visit and we regret any hardship these new regulation may cause. Our first priority is to ensure the safety of our residents, families and team members through appropriate testing and visitation requirements.

Today we published a letter to all residents and family members. For more information, read the letter.

We know that many residents are anxious to have visitors again and we want to assure you that our communities are working to put in place the procedures to do so safely. We have been actively working in consultation with our Resident Council and medical director on updating our visitation guidelines.

Recently Governor DeSantis permitted the limited re-opening of Long-Term Care communities for visitation, pursuant to the Governor’s Task Force on the Safe and Limited Re-Opening of Long-Term Care Facilities. We have been working diligently to put in place the necessary safety protocols to keep residents, visitors and our team members safe.

Our communities are now accepting visitors for limited outdoor visits, with a variety of safety protocols in place, such as the length of visits and the number of visitors permitted at one time. Pursuant to regulations issued by the State of Florida, visitation is not permitted to Assisted Living residents or Health Center residents if there has been a new case of COVID-19 identified within the previous 14 days.

For more detailed information about our visitation program, please contact the Executive Director.

We are actively working on establishing appropriate guidelines to re-open our communities for visitation. As you may be aware, on September 1, Governor DeSantis signed an order permitting visitation to Assisted Living and the Health Center, based on the recommendations of Florida’s Task Force on the Safe and Limited Re-Opening of Long-Term Care Facilities. While Westminster Communities of Florida wants to welcome visitors back to our communities, we will always prioritize the safety and wellbeing of residents and team members. We also must follow the direction of the State of Florida and the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

We look forward to providing you with more specific information and further details about visitation in the very near future. Initially, visits will be conducted outdoors with appropriate screening, social distancing, masks and hand sanitizer stations. Rest assured that we are following all guidelines and consulting with our medical directors and Resident Councils to develop appropriate visitation policies for all levels of care. More information about how these guidelines will apply to specific communities will be provided by each community’s Executive Director.

Today we published a letter to all residents and family members. For more information, read the letter.

As we continue to monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Florida, Westminster Communities of Florida is taking active measures to limit the risk to our residents and staff, as well as looking for opportunities to enhance residents’ quality of life. Today we are publishing a letter to our Residents.

• Letter to Residents

As we continue to monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Florida, Westminster Communities of Florida is taking active measures to limit the risk to our residents and staff, as well as looking for opportunities to enhance residents’ quality of life. Today we are publishing a letter to our team members, residents and their families.

• Letter to Team Member, Residents and their Families

As we continue to monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Florida, Westminster Communities of Florida is taking active measures to limit the risk to our residents and staff, as well as looking for opportunities to enhance residents’ quality of life. Today we are publishing a letter to our Residents.

• Letter to Residents

As we continue to monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Florida, Westminster Communities of Florida is taking active measures to limit the risk to our residents and staff, as well as looking for opportunities to enhance residents’ quality of life. Today we are publishing several letters to our Residents and Team Members.

• Letter to Residents
• Letter to Team Members

As we continue to monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Florida, Westminster Communities of Florida is taking active measures to limit the risk to our residents and staff, as well as looking for opportunities to enhance residents’ quality of life. Today we are publishing a letter to our Team Members.

• Letter to Team Members

As we continue to monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Florida, Westminster Communities of Florida is taking active measures to limit the risk to our residents and staff, as well as looking for opportunities to enhance residents’ quality of life. Today we are publishing a letter to our Team Members.

• Letter to Team Members

As we continue to monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Florida, Westminster Communities of Florida is taking active measures to limit the risk to our residents and staff, as well as looking for opportunities to enhance residents’ quality of life. Today we are publishing a letter to our Residents.

• Letter to Residents

As we continue to monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Florida, Westminster Communities of Florida is taking active measures to limit the risk to our residents and staff, as well as looking for opportunities to enhance residents’ quality of life. Today we are publishing a letter to our Independent Living Residents.

• Letter to Independent Living Residents

As we continue to monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Florida, Westminster Communities of Florida is taking active measures to limit the risk to our residents and staff, as well as looking for opportunities to enhance residents’ quality of life. Today we are publishing several letters to our Assisted Living and Health Center families as well as our team members.

• Letter to Assisted Living and Health Center families
• Letter to Team Members

We are continuing to pray for the health of all of Westminster, and the world. As we move forward in this journey together, we are reminded that in the face of uncertainty, we must join together in our efforts and put our faith in God. We must look to the power of faith, hope, and love through all of this. Join us today, May 26, at 2 p.m., in this week's shared prayer, which was written by the Rev. Carmelo Mercado, Chaplain at Magnolia Towers and Westminster Plaza.

Download the prayer now

As we continue to monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Florida, Westminster Communities of Florida is taking active measures to limit the risk to our residents and staff, as well as looking for opportunities to enhance residents’ quality of life. Today we are publishing several letters to residents and team members.

• Letter to Residents
• Letter to Team Members

We will also be joined Tuesday, May 26 to share a prayer led by Rev. Carmelo Mercado, Chaplain at Magnolia Towers and Westminster Plaza, which you can also read in the News section of our website.

We are continuing to pray for the health of all of Westminster, and the world. As we move forward in this journey together, we are reminded that in the face of uncertainty, we must join together in our efforts and put our faith in God. We must look to the power of faith, hope, and love through all of this. Join us today, May 19, at 2 p.m., in this week's shared prayer, which was written by the Rev. Steven Bell, Chaplain at Westminster Palms, St. Petersburg.

Download the prayer now

As we continue to monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Florida, Westminster Communities of Florida is taking active measures to limit the risk to our residents and staff, as well as looking for opportunities to enhance residents’ quality of life.

Today we are publishing a letter to residents about the reopening of housekeeping services and beauty salons.

• Letter to Residents

As we continue to monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Florida, Westminster Communities of Florida is taking active measures to limit the risk to our residents and staff, as well as looking for opportunities to enhance residents’ quality of life.

Today we are publishing several letters from our new CEO, Terry Rogers, to introduce himself to residents and our team members:

• Letter to Residents from CEO Terry Rogers
• Letter to Team Members from CEO Terry Rogers

We will also be joined tomorrow to share a prayer led by Rev. Holly Wildhack, Chaplain at Westminster Manor, which you can also read in the News section of our website.

As we continue to monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Florida, Westminster Communities of Florida is taking active measures to limit the risk to our residents and staff, as well as looking for opportunities to enhance residents’ quality of life. To keep ongoing communication with updated information to our residents and their families, today we are publishing several letters to residents:

• Letter to Residents
• Letter to Assisted Living and Health Care Family Members

We were also joined today to share a prayer led by Rev. Taylor Phillips, Chaplain at Westminster Oaks, which you can also read in the News section of our website.

As we continue to monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Florida, Westminster Communities of Florida is taking active measures to limit the risk to our residents and staff, as well as looking for opportunities to enhance residents’ quality of life. To keep ongoing communication with updated information to our residents and their families, today we are publishing a letter to residents:

• Letter to Residents

We were also joined this week to share a prayer led by Rev. Patricia Vann, Chaplain at Westminster Gardens, which you can also read in the News section of our website.

As we continue to monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Florida, Westminster Communities of Florida is taking active measures to limit the risk to our residents and staff, as well as looking for opportunities to enhance residents’ quality of life. To keep ongoing communication with updated information to our residents and their families, today we are publishing several letters to residents:

• Letter to Residents
• Letter to Assisted Living and Health Care Family Members

We were also joined today to share a prayer led by Rev. Canon Dennis Kezar, Chaplain at Westminster Point Pleasant, which you can also read in the News section of our website.

We are living through a very challenging time. Today, our Chief Operating Officer, Garry Hennis, wrote a letter to our residents thanking them for their support and for looking out for each other.

We will also join at 2 p.m. today to share a prayer. This week's was offered by Chaplain Steve Coss of Westminster Suncoast.

• Read the letter to residents
• Download today's prayer

As we continue to monitor the coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Florida, Westminster Communities of Florida is continuing to take active preventive and precautionary measures to limit the risk to our residents and staff. To keep ongoing communication with residents and their families, today we are publishing several letters to residents:

• Letter to Residential Living Residents
• Letter to Assisted Living and Health Center Family Members

In addition, today we will join in prayer at 2 p.m. throughout the state, as we have each week. Today's prayer is an interfaith prayer in honor of two major holidays this week: Wednesday is the first night of Passover and Holy Week began with Palm Sunday. It is provided by Rabbi Sanford Olshansky. Download today's prayer so you may join in:

• Prayer for April 7, 2020

For those with kids who are home from school, finding activities to help them keep engaged is hard. At Westminster Communities of Florida, meanwhile, residents are self-isolating and a personal touch can go a long way to brightening someone’s day. We put the two together with our new Kids Activity Pack, a downloadable nine-page pack of fun activities for kids to enjoy. They include games and activities, but also a template for writing letters, thank you cards and drawings to send to residents at Westminster communities.

Download the activity pack now!

Westminster Communities of Florida continues to receive additional guidance from state and federal regulatory agencies to help limit the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), and we have taken a variety of preventive and precautionary measures.

At this difficult time we are continuing to look for new opportunities to provide residents with opportunities to enjoy additional safety and social connection. Today, we distributed the following communication:

• Letter to Residential Living residents

For older adults throughout the country, as we watch the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19), a simple trip to the grocery store can induce anxiety. But at Westminster Communities of Florida, residents have lots of ways to make sure they get nutritious food and basic staples. For those essential items, we’re opening up new “pop-up” grocery stores for residents to shop.

Read more about our pop-up grocery stores in our News section.

Residents at Westminster Towers are so thankful for the medical professionals all throughout Orlando who are working hard to keep all of Central Florida safe. To show their gratitude, at 9 p.m. tonight the entire community joined in flashing all of their lights on and off. The south side of Westminster Towers faces Orlando Regional Medical Center, and the north side faces downtown Orlando.

We hope you enjoy the video on our News section.

Today more than 100 million Americans are under some type of “stay at home” order, but residents at Westminster Communities of Florida are touring the Musée d’Orsay in Paris and the Georgia Aquarium in Atlanta — without leaving the comfort of their own homes! This week we’re rolling out exciting new “Virtual Experiences,” through the award-winning My W Life app. In the app or on www.MyWLife.org, we’re offering residents a variety of enriching experiences to enjoy using their phone, tablet or computer. 

Learn more about our Virtual Experiences program in our News section.

We find ourselves in uncharted waters, as we watch the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19) throughout the world. Our communities have taken a variety of preventive and precautionary measures, in the interest of the health and safety of all residents. At the same time, Westminster Communities of Florida isn’t alone in a struggle to obtain personal protective equipment like masks and gloves, to ensure the safety of employees and residents.

But we have a few guardian angels looking out for us. Our communities have been given hundreds of handmade, cloth masks for our employees and residents to use. These amazing donations have come from all around the state, from residents, church groups, employees’ families, and more, and they may truly save lives.

Read more about the folks making these donated masks and how you can help on our News section.

Westminster Communities of Florida continues to receive additional guidance from state and federal regulatory agencies to help limit the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). We have taken a variety of preventive and precautionary measures in our communities, as recommended by the U.S. Center for Disease Control (CDC) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), as well as the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA).

Recently we received additional information from AHCA regarding the possibility of conducting random tests of individuals who are asymptomatic in communities, in Assisted Living and Health Center. Please see today's letter to family members of Assisted Living and Health Center residents:

• Letter to family members of Assisted Living and Health Center residents

We are continuing to pray for the health and safety of every resident and employee of Westminster Communities of Florida, and the whole world. On Tuesday, March 24, we begin our first shared hour of prayer, where residents and staff in every community will join in saying a prayer. At 2 p.m. on Tuesdays, join us in reading this shared prayer. The first was composed by the Rev. Jan Banker, Chaplain at Westminster Shores. Please join us in prayer tomorrow — download your copy of the prayer now.

Throughout the world, we find ourselves in an unprecedented situation. We continue to take important preventive and precautionary measures, and receive guidance from state and federal regulatory agencies. Westminster Communities of Florida is complying with this guidance, which is in the interest of the health and safety of all residents and staff.

Today we are publishing an open letter from our CEO, Roger Stevens, to all residents, making them aware of the current status and how they can help each other and our staff stay well.

Letter from CEO Roger Stevens to Residents

Westminster Communities of Florida is actively monitoring the spread of COVID-19. At this time, we have no known cases of COVID-19 at our communities. The health and wellbeing of our residents and staff is always our first priority, so we are taking a variety of precautionary measures.

Our communities are implementing a variety of preventive measures and recommended practices, consistent with Governor DeSantis’s declaration of a Public Health Emergency, the U.S. Centers of Disease Control (CDC) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS), and the Florida Department of Health (DOH) and the Agency for Health Care Administration (AHCA). For example:

• We are no longer permitting any visitors to the community. We encourage residents to hold virtual visits by video chat or phone call with their friends and family instead.
• We have discontinued large group activities and visits by volunteers and vendors.
• We are discontinuing all service in our dining rooms and in-home housekeeping services. Beginning tomorrow, we will begin providing in-home meal delivery.
• We have closed our Fitness Centers and Beauty Salons.
• All essential personnel are being screened upon arrival to the community for the signs and symptoms of illness or risk of exposure.
• We have placed hand sanitizer stations with alcohol-based sanitizer at appropriate locations throughout the community, and reinforcing the importance of frequent hand-washing.
• We are discouraging residents from leaving the community, in order to minimize the risk that they may bring back any illness. Upon their return, they must be screened.

These procedures meet or exceed the recommendations of the CDC and CMS, as well as orders by the Florida Department of Emergency Management, DOH and AHCA.

Today, we distributed a letter to this effect to all Residential Living residents. Read the letter.

Westminster Communities of Florida will continue to monitor developments and follow the recommendations of the state and federal governments.

We are praying for the continued health and safety of Westminster and the world.

We are continuing to monitor the news and receive updates from the state and federal government on how we can best ensure your safety. Today we have sent a new letter to residents:

• Letter to residents in our communities

Today, we also held a call with our Resident Council representatives to keep them informed, and provided additional communication to all employees.

If you have any questions, we encourage you to contact the Executive Director or Administrator at your community.

As we continue to monitor and minimize exposure to the coronavirus (COVID-19), we find ourselves in an unprecedented situation. We received additional guidance from the U.S. Centers for Medicare and Medicaid (CMS) and the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA) over the weekend. Westminster Communities of Florida is complying with this guidance, which is in the interest of your health and safety.

We also have published an open letter today from our CEO, Roger Stevens, thanking our residents and staff for their efforts to ensure the health and safety of all.

Today's new communications are below:

• Letter to Residential Living residents
• Letter to Assisted Living residents
• Letter to Assisted Living and Health Center families
• Open letter from CEO Roger Stevens

If you have any questions, we encourage you to contact the Executive Director or Administrator at your community.

Westminster Communities of Florida is continuing to monitor the news and receive updates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Florida Department of Health. As of today, March 13, 2020, please be advised that visitors are no longer permitted in Assisted Living and the Health Center.

We do not take these measures lightly. Please know that the most important thing we can do is limit the risk of exposure to the residents who are most vulnerable.

Today we have several new communications to residents and family members:

• Letter to Residential Living residents
• Letter to Assisted Living and Health Center family members

If you have any questions, we encourage you to contact the Executive Director or Administrator at your community.

We are continuing to monitor the news and receive updates from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Florida Department of Health. Today we have updated several items:

• Letter to residents in our communities
• Letter to the family members of residents
• Frequently Asked Questions About the Coronavirus

Today, we also held calls with our Resident Council representatives to keep them informed, and provided additional communication to all employees and asking them to take additional precautions.

If you have any questions, we encourage you to contact the Executive Director or Administrator at your community.