Libby Bortz Assisted Living Among Senior-Living Facilities Affected By COVID-19
Image via Juliette Collinson
The main entrance and walkway of the Libby Bortz Assisted Living Center. The bricks on the sidewalk provide the names of many different people, perhaps people who have departed or people who helped this center come to life. March 5, 2019
Arapahoe Community College has taken necessary precautions to keep students and faculty safe during the global pandemic caused by COVID-19. The state of Colorado currently has 5,172 cases and 150 deaths in total. Currently, ACC does not have any known confirmed cases. On April 4, Colorado Public Radio News reported that “27 senior-living facilities in Colorado had at least one case of COVID-19.” Among those facilities is Libby Bortz Assisted Living, named after the renowned member of the ACC Foundation Board of Directors, Libby Bortz, in honor of her lifetime of service and volunteering to the Littleton Housing Authority and the community.
Located in Littleton, Colo., the facility opened in 1994 as an affordable assisted living option for seniors with 111 assisted living apartments. CPR confirmed through the Tri-County Health Department that four people from Libby Bortz Assisted Living have died from COVID-19. The facility is currently closed to the public to reduce the spread of the virus within the community.
The Center for Disease Control has stated that adults over the age of 60 and people of any age with underlying medical conditions might be at higher risk for severe illness from COVID-19. Arapahoe County has 652 confirmed cases, the second-highest in cases after Denver County with 847.
Governor Jared Polis has called for a state-wide Stay Home Order until April 11 2020 unless rescinded or modified by further Executive Order. This is an effort to help flatten the curve of cases in the state and prevent our health care system from collapsing. Coloradans are also encouraged to wash their hands, practice social distancing, stay home unless it is for essential activities and to wear a cloth that covers their nose and mouth recently recommended by the CDC.
Juana is a first-generation American and first-generation college student. She was born and raised in Texas and moved to Colorado in 2018. Juana is a sophomore at Arapahoe Community College working toward an Associates of Arts in Communications...
Danielle Staples • Apr 7, 2020 at 12:34 pm
Thank you for the update, Juana. I am sure the choice to close to the public was a difficult one for the administration at Libby Bortz, but I am happy to see them prioritizing the protection of this at-risk population.