April 13 Update from our COO: PPE for Staff
These are very different times, indeed. Regardless, I hope everyone was able to enjoy a safe, socially-distant Easter weekend.
Please be advised that we remain in outbreak status at our Welland and Strathroy locations. These teams are working closely with their local Public Health units to manage the situation. We commend them for their dedication to keeping our residents and their fellow co-workers safe and supported. For updates on COVID-19 affected residences at Seasons, please click here.
I wanted to update you on Seasons’ COVID-19 precautionary protocols. Of particular interest to many is the use of masks and Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for staff. For residents who are symptomatic and in isolation, we continue to use droplet precaution PPE as per our infection control policy and directives from Public Health.
As of Wednesday, April 8, we required that all care staff or anyone who cannot maintain a safe social distance of 2m/6ft from a resident, to wear a surgical mask. All non-care staff are being provided with cloth masks while we await additional shipments of PPE that have been back-ordered since December, as well as newly sourced and purchased items. We continue to ask Seasons Team Members to remain diligent with social distancing while at work and at home, in between shifts. For a comprehensive list of all precautionary protocols, please click here.
On Friday, April 10, the Prime Minister advised that we should expect to continue to use preventative measures for the next number of weeks, with the hopes of relaxing current rules in the summer. At Seasons, tomorrow marks two weeks of the suite-isolation we imposed, as a means of keeping residents and team members safe. After discussions with Public Health, Seasons Corporate Infection Control Committee, our staff and residents, we have decided the safest and most responsible course of action is to extend the suite isolation for the time being.
We know that isolation can be very difficult for our residents and that this is not an ideal situation for anyone. Residents who are not being isolated for illness can call the front desk to schedule a walk outside on our premises, at a time when the elevators and hallways are clear.
We continue to work through the challenges this poses for residents living in Alberta Supportive Living suites or in our memory care areas. We do our best to gently redirect residents with cognitive impairments and will continue to promote social distancing and frequent hand washing and sanitizing.
I appreciate the efforts of all Seasons team members who continue to provide “wow moments” for our residents. It is more important than ever that we ensure residents are connected and having fun. We will continue to provide activities that are self-directed, one-on-one with our staff or programming whereby residents can safely participate from their open doorway or by telephone.
Thank you to the families and friends of Seasons who have been sending our residents and team members a ‘Little Extra Love’. It means a lot. You can see examples of this kindness on our Seasons Facebook page and social media channels.
Once again, I want to thank you all for the trust you have placed in Seasons. We take our responsibility to our staff and residents very seriously. We will get through this together.
Sincerely,
LeighAnne Voll,
Chief Operating Officer
For additional online resources for COVID-19 you can visit the following sites:
Canada Health
Alberta Health
Alberta Health Services
Public Health Ontario
Retirement Home Regulatory Authority