Senior Choice at Home members joined Gulf Coast Village residents in receiving their first doses of Pfizer’s COVID-19 vaccine last Wednesday.

Through a partnership with Walgreens, Volunteers of America – sponsors of Gulf Coast Village and Senior Choice at Home – was able to secure vaccines at no cost to residents and members. Each person was assigned appointment times to eliminate the potential for long waits.

“We have gone through an incredible journey since March 12,” said Kevin Ahmadi, area director of operations for Volunteers of America. “We have done an amazing job mitigating the risk, keeping the virus out of our community and away from our residents.”

Gulf Coast Village was among the first senior communities in Florida to restrict campus access and implement new safety protocols, which included sanitization procedures, employee health screenings and requirements for wearing personal protective equipment.

The latest step was securing vaccines for all residents and members.

Lois Faulkner was the first Senior Choice at Home member to receive the vaccine on Wednesday, saying the process was both smooth and pain-free.

“We’ve been wanting to get the vaccine primarily to be safe, to be able to go see our family sometime,” Faulkner said.

An hour later, Diane Wolfe became the first Gulf Coast Village resident to be vaccinated. She receives her annual flu shot when Walgreens makes house calls to the community, and knew that strong relationship would help bring the COVID-19 vaccine to Gulf Coast Village. Wolfe said she’s remained in good health during the pandemic because the community has been vigilant about resident and staff safety.

“As careful as we have been here, I was not worried that I was going to get sick,” Wolfe said.

Founded in 1989, Gulf Coast Village a Continuing Care Retirement Community in Cape Coral. Residents enjoy active living in a lifestyle of comfort and convenience with an array of services and amenities that are focused on living well.

The community offers a full continuum of care, including independent living, assisted living, specialized memory support, skilled nursing, home health, rehabilitation services and Senior Choice at Home, a continuing care at home program. Gulf Coast Village is located at 1333 Santa Barbara Blvd., Cape Coral, FL 33991.

For more information, call 239-772-1333 or visit GulfCoastVillage.com.