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Hello Everyone!

Welcome to our latest updates at Kamloops Seniors Village! What a month so far with the provincial fires and hot weather! But Good News is on the horizon as today is the day we have all been waiting for!! 

 Please be kind, please be patient, and please be understanding when you start arriving today, Monday, July 19, 2021 for visitations as we transition to the new updates as outlined below. We will continue to review the new process and make any necessary changes to it as it evolves. 


VISITATION UPDATES

In March 2020, all long-term care homes and assisted living communities faced one of the biggest challenges of a lifetime, COVID-19.  Strict restrictions were placed on all communities to protect residents during the pandemic.

This meant immense sacrifices by residents, families and staff, all in efforts to keep loved ones safe and healthy.

Due to this, and all the efforts made in the community as a whole, including high first dose immunized rates the government started the BC Restart Plan, of which we are now in Phase 3 as of July 1, 2021. The government has also given the “green light” on revising and easing restrictions on visitation practices at our communities.

The following are the new guidelines are effective on July 19, 2021:

The Provincial Health Office has provided additional guidance surrounding vaccinations:

When being screened, every visitor will be asked to show proof of full COVID-19 immunization for both doses every time you come to KSV, so please get in the habit of always carrying your immunization card.  Showing either the immunization record card or your digital immunization card through Health Gateway.

We have a revised screening form that you can request and fill out prior to your visit and then the screeners will need to view and confirm your immunization details upon arrival.

Thank you for your cooperation and understanding as we continue to work through these changes. We are looking forward to seeing and welcoming family back to the communities on a more regular basis.

Here is a brief summary of the new screening process:

  1. Visitors arrive at KSV, and provided a medical grade mask to be worn in ALL COMMON AREAS and to/from the tenant/resident’s suite
  2. Screening performed and temperature taken for all visitors
  3. Proof of Vaccination is Requested – provide proof of vaccination and documented on the new screening form
  4. Visitors to additionally ‘Sign In & Out” in our visitor log at the Main Reception lower desk counter. Signing OUT is crucial so we are aware who is in and out of our building in the event of an emergency
  5. We will be asking for support from family and friends when they are coming for their visits to go straight to the designated resident/tenant’s room they are visiting and leaving along the same accord. Common areas (excluding outside in the RC Courtyard) are still unavailable for visits at this time.
  6. Proceed to your loved one’s room without an escort and exit the building by 9 PM. Complex Care friends & families will be provided the door codes if needed to exit both the neighbourhood and foyer.
  7. Remember to SIGN OUT

Current Events: Recreation & Dining Programs

We are eagerly reviewing all the new changes to see how we can expand our recreation activities. Our teams are busily planning events for the upcoming BC Day long weekend.

We are also excited to tentatively be hosting the Hot Nite in the City Poker Run again on Friday, August 6, 2021 pending city event approval, as well as dependent on smoke free skies and safe weather temperatures. KSV becomes a stop along the Poker Run’s route for tenants and residents to enjoy seeing classic cars stroll our parking lot! We make a night of it with Root Beer floats, popcorn, & musical entertainment. Stay tuned for more details!


ASSISTED LIVING MAIL BOX DELIVERY

We are also excited that Canada Post has resumed mail delivery to the Assisted Living Mail Centre mail boxes as of Thursday, July 8, 2021. Therefore your loved one can now retrieve their mail once again from their assigned mail box. Their mail box number is equal to their suite number. Their key is the small key that was provided at move in. We have put signs up to communicate this change to our tenants, but in case they ask loved ones, please direct them to the mail centre and or come ask our team for assistance.


 KAMLOOPS THIS WEEK READER’S CHOICE 2021

VOTING IS NOW OPEN! Kamloops Seniors Village has humbly been acknowledged as the Best Seniors Home in Kamloops for the past 3 Years! This is a testament to our entire KSV Staff that take such good care of your loved ones, as they become part of our KSV Family! Let’s Make it 4 Years in a Row! Here is the Link to vote for all Categories – “Seniors Home” is under the Services. We appreciate your continued support.


VIRTUAL VISITS

Even with the changes in visitations, we are continuing to provide scheduled virtual visits for residents & tenants with families from afar. Please reach out to our recreation team by e-mail at ksv-rec@retirementconcepts.com or call 250.571.1806 to set up a time via Skype or FaceTime. We will be happy to confirm a date and time to connect you with your loved-one.


EXTREME WEATHER SAFETY

 We are so glad that the heat wave is over and we have returned to some ‘cooler’ seasonal temperatures. And now with the smoke advisory, we are happy to report our recent Air Scrubber machines are continuing to operate around the building to filter the incoming air and remove the smoke particles to keep our building safe and smoke free!

During hot weather, we ensure staff, tenants and residents keep all suite windows closed & curtains drawn enabling the air conditioning to work most efficiently. We also have put out reminders to stay hydrated, limit outside exposures during the hottest parts of the day, and wear a hat, sunglasses and light clothing if going outside. We wish everyone a safe week ahead!

For families that might plan to take residents/ tenants out during hot weather, we encourage limited sun & smoke exposure outdoors, especially between 10:00 AM and 4:00PM. If outings cannot be postponed, please encourage & ensure your loved one is donning of light- colored, loose clothing, and a hat outdoors.

Please pay close attention to how those around you feel. Watch for symptoms of heat illness, which include: • dizziness or fainting; • nausea or vomiting; • headache; • rapid breathing and heartbeat; • extreme thirst (dry mouth or sticky saliva); and • decreased urination. If you or your loved one experiences any of these symptoms during hot weather, immediately move to a cool place and drink liquids. Water is best!


EVACUATION PROTOCOL REMINDERS

 In light of the continued fire activity around Kamloops, we wanted to remind you all of our evacuation protocol in the event we have to evacuate due to a nearby interface fire. This evacuation is known as a “Code Green.” Luckily we ran through our Code Green drill recently back in May 2021 with our Independent-Assisted Living tenants and our staff in Complex Care, so the information is fresh in our minds.

We are required to evacuate the building when we are notified of an “Evacuation Alert”, due to the number of people that live at KSV. This will hopefully give us more time to evacuate residents to safety. We do not stay and wait for the “`Evacuation Order” which would greatly reduce the amount of time we have to leave the building.

Our tenants have a checklist on the back of their door of the items to bring with them – an overnight bag with a few days worth of clothing, personal care items, important documents/ID, valuables, medications, incontinence products, and if applicable, their pet in a pet carrier. Our Complex Care staff will pack the needed items for all residents in Full Care as we prepare to evacuate.

We will all muster by floor/neighbourhood and use our local arranged resources for transportation to our designated evacuation centre (wherever that may be based on the current fire situation). Emergency food, water, and care supplies will accompany each bus. For families that can accommodate their loved one are encouraged to pick up and go to your residence in the interim, we just need to track everyone’s destination. We of course would provide communication to all families of the evacuation and provide necessary daily updates.

We wish for everyone’s safety during this now too close to home fire season.


ANNOUNCEMENTS

 We are happy to report, we have successfully filled the role of the Therapeutic Recreation Manager (TRM) and are happy to be welcoming Kiara to our KSV Family.  Kiara comes to us from Ridgeview Lodge where she was also working as the Recreation Manager and so she is bringing her wealth of knowledge to share.  Pleases join me in making Kiara feel welcomed.  She starts her new position on July 26th.

As noted a few weeks ago, we are sad to reveal that our incredible General Manager, Lisa Robitaille, will be leaving KSV, but on a positive note, we just learned that Lisa will be extending her stay! She has happily agreed to continuing part time (3 days per week) to support our KSV team as we actively recruit a new General Manager to ensure as smooth of a transition as possible.


SOCIAL OUTINGS:

–        For those on Complex Care, if you would like to take your loved one out of the building we request:

o   A minimum of 2 hours’ notice to ensure that your loved one is set up for success for their outing.

o   Please contact the nurse on your loved one’s floor to arrange the outing, and then you can come into the building, be screened & personally take your loved one out. Remember to sign them out of their neighbourhood on the white board by the key pad.

–        For those on Independent-Assisted Living – remember tenants will need sign out prior to leaving for their outing and for extended visits, inform the AL team in the event they need medications

–        Tenants and Residents continue to no longer require isolation upon returning from outside visits as of April 1, 2021


Complex Care Family Council

Kamloops Seniors Village’s Family Council is made available to Family Members of Complex Care residents. We invite new resident’s families to join the council, participate in the meeting, and provide a voice for your loved one! Meetings are held on the 4th Monday of every month via ZOOM during COVID, excluding December July and August. The Zoom link and minutes are sent out the week prior. The meetings are self-directed by the families with KSV Leadership present for support. Our next meeting is in September as we hold no meetings in the summer.


Deliveries and Drop-offs:

All deliveries will continue to be received at the front desk and will be sanitized, bagged and we will call the tenants &/or resident care staff to come and pick up their items right away.  Please ensure you label all items with a name and room number to ensure all packages are received as quickly as possible.

For floral deliveries, please ensure there are no LILIES in the arrangement for allergy precautions.


Reminders for your loved one to Stay Safe:

Please help us by reminding each resident daily of the following four items:

  1. Practice social/physical distancing (6 feet apart) when required
  2. Perform proper Hand Hygiene (Wash hands frequently for 20 seconds with the alcohol-based sanitizer or soap and hot water) 20 seconds or greater is so important.
  3. Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth
  4. If exhibiting any symptoms (fever, cough and difficulty breathing) please alert staff immediately.

 We ask that families share this information with all parties you believe will be in contact with your loved one. We have all worked so hard together over the last year to keep COVID out of our building. Please remain diligent in your current practice to help keep our home a safe place.

Thank you all for your support and patience as we roll out this new visitation process.  If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to reach out.


SUPPORT & RESOURCES

As a caregiver, you are not alone and you what you do is incredible. As the Pandemic continues on, remember to take care of yourselves and get that much needed self-care and support.

Family CareGivers of BC and Provincial Agencies such as the Alzheimer’s Society have great resources and workshops to handle your loved ones diagnosis & offer support. Family CareGivers of BC also has a Caregiver Support Line for emotional support at 1-877-520-3267, Monday to Friday, 8:30 am – 7:00 pm.