Presidential Pondering’s

I think we can all agree that 2021 was not a fun year, and so we are looking forward to a better 2022. In December, our vaccination mandate for staff went into effect. As I predicted, a fair amount of staff ultimately decided to receive the vaccination, while about 20 remained on the payroll via a medical or religious exemption. Others just decided to resign and either retire or seek employment elsewhere. We are hopeful that 2022 will be a year in which we can now go forward and rebuild our depleted staff.

There are several reasons to be optimistic about the prospects for 2022. In addition to the Covid-19 vaccines that became available in 2021, we should very shortly have treatments in hand for Covid-19. A new medication (in the form of a pill) from Pfizer has been shown to greatly reduce hospitalizations and deaths for those who are infected by the coronavirus. Much like Tamiflu does for the seasonal influenza, this new medication promises to make Covid-19 a manageable disease for most of us. That should help to ease the incredible pressure on health care facilities who are now overwhelmed by Covid-19 patients. Combined with the well-recognized efficacy of covid vaccines, we now have some hope for a return to normalcy in 2022.

Closer to home, Londonderry Village is optimistic that we will be able to finally move forward with our Fox Run expansion. The long delays in getting site plan approvals appear to be resolving, and “dirt should be flying” in the near future. The real estate market has stayed very strong, and we have been experiencing a brisk pace of sales for the independent living homes on the current campus. We think this will continue throughout 2022. Another positive event will take place when our new solar panel arrays start generating “green” electricity in the Spring of 2022. Pray for sunny days!

I would just like to thank all of the residents, staff, volunteers and family members who have been so very understanding and supportive as Londonderry Village navigates its way through the pandemic and the shifts in the labor markets. Your kindnesses have been appreciated more than you will ever know.

Jeff Shireman, President