Daily Communication Update – Nov 13

There is no change in status today. Only one staff has tested positive, and there are no new cases.

All residents and staff in our SLU unit are currently being swabbed as a safety precaution measure only.  All residents in our SLU unit have also been asked to quarantine in their rooms until we have received the swabs results.  Tray service will be provided during this time.  This should take no longer than 2 or 3 days.

Until advised by the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) and the Alberta Health Services (AHS) Outbreak Management team, we remain on outbreak status.  We continue to operate under our outbreak protocols, monitor the situation very closely, and meet regularly with the MOH and the AHS Outbreak Management team.

To ensure we are doing everything possible to prevent any spread of the virus, the following precautions remain in place:

• Staff and resident movement between the Safe Living Unit (SLU) and Supportive Living is restricted. Residents will eat on their floor and staff will use a separate entrance/exit and be screened there.
• Asymptomatic residents on our Supportive Living side are NOT isolated to their rooms, and can eat in the dining room with appropriate physical distancing.
• Residents are being screened twice daily to ensure early detection of COVID-19 symptoms.
• Neighborhood huddles with the team are occurring twice per shift. The huddle’s focus is to be proactive in identifying signs and symptoms and ensuring resident care needs are being met.
• If any residents or staff display symptoms, they will receive immediate attention. The resident will be put on contact and droplet isolation. A swab will be taken, and the resident’s family will be notified.
• All group recreation activities are discontinued, and alternative approaches for engaging and socializing residents to support their well-being are being used.
• Community outings with residents are strongly discouraged at this time.

Please note: If we have confirmed cases of the respiratory flu, those residents will be on contact and droplet isolation.

• Visits with residents can continue, but only with the designated family/support persons and/or essential visitors.

A designated family/support persons and/or essential visitor is defined as:

1. The resident’s decision maker (agent), a family member, friend or companion.
2. Visits where the resident’s quality of life and/or care needs cannot be met without the designated essential visitor’s assistance.
3. The designated essential visitor may enter and can approve others, including the resident’s family, their religious leader(s), a child (under 18 years of age must be accompanied by an adult), and their friends to enter, so long as only up to two visitors enter the facility at a time and must remain in the resident’s room.

Please call the reception at 403-207-2929 to book your essential visit and to provide a list of designated family/support persons and/or essential visitors to add to our tracking list.

• Staff continue to practice physical distancing and wear Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) in accordance with the guidance of AHS and the MOH. As an added precaution, we have provided all staff with eye protection or a face shield to wear with their surgical/medical mask.
• Enhanced cleaning and disinfecting procedures to prevent the potential spread are in place.
• Staff continue to be screened before every shift and will self-screen during their working hours.

Thank you for all your support.