COVID-19 Response

(Current as of March 19, 2020 at 6:00 PM) 

The Gunning Park Recreation Center, which houses the Rose Center for Aging Well at Gunning Park, closed on March 17th. Any Rose Center participants who were scheduled to pick up meals at the Gunning center will now receive their meals through home delivery. Gunning participants with questions about meal delivery should  contact Abbey Carney at (216) 373-1735 or email RCAW@benrose.org.
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(Current as of March 17, 2020 at 10:30 AM)

Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging headquarters are currently closed to outside visitors until further notice. 

We are committed to continuing to provide essential services to the older adults we serve during this unexpected public health crisis impacting our most vulnerable populations. However, we have made adjustments to provide those services remotely whenever possible.

If you have questions or concerns, or need access to services, please call (216) 791-8000 or email info@benrose.org. 
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(Current as of March 16, 2020 at 3:00 PM)

Mental Health Day Treatment
Last week, we had restricted visitors, volunteers and students from our Mental Health Day Treatment Program to minimize potential exposure to participants. We had hoped to continue to provide this vital service to ensure continued therapeutic benefits to our clients. However, in light of urgent calls for social distancing and with the health and safety of our clients in mind, we have decided to temporarily close the Mental Health Day Treatment Program effective Tuesday, March 17th until further notice.

Volunteer Income Tax Assistance
ESOP has received direction from our partners in the Cuyahoga EITC Coalition that the Volunteer Income Tax Assistance (VITA) program is temporarily suspended, effective immediately, and will resume operations as soon as it is deemed safe and responsible.
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(Current as of March 15, 2020 at 5:00 PM) 

At Benjamin Rose, we continue to track the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) situation daily, offering standing guidance and regular updates to staff, clients, participants and residents. We will continue that practice. However, with the disease now established in Ohio, we are intensifying our institutional response.

We need to make prudent choices to protect the health of our own community and the broader communities we belong to, while still providing essential services to our most vulnerable populations.

Programs and Services of Benjamin Rose and its subsidiaries are impacted as follows:   

Rose Centers for Aging Well
All Rose Center sites closed following congregate lunch on Friday, March 13th, and will remain closed until further notice. All individuals who participate in the congregate meal program at a Rose Center location will have the choice to pick up their meal at the Rose Center or have their meal delivered to their home. These arrangements must be made directly with the Rose Center the older adult attends. There will be no change in the service of our existing home-delivered meal program at this time.

Behavioral Health Services
There will be no change in service at this time. We will stratify client risk and begin pre-visit screening and converting to telephone visits where applicable.  

Adult Day Program 
Last week, we had restricted visitors, volunteers and students from our Adult Day Program to minimize potential exposure to participants and implemented many of the recommended protocols from the state regarding nursing homes and COVID-19. We had hoped to continue to provide adult day services to ensure continued therapeutic benefits to our clients. However, in light of the expanded restrictions on public gatherings in the state of Ohio and with the health and safety of our high-risk clients in mind, we have decided to temporarily close the Adult Day Program effective Monday, March 16th until further notice. 

Mental Health Day Treatment Program
There will be no changes in services at this time; these programs have been identified as critical therapeutic services for the benefit of the client. However, we are restricting visitors, volunteers and students to the program to minimize potential exposure to participants. 

Margaret Wagner Apartments 
There will be no changes in service at this time. We are restricting visitors to minimize potential exposure to residents.   

Empowering and Strengthening Ohio’s People

• Financial Counseling, Housing Counseling, LIFEPOP, Outreach and Benefits Assessments will be done with clients virtually by telephone and email.  
• Homebuyers’ Education Classes: March classes are cancelled. We are working on ways to deliver these classes remotely in April.  
• Volunteer Income Tax Assistance: No additional appointments are being scheduled for VITA at this time.   
• ESOP Realty: We are suspending realty showings and listings until further notice. 
• Financial Education Workshops: We are cancelling financial education workshops at this time.   

Senior Companion Program
We will suspend our monthly in-service and convert to a telephone call with volunteers for March. Volunteers will not be permitted to attend service sites. Face-to-face visits of volunteers will be converted to a wellness telephone call.

All other programs and services that are not mentioned above have no change in service delivery.
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(Current as of March 12, 2020 at 11:45 AM)

At Benjamin Rose Institute on Aging, we are committed to advancing support for older adults and caregivers, including sharing reliable information and ensuring continued care for the clients we serve. We are staying current with the latest information regarding the spread of Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) provided by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Ohio Department of Health (ODH). 

Currently, all programs and services of Benjamin Rose and subsidiaries ESOP and Rose Centers for Aging remain open.

Any changes in programming, operations or closure will be shared on this page, through our social media accounts on Facebook and Twitter, and in media announcements.

Visiting Benjamin Rose

If you visit one of our locations, we ask that you remain mindful of the CDC’s recommendations for slowing the spread of COVID-19:

• Stay home when you are sick, except to get medical care;
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick;
• Avoid touching your face, especially your eyes, nose and mouth, with unwashed hands;
• Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash;
• Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.  
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing or sneezing;
• If soap and water are not readily available, use a hand sanitizer that contains at least 60% alcohol

If you are at high-risk of developing complications from COVID-19 because of respiratory disease or other medical conditions, the CDC recommends the following actions:

• Take everyday precautions to keep space between yourself and others.
• When you go out in public, keep away from others who are sick, limit close contact and wash your hands often.
• Avoid crowds as much as possible.
• Avoid cruise travel and non-essential air travel.
• During the COVID-19 outbreak, stay home as much as possible to further reduce your risk of being exposed.