Updated Monday, March 16. Most recent information is in red.
A Message from Karen Ripper, President and CEO
As you are likely aware, the Council on Aging of Martin County suspended all active senior programming at the Kane Center for the week of March 9 through 13 to give us time to put a screening process in place for flu and COVID-19 (coronavirus). We have already been able to implement this screening process for our adult day program and the Day Medical Center. These services are open, though the adult day program is now operating at a limited capacity, per the latest CDC guidelines. We are also still delivering Meals on Wheels and caring for our Care Management clients.
On March 11, under the direction of Gov. Ron DeSantis, Florida Division of Emergency Management Director Jared Moskowitz issued an Emergency Order restricting visitation to nursing homes, assisted living facilities (ALFs), adult family-care homes, long-term care facilities and adult group homes. Though the Kane Center is not a residential facility, we will operate under the guidelines of this order because we provide services for the same cohort of the population through the adult day center, the Day Medical Center and Meals on Wheels. It is of the utmost importance that we exercise extreme caution for the foreseeable future to ensure our most vulnerable clients are still able to receive these essential services and not inadvertently be exposed to infection.
Beginning Monday, March 16, we will have a screening process in place for a very limited number of clients, visitors, volunteers and staff to access our Town Center and Langford Theater areas. All active senior programming including fitness classes, Games & Groups, lectures, concerts, special events, classes and workshops are on hold until further notice.
The screening process will consist of a temperature check using an infra-red thermometer and completing a questionnaire. If you have a temperature of 100 or greater and/or or if you answer “Yes” to any of the questions, we ask that you please refrain from entering the building. Information about the Florida Department of Health’s COVID-19 website and information hotline are available on the questionnaire. I strongly suggest that you contact your primary care provider or the Health Department for information if you have answered “Yes” to any of the questions, especially if you also have a fever.
Questionnaires will be available upon your arrival, but to save time, click here to access a copy and complete answers to most of the questions ahead of time. You can also access the questionnaire on the homepage of our website www.kanecenter.org. You will only need to complete the paper questionnaire once, unless your answers change during the period we are performing the screenings. Your temperature will be checked upon each visit.
Our Case Manager Navigator is still available to seniors and families of seniors who are in crisis or are in need of essential services. Please call ahead, 772-223-7845. The Navigator will try to handle as much as possible over the phone. If you do need to come in for a face-to-face meeting with her, you must follow the screening guidelines listed above.
The following programs are canceled:
- Free Movie
- Tales of Old Florida Lecture Series
- iPad and iPhone Classes (Courses are canceled for March/April 2020.)
- Line Dancing (Course is canceled for March/April 2020.)
- Powerful Tools for Caregivers (Course is canceled through April 7.)
The following programs remain on hold through at least Friday, March 27:
- Fitness Classes: Zumba Gold, Senior Fitness, Tai Chi & Chair Yoga
- Games & Groups: Pinochle, Bridge, Poker, Cribbage, Canasta, Knitting, Euchre, Chess, Mah Jong & Kane Readers
- Spanish, French and Italian Workshops
- Brain Fitness
- Caregiver Support Groups
- Coffee for Caregivers
- Parkinson’s Exercise Class
- SHINE
- Florida Rural Legal Services
A note about concerts and special events. All concerts, fundraisers and special events scheduled through April 17 are postponed (see full list below). We are working to reschedule these events for later in the year. If you are a current ticket holder or have already registered for an event, you will be notified by phone of any developments. Please also check our website and Facebook pages for further updates.
- Sage Awards - Rescheduled for Thursday, November 19
- Rat Pack Universe - Rescheduled for Friday, July 10
- Stuart Community Concert Band
- Family Caregiver Workshop
- Tribute to James Taylor - Rescheduled for Sunday, June 7
- Parkinson's Power
If you feel any doubt about whether you should participate in our programs due to symptoms of illness or possible exposure, we ask that you please err on the side of caution and abstain from visiting the Kane Center, unless it is for a medical appointment at the Day Medical Center.
We thank you for your patience and cooperation during this time. We are taking this crisis seriously and reassessing our strategy on a daily basis as local, national and international events continue to unfold. We will continue to update you as often and as quickly as possible.
