Hello Everyone!

Welcome to our latest updates at Kamloops Seniors Village! What A Week It Has Been Here in Kamloops, from the ‘natural’ fireworks show on Canada Day prompting some unnerving hours for neighbourhoods and rural areas, to the extreme hot weather, to more thunderstorms. We are thankful to our City Firefighters and the BC Wildfire Service for their efforts on the surrounding fires and efforts to keep our community neighbours safe!

 We also wanted to let you though that we will be extending our weekly newsletter through the summer and fire season to keep everyone updated and will reassess in the fall once the province moves into Step 4 of the Restart Plan. We appreciate our KSV Family’s feedback and are delighted that you all enjoy these weekly notices!

We are continuing to follow the direction of our provincial Health Officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry. Current BC Provincial Medical Health Orders can be found here.

In regards to BC’s Restart Plan-Phase 3 & yesterday’s announcement from Dr. Bonnie Henry & Minister Dix, we will update families of any policy changes upon receiving written confirmation from the Interior Health Authority.

The only written update we have received from the Health Authority is that the Medical Grade Masks policy is still in effect even with changes in mask guidance for other public indoor settings. Therefore, masks are still required in Health Care Settings and visitors must wear a medical grade mask at all times until further changes are confirmed.

Current Events: Recreation & Dining Programs

Our recreation team continues to do a great job – for Assisted Living, we have resumed weekly shopping trips and for Complex Care, we have resumed special luncheons from their favourite take out places, of course in small groups and following current guidelines.

Next week our Complex Care residents are looking forward to Hawaiian Socials, a Scenic Drive, and the musical stylings of the Outback Girls in the RC Courtyard (weather & smoke dependant). Our Assisted Living tenants will be enjoying Strange Brew as entertainment next week as well as a Scenic Drive!

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

We are continuing to provide scheduled virtual visits for residents & tenants. 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. We sincerely appreciate everyone for their patience as we navigated through the heat wave and getting our HVAC system working to its optimal usage. We are thankful for the recent drop in temperatures that should enable our systems to now run at a prime capacity.

And now with the smoke advisory, we are happy to report we have just received some Air Scrubber machines that you will see around the building to filter the incoming air and remove the smoke particles to keep our building safe and smoke free!

With the recent hot temperatures, we ensured 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, 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 recent 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.

VISITATION UPDATES

Effective Monday, July 5, 2021, there are some changes to our visitation parameters:

• Visitor escorts will no longer be required within Kamloops Seniors Village permitting visits to be longer, with visitation times ending at 8 PM
• Visitors will be still be required to complete the current COVID screening and temperature checks
• Visitors will now be required to additionally ‘Sign In & Out” in our visitor log at the Main Reception desk. Signing OUT is crucial so we are aware who is in and out of our building in the event of an emergency
• 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.
• We will continue to book visits to control the amount of people in our building in a day
• *Please note, Masks are still required inside KSV as the recent announced guidelines were for non-health care settings

CURRENT VISITATION GUIDELINES

Here is a summary of the “In Building” social visitation guidelines as of April 1, 2021:

• All residents will be allowed regular, frequent, and routine opportunities for social visitation
• Number of visits per day to the community will be designed to continue to meet operational health and safety requirements in keeping with the sanitization and screening guidelines.
• Additional family and friends can now visit through appointments booked in advance for in building social visits.
• The number of visitors has been expanded, allowing up to two visitors, plus a child (defined as 18 or younger) at any one time;
• Visits will be supported in the resident’s room, a designated visiting space, or on outings with no requirement for isolation afterwards. On outings, residents will be offered a mask before exiting
• Visitors will be asked only to visit with one resident at a time, and to limit their group activities.
• Physical contact—including hugging—will be allowed, provided visitors wear a mask and follow proper infection control procedures (e.g. hand hygiene and cough etiquette)

• Social visitation will be suspended during outbreaks and enhanced monitoring periods
• Essential and compassionate visitation remains in place and any resident who requires this is supported
• Should any family member not adhere to the safety parameters that we have in place, they will be asked to leave.

We ask families and residents to keep in mind the following requirements:

DO’s

• Pre-Book your “In Building” social visits. Social visitation still requires advanced booking
• All visitors will continue to be screened upon arrival for signs of illness. If there are any concerns in regards to COVID-19 symptoms the visitor may not be permitted.
• Wear Medical Grade Masks & practice frequent hand hygiene. A new mask and hand sanitizer will be provided at the entrance and visitors must don a mask and perform hand hygiene.
• Sanitize your hands, belongings, and gathering spaces frequently. Strict adherence to Infection Prevention & Control practices are essential.
• Keep your mask on at all times while in the building throughout the entirety of their visit and are asked to frequently perform hand hygiene
• Recommend to follow current Medical Health and Emergency Plan Orders. Stay in your home community as Medical Health Order states to limit travel for medical and essential travel only
• Limit your visits to one care home per day to ensure limited cross contamination
• Arrive no earlier than 5 minutes prior to your “in building” visit due to the higher amounts of people in our building
• Wait for an Escort. Escorts to and from visits are still required. If you would like to leave prior to the end of your 60 minute visit we will provide you with contact information upon arrival to connect with the screeners to ensure you have an escort out of the building.
• Take Your loved one out for SOCIAL OUTINGS on our KSV Grounds for example if you are unable to make an ‘in building’ social visit
• Please let us know if you need to cancel or change your in house/in building visit to an outing instead as we do have a waitlist

DON’T’s

• Please don’t come if you’re not feeling well. Visitors are asked to stay home if they are feeling unwell.
• Visitors, DO NOT Remove your mask at any point during your visit.
• Visitors cannot partake in any food or drink as masks must remain on at all times, however you can still bring a treat for your loved one to enjoy.
• Visits will not be permitted in common spaces such as the dining room, Bistro, on the back deck or in any other common resident spaces.
• Please don’t book an “In Building” Social Visit for outings

SOCIAL OUTINGS:

• For those on Complex Care, if you would like to take your loved one out of the building we request:
  • A minimum of 2 hours’ notice to ensure that your loved one is set up for success for their outing. A Pre-Booked Social Visit appointment through Carollyn is not required for an outing
  • Please contact the nurse on your loved one’s floor to arrange the outing.
• 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

WINDOW VISITS

With the warming weather, Window Visits are a great alternative for larger family visits. Window Visits are continuing with the same following guidelines:

1. Please plan visits with a limit of up to 6 people (Window Visits only)
2. No open windows, please use telephones
3. For all residents in Complex Care, window visits can still be safely scheduled and supported through the care staff.
4. Contact your loved one’s nurse to facilitate the window visit.

“In Building” Social Visitation Scheduling Reminders:

• The July 2021 Visitation Schedule is underway. “In Building” Social Visits can still be scheduled every 7-10 days depending on availability within our visitation hours.
• Email is the preferred method for these reservations. Please submit visitor requests to Carollyn Anderson at canderson@retirementconcepts.com
• We must know 48 hours prior to the scheduled visit, the names of all persons who will be attending that visit. We ask that you contact Carollyn to confirm this information.
• The monthly schedule opens on the 15^th of each month for the following month. Email Carollyn with requested date(s) for visitation which are filled on a ‘first come, first served’ basis and allow 72 hours for reply. A waitlist will be set up for cancellations.
• A reminder, visits still MUST be booked every month, there are no standing visits for the same time slot month to month
• At this time, time slots will be booked in one hour time slots to operationally support the safe visit parameters.
• Should you need to cancel your visit, please let us know, as we have a waitlist for most dates
• We ask that our resident/tenant families give your very best effort in reducing community outings 14 days prior to your scheduled visit and be mindful & aware of your immediate bubble to keep your loved ones safe
• New Screening Process: There is a new form to be completed at the time of every visit.
  • We will check and document your temperature upon arrival. The reason for the additional information is due to contact tracing now that we have more visitors.  Every individual visiting, aside from young children must complete the screening questionnaire.  Small children can be added to one of the adult’s forms.
  • Please ensure you have your vehicle license plate (if applicable) ready when you arrive for your visit, as it is required on the new screening form

You, as family members play a key role in the continuing success of this Visitation Plan.  As we all work together to closely follow Health Authority protocols,

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.