Update (March 18, 2020): Effective 5:00 p.m. today our senior living communities will not be accepting visitors. This was not an easy decision to make however our primary goal is to protect the health and well-being of our seniors.
We will continue to make every possible effort to provide the resources for residents to stay in contact with their loved ones, we are supplying all of our retirement communities with iPad's so that residents can communicate virtually with families.
Please continue to be vigilante and ensure precautions are taken when interacting with vulnerable sectors and immune-compromised groups. If you are concerned or notice symptoms you can visit www.811healthline.ca to self assess.
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Update (March 14, 2020): Infection prevention and control measures are in place at all Eastern Health sites to limit the spread of respiratory illness, including COVID-19. We ask that only one visitor meet with a resident at a time between 8:00 a.m. and 8:00 p.m. Also, please refrain from visiting more than one resident per visit. We will not be accepting visitors before 8:00 a.m. or after 8:00 p.m.
To help reduce the spread of illness, please:
• Wash your hands before and after visiting your loved ones.
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Our team has been taking precautionary measures to ensure that our communities are prepared in response to COVID-19. Although we have no cases of the Novel Coronavirus we have implemented company wide policies and procedures to ensure the health and safety of our residents.
COVID-19 has become a global concern, the World Health Organisation (WHO) have declared the virus a pandemic as of March 11. We ask all visitors of our communities to work with us by following our guidelines to ensure everyone’s safety.
Below you will find our action plan detailing how we plan to keep our homes safe.
Supply of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE): We’ve ensured our homes have an adequate stock of emergency outbreak supplies. This includes essential items such as: gowns, masks, gloves, hand sanitiser, disinfectants, extra supply of food, and other essential items.
Precautionary Notices: Our communities have posted notices indicating proper hand washing and sanitising procedures along with information highlighting universal precautions, these include quarantining when sick, containing coughs and sneezes, and avoiding touching eyes, mouth, and nose in public situations.
A step-by-step guide on what to do if you think you may have been exposed to COVID-19 has been provided to staff for reference.
Access to Essential Contacts: We’ve posted contact information to essential sources within our homes, these include Centre for Disease Control (CDC), Regional Health Authorities (RHA), Continuing Care Nurse (CCN), as well as local hospitals, physicians, clinics, and other health departments.
Travel Restrictions: Most non-essential appointments have been rescheduled or postponed.
Monitoring Public Notices and Releases: We're ensuring our staff stay updated on government notices so that each home remains as informed as possible.
Staff Training: All of our managers are hosting mandatory staff training on precautions, symptoms, protection for at-risk individuals, and proper ways to use personal protective equipment.
Community Monitoring: All team members are tasked with monitoring homes for signs or symptoms of the influenza like illness.
Self Containing: All staff have been notified to stay home if any flu-like symptoms are present
Communication: Staff are communicating with families of residents to ensure next of kin are informed about the health of their loved one.
Visitor Restrictions: Events within the home have been limited. Visitors are allowed into the building as long as they don’t fall into the risk category.
Notice to Visitors: Notices have been posted in key areas of our buildings informing the public to refrain from entering the home for a 14-day period if they have any influenza like symptoms, have recently travelled outside the province, or have been in contact with anyone exposed to the virus.
Our commitment to our residents is to provide the best care that we can, we are doing everything possible to ensure that proper protocols and procedures are being followed to secure the health and safety of our communities throughout this time.
Please feel free to contact us if you have any concerns.
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