July 13 Update from our COO: Reopening of Retirement Homes Guidelines

I am pleased to report that we are free of COVID-19 at all Seasons Retirement Communities again this week. Thank you to all our residents and families, in both Alberta and Ontario, who have been cooperating with their respective provincial government-mandated orders on visitors and leaving the premises.

Ontario

In Ontario this week, there have been changes regarding the Reopening of Retirement Homes guidelines. They are great steps towards a healthy return to normalcy.

Effective immediately, non-essential visitors are no longer required to attest to home staff that they have tested negative for COVID-19 within the previous 2 weeks and subsequently not tested positive. Still, it is important to note that visitors must provide their own mask and practice continuous masking throughout the duration of the visit.

Effective Friday, July 17, 2020, the restriction on residents leaving the home for no more than 12 hours and not overnight has been removed. If a resident returns from an overnight absence, they must follow 14-days of enhanced precautions. These enhanced precautions do not include confinement to the resident’s room.

Residents leaving the premises for any reason must complete a health screening checklist upon their return to our home. They must wear a mask at all times, practice physical distancing and proper hand hygiene. If you are being picked up by a driver, residents are encouraged to sit in the backseat of the car on the passenger side, to facilitate good physical distancing. Residents may not leave the premises if there is a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 in their retirement home.

Alberta

In Alberta, orders remain the same regarding Designated Essential Visitors (DEV), those who have critically ill loved ones or who perform services that retirement community staff are not able to provide. All residents may continue to establish a DEV to enjoy scheduled outdoor visits with, plus one guest.

Visitors must:

Pass health screening questionnaire upon arrival
Practice good hand hygiene
Practice social distancing during visit, including no touching or hugging
Provide their own mask and practice continuous masking throughout the duration of the visit
Bring their own lawn chairs for themselves and resident for outdoor visits
Stay on the property in our designated visiting areas
Abide by the time allotted for the visit to allow Seasons to accommodate all residents

For a full list of Updated COVID-19 Precautionary Protocols at Seasons, click here. As the COVID-19 situation continues to evolve, we may need to add or change these policies. We will continue to advise residents and families of changes as quickly as possible.

In both Alberta and Ontario, visits will be paused if there is a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19 in the retirement community.

As always, we appreciate that these measures have changed the daily life of the residents who live in our homes and that many are tired of the restrictions. We continue to check in with residents and come up with creative ways to safely keep everyone engaged, connected, and having fun until we can return to regular operations. Please remember that while you may be apart from your loved one, they are not alone at Seasons.

For example, last month we posted the videos of our five Remarkable Resident 2020 Winners on our Facebook page. If you haven’t already done so, I encourage you to like, share, and comment so we may share the positive messages with our residents who deserve all the love and accolades they receive!

Thank you all for your patience and cooperation.

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