Hello Everyone:

We hope you are all staying safe and healthy!

We are happy to again report NO RESIDENTS or staff are presenting COVID-19 signs or symptoms at Kamloops Seniors Village. However, we recognize that this is an anxious time for you and your families, and we hope that by sending out bi-weekly updates, we can provide some reassurance to you on the care of your loved-one.

Should the status of Kamloops Seniors Village change in any respect, please know that we will immediately contact families.

Protocols

We are following the direction of our public health officials to the letter and have full infection prevention and control precautions in place. Staff continue to monitor residents closely and are ensuring the following protocols are being adhered to:

• restricting ALL visitors from the premises
• ensuring no staff member is working in multiple facilities
• staff are working strictly within an assigned unit and not multiple units
• all staff and leadership are removing outside clothing and footwear before entering the premises
• staff and leadership are screened for their temperature upon entrance to the building, and midway through their shift
• social and physical distancing is occurring among residents in each facility, including during mealtimes
• appropriate application and removal of personal protective equipment (PPE), and the use of individual slings (cloth component of a personal lift).
• ensuring ongoing, environmental cleaning and increased frequency of high touch surfaces in order to break the chain of infection
• staff and residents are committed to regular/proper hand hygiene to break the chain of infection, by washing their hands with soap and water and applying hand sanitizer.

Recreation Program

The Recreation staff are conducting one on one visits throughout the day and encouraging physical distancing practices.  Recreation staff are also supplying the residents with self-directed activities such as Word Searches, Crosswords, colouring pages and books so they have activities to enjoy in their free time.  Again, please remind and motivate your loved ones to participate in these different activities. We are also providing scheduled Skype visits for residents.  Please reach out to Erica Buckingham, Recreation Manager by e-mail at ebuckingham@retirementconcepts.com  or call 250.571.2958 to set up a time to Skype. We will be happy to confirm a date and time to connect you with your loved-one.

Dining Room

Lunch and dinner for both Independent Living and Assisted Living residents will continue to be served directly to the suites by Food Services staff.  Freshly baked muffins, scones and snacks, as well as fresh fruit and coffee will continue to be available for pickup throughout the day and early evening by Food Services staff from the Private Dining Room. All pickups will adhere to strict social distancing measures for the health and safety of all residents and staff.

Deliveries and Drop-offs:

All deliveries will be received at the front desk. This includes non-perishables, groceries, medications, gifts. All items will be sanitized, bagged and placed in quarantine for 72 hours before they receive it.   Our General Store remains open and well stocked with items to meet the needs of our residents. Specific requests can be made at the front desk and we will endeavour to meet these needs as well.

Dropping items off: We would ask that families please follow these guidelines as we know you want your parent or loved one to get their deliveries in a timely manner.

1. Please use plastic bags, no reusable bags
2. Make sure to label all bags with resident name and room number
3. Try to limit drop offs to essential items – as we are inundated with drop-offs.
4. Please sanitize, if possible, the items before dropping off. We will re-sanitize as well to be safe.

Reminders for your loved one to Stay Safe:

Again, the following four points are so critical to discuss with your loved ones. Please help us by reminding each resident daily of the following four items:

1. Practice social distancing (6 feet apart)
2. Perform proper Hand Hygiene (Wash hands frequently for 20 seconds with the alcohol-based sanitizer or soap and hot water) 20 second 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.

The staff and leadership team are continuing to plan creative ways to bring joy and smiles to the face of residents by providing special delivery items, and always take the time to chat with those who are just needing a little visit.

We want to thank everyone for their cooperation and patience during this difficult period.