PVE Housekeeping Team Shines During COVID-19
The Housekeeping Department at Paradise Valley Estates has put great thought and care into making sure their services meet any emerging health and safety needs resulting from the ongoing threat of COVID-19. One of the greatest keys to their success isn’t a cleaning product; it’s good information.
Several times per week, Lisa Coe, the Life Plan Community’s director of support services, joins community leadership to discuss the latest COVID-19 news in the area and on-campus to stay on top of any emerging or anticipated needs due to coronavirus. The response team bases their decision-making on data and recommendations from the Centers for Disease Control, the State of California’s Department of Social Services and Leading Age of California.
In addition to staying informed, Lisa and her housekeeping team, which includes manager Debbie Bacon and supervisor Petra Gallegos, work collaboratively to evaluate and adjust services for maximum sanitation with limited exposure between residents and team members. One adjustment is cleaning services are temporarily being offered every other week, rather than weekly, but with additional sanitation services and a bed-making service included. Residents can take advantage of this enhanced semi-weekly service, that has been designed with best practices for surface sanitation and social distancing in mind, or they can opt out of housekeeping services temporarily if preferred. Outside residences, the housekeeping team cleans and sanitizes high-touch, shared community spaces such as elevators, light switches, doorknobs, arms of chairs, bathroom latches and more throughout the day.
For an extra measure of safety, all PVE team members are screened when they come onto campus to confirm that they and their family members are healthy and not experiencing symptoms of COVID-19. Once past the screening, all team members are required to wear provided personal protective equipment such as gloves and masks.
Before entering each home, housekeepers first sanitize their equipment and put on gloves. Residents move outside onto their patio or into another room while their home is being cleaned to maintain social distancing. In addition to routine cleaning, the team also fulfills customized requests from residents such as the need for cleaning supplies or even toilet paper, which has been in short supply nationwide of late.
The added efforts of the housekeeping team are clear to the community’s residents who haven’t been shy about showing their appreciation. Lisa says the team has been touched to discover thank you signs left on front doors of homes about to be cleaned.
The team agrees that each word or gesture of thanks is a reminder that housekeeping services aren’t merely a luxury service; their work is a vital part of the community’s overall response to keeping all residents as safe as possible in a high-risk time.
Visit the Greater Good to learn how our Life Plan Community residents and team members are working hard to keep our community well and safe.
