June 29 Update from our COO: Seasons Response to COVID-19
I want to begin by thanking all our residents and families, in both Alberta and Ontario, who have been cooperating with their respective provincial governments’ orders on visitors and leaving the premises. Again, these are directives that Seasons is mandated by law to follow in order to keep our staff and residents safe. Your patience and cooperation are appreciated.
I know that some people are getting tired of these regulations, especially when their local city or town is opening back up due to little community spread. I just want to remind everyone that we need to keep our collective safety in mind. COVID-19 is a silent, powerful virus that is easily spread when we ignore directions to wear masks and stay six feet apart, for example.
As I noted last week, if just one resident has a suspected or confirmed case of COVID-19, local public health will immediately declare your home in outbreak and we will be required to shelter in suite, which means no leaving the premises or having visitors, stop meals in the dining rooms and cease group activities. Nobody wants this to happen.
For those who strongly disagree with the rules about leaving the premises or onsite visits, I continue to encourage you to contact your MPP or reach out to the Ministry of Health to make your concerns known. As the directives from government evolve and change, we will inform you as we adapt our protocols.
We want to share information about an important clinical trial whereby convalescent plasma is being collected from those aged 16 – 67 who have recovered from COVID-19. The hypothesis is that treating hospitalized adult patients with COVID-19 with convalescent plasma will reduce the risk of intubation or death. There are donor centres across the country. If you know anyone who may be interested, we encourage you to share this information with them. You can visit https://blood.ca/en/convalescentplasma to learn more.
Last week we posted the videos of our five Remarkable Resident 2020 Winners on our Facebook page. Although the circumstances are somewhat different, all tell inspiring stories of generosity and resilience. 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 coming their way!
I know this has been a long three and a half months and that life at Seasons does not look exactly like it used to. I want to thank our dedicated staff for your vigilance and unwavering efforts to keep our residents, and one another, safe. Thank you to our residents and families for your patience, cooperation and support. Please rest assured that the collective health and safety of our staff and residents remains our greatest priority. We are evolving as an organization and look forward to post-pandemic operations, just as you do.
Sincerely,
LeighAnne Voll
COO, Seasons Retirement Communities
Canada Health
Alberta Health
Alberta Health Services
Public Health Ontario
Retirement Home Regulatory Authority