Our campus – like so many other parts of the greater Asheville area – has been severely impacted by Hurricane Helene. We are currently without standard electricity, water or internet and cell communication is sporadic. We have full generator power for our community center and health care areas, and our nursing and dining teams are doing an outstanding job of delivering care within all healthcare spaces, allowing us to have some sense of “normal” in a situation that is anything but.
Within independent living, we are using the Community Center as a hub of information and socialization, and we are distributing written updates twice daily to all residences to keep information flowing. We have hot meal service provided by dining once per day, and have been doing personal water distribution each day. Our food supplier is providing replenishments, and we are navigating all of these challenges using our disaster planning protocols. While our situation is far from ideal, our remarkable staff and our resilient residents are coming together with grace, care and good humor. Each day, we’re seeing more and more staff return to work, and we’re welcoming them back with hugs and tears of relief while we still await news from so many others.
We are deeply grateful for the care, concern and prayers of so many, and will provide additional updates as conditions improve. We are doing daily updates on the Deerfield Facebook page and encourage you to follow that site for more frequent updates and information. In the meantime, please know that Deerfield is doing what Deerfield does best – joining together as one community with great heart and care.
Faith E. Perkins, SPHR, SHRM-SCP (she/her/hers)
Chief Human Resources Officer
Deerfield Episcopal Retirement Community
1617 Hendersonville Road
Asheville, NC 28803
My phone number is 828-210-4513 (but email is always the best way to reach me)