Good Afternoon,
We are happy to report there is no signs or symptoms of COVID-19 at Selkirk Seniors Village. This weekend every father, grandfather, uncle, and man at Selkirk Seniors Village received a sweet treat in light of Father’s Day, delivered by our recreation team. On Sunday there was a delicious roast beef dinner complete with apple pie. A big thank you to our recreation team who made every effort to ensure each father felt appreciated and special this weekend. This is usually a holiday spent with the men we love, so I also wanted to thank each of you who were respectful and understanding of the restrictions in place.
This week, Bonnie Henry said health authorities are working with the sector to make sure that when the time is right, everybody has the guidance they need to have visits resume. “It’s trying to get everybody to the same approach,” Henry said. B.C currently has seven active outbreaks, six are in in long-term care homes and one in hospital.
Those outbreaks highlight the fact that seniors are the most vulnerable to serious illness from COVID-19, Henry said Thursday. “If the virus gets into those [long-term-care] settings, it can spread undetected very rapidly, and that has led to so much of the tragedy that we have seen with deaths from this virus.”
Allowing more people into long-term care homes increases the risk that somebody will inadvertently introduce the virus into a care setting, she said. Selkirk Seniors Village must follow the direction from the MHO and the health authority, therefore we continue to enforce a strict no visitor rule (with the exception of essential visits) but we understand how hard this is.
Selkirk is allowing other health professionals to provide service (such as Foot Care, private OT/PT, etc.) and it is going well. These professionals are asked to come to only one site per day, to inform us of what day they will be on site, and are following strict Infection Control Protocols. If you have questions regarding these visits, please contact either Liam Brown, Director of Care, at 250-940-1028 x 1103 or Natasha Fearnley, Assistant Director of Care, at 250-940-1028 x 1106. Selkirk Seniors Village is also changing to 1x weekly Covid-19 update letters, starting next week. If you have any questions feel free to reach out.
Should the status of our community change in any respect, please know that we will immediately inform all resident’s and tenant’s families/most responsible person.
Selkirk Seniors Village is fortunate to have a COVID-19 Coach provided by the Island Health Authority. This coach is on site Monday- Friday providing us with ongoing education and support, as well as being a great resource for all things COVID-19 related.
Please see the Transport Infection Control Requirements below for situations where a transport service is used, or if you decide to transport your loved one yourself. This applies to both Complex Care as well as Assisted Living:
| RESIDENT/TENANT | TRANSPORT SERVICE | DRIVER | ||
| 1) Be screened by the nurse or greeter prior to the trip and prior to returning to the floor 2) Comply with strict hand hygiene: Soap and water for at least 20 seconds (required when hands visibly soiled) and/or Hand sanitizer 3) Wear a surgical mask during transport 4) Comply with using transport as mechanism to get to/from medical appointments; must not ask transport to stop in between trips for social or other purposes (ie: cannot stop for coffee or to shop) | 1) Pre-screen calls to all passengers prior to transport 2) Must transport only 1 resident at a time, unless from same facility can transport up to 2 residents at a time maximizing distance seated 3) Seat the client and escort (if there is one) at the furthest distance from the driver in order to observe a 2 meter distance 4) If weather permits, keep the windows open to improve ventilation 5) Ensure vehicle is cleaned, with high touch surfaces (i.e: Drivers station, door handles, overhead grab bar, windows control buttons, lock buttons, seat locks, seat buckles/belts, seat backs, center console, arm rests, credit/debit machines) are being sanitized with appropriate disinfectant, prior to and after resident transfer. | 1) Self-Assess with BC COVID-19 Symptom Self-Assessment Tool prior to arriving at facility 2) Be screened by the greeter with the Island Health Screening Tool 3) Limit presence in patient care areas, ideally restricting driver to stay in lobby or outside unless resident requires stretcher (attempt to limit presence inside to <15 minutes; complying with physical distancing of 6 feet) 4) Comply with strict hand hygiene: Soap and water for at least 20 seconds (required when hands visibly soiled) and/or Hand sanitizer 5) Wear surgical mask when in contact with resident (including during the car ride) | ||
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:
Recreation Program
There has been plenty of fitness, trivia, manicures, baking, music, and even happy hours occurring on the floors. Facetime and Skype calls continue to be a great success, allowing families from around the globe to connect (and with the addition of the portable speakers purchased, now your loved one can hear you too!). Please touch base with either Brian Del Raye, Recreation and Therapies Manager, or the recreation team if you would like to book a virtual visit: Brian- 250-940-1028 x1102, Rec Office- 250-940-1028 x1120, or via email at bdelraye@retirementconcepts.com or Selkirk-recreation@retirementconcepts.com.
We would like to remind families that on your loved ones birthday, our recreation team provides them with cake, and we have regular birthday celebrations here in our community. Families can contact recreation to set up FaceTime and/or Skype calls so you and your loved one can celebrate together.
Dining Room- Assisted Living
The Assisted Living dining room remains closed at this time, and tray service is being delivered to each suites. The team has become very efficient in the delivery of the trays, and this system is working well. We are working with the health authority and our corporate team to see how we can potentially open up the dining room safely in future.
Dining Room- Complex Care
Social distancing is occurring and we are limiting tables to 2 residents per table. Staff are assisting residents with proper hand hygiene before and after meal times.
Assisted Living:
All deliveries will be received at the front door. All will be sanitized and delivered to the resident’s suites. A notice has been placed on each floor as well as in the elevator reminding tenants that we strongly encourage them to continue to have their groceries and supplies delivered, as seniors are high risk for COVID-19.
Dropping items off: We would ask that families please follow these guidelines to ensure your parent or loved one receives their deliveries.
Deliveries for Complex Care:
Many families have requested to drop off non-essential items such as gifts or food. We have heard you, and have come up with a process that will keep the residents safe, yet allow them to feel the love and connection receiving a gift from a loved one brings. This process will allow small deliveries of non-essential items to our residents and ensure their continued safety while allowing the volume of items delivered to be kept at a manageable level for our staff. Please see the process below:
Process
(Exceptions only on special occasions – Birthdays, Anniversaries, Etc.)
If you have any questions regarding this new non-essential item drop off structure, please reach out before you come to the facility with a delivery to Marta our Social Worker (ext.1158) or RN (1177) after hours.
Updates on Admissions and Transfers:
Admissions will be resumed following strict Ministry of Health guidelines and safety precautions (new admissions and residents returning from hospital will have isolation precautions with staff wearing PPE)
Any resident that shows symptoms will be tested for COVID-19 without delay and put on isolation precautions. If the resident is positive, they will be assessed for transfer to a dedicated COVID-19 unit at the hospital for specialized treatment and to reduce risk of outbreak in the LTC home.
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 your loved one of the following:
Thank You
To everyone out there, stay safe, stay kind, have a good week.