A few days ago, Waveny LifeCare Network sent an appeal for donations to its donor community noting it has suspended all visitations, including its 400 volunteers, in order to protect its residents and staff. On receiving the appeal, I called Waveny to better understand the challenges it is facing. Waveny is a not for profit organization dependent on donations to close the gap between revenue from its programs and the costs of its operations.
The first thing I learned is that the popular Adult Day Care program has been suspended. This is a day program for seniors who live at home that takes place at the Farm Road campus. Waveny cannot run the risk of program participants who might be infected coming into the facility. This is an important source of revenue for the organization that has been lost for the time being.
Secondly, admissions to resident programs are being affected by the concerns people have about being in a facility 24 hours a day where one is living in close proximity to others. The recent outbreak of COVID-19 at a senior care establishment in Kirkland, Washington has, I imagine, brought into focus for all of us the risks that Waveny has to address every day.
In the absence of volunteers, the staff at Waveny are working tirelessly to provide the level of care to which their clients are accustomed in difficult circumstances, while the organization has to deal with financial challenges at the same time. They deserve our support and need it now.
Rob Fryer