This week there is a lot of NEW INFORMATION that we want to share with you, so pour a cup of coffee, find a comfy seat, and let’s chat.
These are very big changes and we want to ensure that everything we put into place is coordinated with a high regard to infection control and safety. Residents are counting on you to be incredibly vigilant in protecting them from COVID-19.
Here’s the basics:
Residents can now leave the Home’s property for absences related to health care, social or other reason. There are two types of absence that are now available:
Short stay Absences (Non-Overnight Visits) – This type of outing is now permitted under the Ministry of Long Term Care legislation. Residents must wear a face mask (if they can tolerate it) the entire time they are out. This medical mask for the resident will be provided by the Home. Residents will be actively screened including a temperature check upon their return but no COVID swab or isolation is required upon their return.
Temporary Absences (for one or more nights) – This is now permissible under the Ministry of Long Term Care legislation. Residents must be isolated upon their return for 14 days.
You are certainly welcome to participate in the short stay absence as outlined above, but we would strongly encourage you to be very mindful of the risks associated with increased exposure to multiple people as you take residents to your Home or other such locations.
The mask that you wear protects the resident from you (and anyone you may have recently come in contact with). The masks ability to protect the resident rests with you wearing it appropriately. Wearing your mask over your chin only, does not protect anyone from anything.
Please be mindful of the shift change time at the Home which has a significant impact on our ability to efficiently screen everyone. From 2:00pm – 2:45pm priority will be given to staff entering /leaving the Home to commence or end their shift.
If this is your first time reading our newsletter, I would encourage you to go to this link where you will find the previous newsletters should you wish to view them.
Hope you enjoy this week’s newsletter,
Angela Malcolm
Director
COVID-19 Testing for Visitors & Caregivers
Who must have a negative COVID test every 2 weeks:
All caregivers and visitors coming inside the Home
All visitors visiting outside who are not physically distanced
You will need to call a COVID-19 assessment center to book your COVID-19 swab test and have it completed. It will take approximately 48-72 hours to obtain your results. The number for the Napanee Assessment Centre held at the Lenadco Complex (across the road from JMPC) is 613-354-8254. Other COVID assessment centers are available near you. The link to access your results for this testing is here.
Definitions that you need to know:
Essential Visitor: A person visiting a very ill/palliative resident.
Essential Caregiver: Up to two people are selected by the resident or POA (if resident is not capable) to be their essential caregivers. The essential caregiver provides direct care to the resident such as personal hygiene, supports meal assistance, provides cognitive stimulation. The essential caregiver can come any time during our regular visiting hours. The care giver remains in the resident room only. The care giver is not to walk the halls nor enter resident common areas such as lounges, library or tea room.They must only interact with the resident they are there to support. All essential caregivers must be able to attest to a negative COVID test every 2 weeks (residents who are in a shared room will have special considerations taken into account for the safety of the roommate)
General Visitor: Non-essential visitor who provides services such as social visits. If visiting inside the Home, visitors are required to have a negative COVID test every 2 weeks. Must wear a mask, ensure physical distancing and are permitted in MacDonald Hall only for all visits. 2 visitors/resident can visit at a time.
Type of Visits:
Indoor Visits: All indoor visits (except for essential caregivers) must be pre-booked using our online booking tool. There is a limit of 2 visitors / resident at one time. You need to be approved for your visit. Upon arrival to the home, you will take your temperature in the foyer prior to entering each time you visit. Provide your temperature result to the screener. Answer the screeners questions. Sign The Pledge that was created by the Residents Council. Verbally confirm and sign that you have had a negative COVID test within 2 weeks of each visit. You must wear a surgical mask (provided by the Home); Face shields are not acceptable. No physical contact with the resident.
Outdoor Visits: Screening is required prior to your outdoor visit. Outdoor visits do not require a COVID-19 test unless you plan not to stay socially distant. You are required to wear a facial covering that you supply (face shields are not acceptable). There is no fence separation from your loved one during these visits. Prior to any physical contact, please ensure you use the provided hand sanitizer.
Please note the change for Outdoor Visits: if you plan not to remain socially distant from the resident – COVID swab required.
IMPORTANT: If you or anyone in your household (or anyone who would be interacting with the resident while they are out), feel unwell at all, please postpone your outing with the resident.
Perishable Items: Food being brought in for a resident must be in a container that can be wiped down with our wipes and they will then be delivered to your resident right away. All other items will be kept for 24 hours prior to being taken to the resident.
Concerns we have at the Home that we want to share with you regarding these new directives and policies:
Since April, all JMPC staff have been wearing a mask for their entire shift to protect the residents. We are trusting that families and visitors will do the same when interacting with their loved one whether that be on our property or off.
Since July, all staff at JMPC have been lining up to get COVID tested here at the Home every 2 weeks to ensure we are doing our best to protect your loved one. We are trusting that families recognize the importance of this testing procedure and commits to every 2 week testing themselves.
We have had a very difficult time securing PPE products (surgical masks, gloves, gowns) for our staff throughout this pandemic. We now access a wide variety of suppliers in order to source out the quantities we require. This past week alone, we have seen a dramatic increase in our PPE usage given the increase in resident outings. In order for us to maintain the volume of visitors we are expecting we will need to ramp up our PPE resources. There continues to be PPE shortages along with significant price increases for these products. Should we be unable to source PPE, visiting policies will need to be adjusted.
We are having a challenging time sourcing medical grade hand sanitizer. With increased people in the Home, we expect and would fundamentally hope to see an increase in our usage. Again, will need to increase our existing stock.
We are seeing residents getting into vehicles this week and then both the driver and resident are removing their masks as they leave the Home. Being in a vehicle does not allow for safe physical distancing and mask use should be maintained.
What's New at JMPC
Essential Visitor Improvements: For residents who are critically ill / at end of life, we are improving our visiting times to be in 3 hour blocks of time. Hopefully, this improvement will allow larger families with improved access to spend time with their loved one while also balancing our PPE supplies in the Home. As always, if there is no one else wanting a specific block of time, you are welcome to use more than one block of time for your visit.
Here is a chart to help you understand the visiting options for families.
Changed the pork loin to Cottage Roll as per resident request.
Our last BBQ of the season is on Sept 17th. They are having BBQ Hot Dogs with Broccoli Salad and an Ice cream cone.
Program Schedule:Here is the week’s program schedule for Sept 13-19.
Grandparents Day Celebration:
Zoom, Window, Indoor & Garden Visits
Book yourZoom, Window, Indoor and Garden Visit online using Picktime!
We ask that visits be scheduled a day ahead and that weekend requests are completed by Friday at 2pm. For zoom visits, you will receive a confirmation email first. Then, 1 day prior to your zoom visit you will receive the zoom link emailed to you from the Home.
If you have any questions or unable to access this online tool, please call 613-354-3306 and someone will help you Mon-Fri during business hours. Please note that you can continue to enjoy your zoom visit along with an inside, Garden or window visit. You certainly can have more than one form of connection with your loved one.
Need to Cancel your Booked Visit?
The booking site doesn’t have that feature to cancel yourself online unfortunately. So to cancel an appointment you can:
Infection Control is of primary importance as we welcome more people back into the Home. Using the personal protective equipment (PPE) is vital if we are going to all be able to work together to protect all residents at JMPC.
When you wear a mask, you protect the resident (your loved one); If you wear your mask on your chin, you protect no one at all.
Here are some very helpful short video clips to resources that will help you to understand how to use PPE properly and how to effectively handwash.
Questions asked to Gwen during this past week and answers provided by Angela Malcolm, Director
Q. We understand the library staff have now returned to the libraries. Does this mean that the Resident Support Aides (RSA) are gone as well?
A. The RSA staff were budgeted in our 2020 budget in advance of COVID. There is no plan at this time to remove them from the Home. They are providing wonderful support to the residents in their flexible role.
Just a reminder:
Next Family Council Meeting
Tues. September 15th at 1:30pm
Please contact Candiceif you can attend so we can set up the Zoom Meeting.
If you haven't had time please take a min or two to send a picture of you making a heart or holding a message of thanks to be included in a staff video as soon as possible. It is a surprise and with all the stresses the staff has been under a great way to show our appreciation. Please send your pictures to Candice McMullen at cmcmullen@lennox-addington.on.ca.
Please feel free to reach out to Gwen should you have any questions or wish to chat.
If you are feeling that you would like some additional support or have some questions that you would like to work through we would like to encourage you to access this amazing local resource. Lisa would be happy to chat with you!!