NHC Senior Resource Center taking extra precautions to keep patrons safe

NEW HANOVER COUNTY, N.C. (WECT) - The New Hanover County Senior Resource Center is monitoring Covid-19 and making changes in accordance with guidance from the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) and the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Servies.

The Senior Resource Center is currently open, and will not close unless instructed by county officials. However, the Senior Resource Center is taking steps and precautions to keep visitors and staff safe.

According to a county spokesperson, anyone showing signs or symptoms of illness will be asked to leave the facility and encouraged to see a physician as soon as possible. Transportation can be arranged through the Senior Resource Center if the patron needs assistance getting to a doctor’s office or the New Hanover County Public Health Department.

Patrons and staff are allowed to return to the facility with a doctor’s note stating they are not contagious or after being symptom-free for at least 48 hours.

The following changes and procedures are in place:

The center will add no new in-person events to the calendar until further notice.
Current onsite classes and programs are still in operation. Offsite classes have been canceled until further notice.
Medicare lunch and learns have been canceled for March and April. Center staff is working on a Facebook Live or taped option to be posted to the Senior Resource Center web page.
Additional hand sanitizers have been placed at entrances, throughout the building, and on the transportation van.
Property management has increased disinfectant cleaning of all areas including wiping down commonly touched areas throughout the day and in between classes. Common areas of the facility will be cleaned with a disinfectant fogger machine on a weekly schedule or as needed.
Five days of shelf-stable meals are being prepared in the event they are needed for nutrition programs run through the center.
Non-essential group transportation outings have been canceled until further notice.
The center is exploring the option of taping some exercise classes such as Geri-fit that could be posted on the Senior Resource Center website or NHC TV for participants to view and participate in as an effort to minimize class size or for those unable to come to the center.