COVID-19 Bulle.n for Residents and Families - The Wellington ...
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COVID-19 Bulle.n for Residents and Families
Date: 11/06/2021
Covid-19 status of our home
Nursing Home
Covid-19 Cases: 0
Re.rement Home
Covid-19 Cases: 0
Caregiver PPE
Although many visitors have beau>ful PPE, caregivers are NOT permiEed to wear their own PPE while inside
our facility. This is a regula>on from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. This policy is in place because
we cannot cer>fy that your PPE was tested and rated for safety at the level required for our home. Some
homes do allow caregivers to wear their own PPE however this is not in accordance with Ministry guidance.
We understand goggles can be quite difficult to wear during visits and unfortunately due to supply issues, we
have not been able to offer shields to our caregiver visitors un.l now. We will now have a supply of face
shields available at the screening desk for caregivers who do not wish to wear goggles.
Once you obtain a shield, this will be your shield to use and your shield only. Before you leave the facility,
you will stop at the eye protec>on cleaning sta>on in recep>on and disinfect your shield using the posted
method (wipe inside then outside and repeat). You will allow your shield to air dry and place it inside a
provided bag to be brought back with you to your next visit. We do not have enough shields for caregivers to
get a new shield with each visit. So please ensure you are bringing your shield with you or will be provided
goggles.
Goggles and Reusable PPE Reprocessing
It has come to our aWen>on that some caregivers are refusing goggles as they feel they are “dirty”. I would like
to take a moment to explain why some goggles may look this way and how our PPE is reprocessed, so you can
rest assured, everything is clean and disinfected properly.
The goggles we use have an an>-fog layer on the inside and outside of the lens. Unfortunately, this an>-fog
layer does not hold-up well over >me, especially when the goggles are cleaned, disinfected and sani>zed using
hospital-grade disinfectants. When the an>-fog later degrades, it looks like a crinkly film on the lens of the
goggles. This may give it the appearance of being “dirty” but I assure you, it is simply because they have been
cleaned properly and the an>fog is degrading with >me. This in no way impacts the effec>veness, or
cleanliness of the goggles. However, once the layer is degraded, they are more likely to fog.
Our goggles are first disinfected by the wearer a^er use. NEXT, the goggles are soaked in a hospital grade
disinfectant that is able to kill covid-19 and other microorganisms completely, in just 10 minutes. The goggles
soak in the disinfectant for 1 hour to ensure there is no chance of remaining contamina>on, and then are
rinsed and allowed to air dry before they can be reused.
This process has been inspected many >mes by the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Labor, and Public Health
during rou>ne inspec>on and has been approved each >me without issue. This process has also been
reviewed by an independent infec>on control consul>ng company hired by our home to ensure these prac>ces
are done safely and again was completely approved.We have not cut any corners during this pandemic and we absolutely do not cut corners where PPE and
safety is concerned. If you are ever concerned that your PPE is not clean, please ask the screener for an
alternate we will be happy to provide one so you feel you are protected.
Visitors
Outdoor visits- No changes
Outdoor visits are limited to 2 general visitors and 1 caregiver visitor. All visitors and the resident (if tolerated)
must be masked throughout the visit. Visits are limited to 1 hr and 1 visit per resident per week, to ensure we
can accommodate everyone wan>ng a visit. Although it is strongly encouraged, general visitors do not require
immuniza>on to visit outdoors. All visitors will require screening prior to visita>on but do not require a
covid-19 test prior to their visit if they are not entering the facility.
Indoor visits- No changes
As of June 9th 2021: A general visitor may enter the facility for a general visit ONLY IF outdoor visita>on is not
possible due to the resident’s physical limita>ons (e.g., cannot tolerate being in a wheelchair, or is using an
indoor-only device such as a ven>lator). In these instances, ONLY 1 general visitor may enter the home for a 1
hr general visit. This visitor will be required to wear a medical mask as well as eye protec>on provided by the
home- this must be worn properly throughout the visit. The visitor must maintain distancing throughout the
visit and may only visit with the resident in their room, in their own bed space. Indoor visitors will be required
to pass screening and must be tested for covid-19 by rapid test prior to each visit. Currently, rapid test results
are valid for 48hrs, however as per Ministry guidance, general visitors who visit indoors must be tested
immediately before every visit regardless of when their last test was taken. General visitors entering the
facility must be over the age of 18yrs at this >me. One caregiver may be present during visita>on in addi>on to
the general visitor. Caregivers will con>nue to be allowed inside to visit as usual, there are no changes to
caregiver visita>ons indoors.
Please note as per Ministry guidance- Inclement weather is NOT a valid reason to hold a general visit indoors.
If the resident or family believes they meet the criteria for an indoor general visit, they must discuss this with
the recrea>on department during booking and our infec>on control nurse will review the case with the nursing
team to determine if it is appropriate.
Ontario’s Reopening Plan *Updated*
We have entered stage 1 as of June 11, 2021 thanks to the dropping rates of new covid-19 infec>ons, and ICU
hospitaliza>ons in our province. Schools will remain closed but will be able to hold outdoor gradua>on
celebra>ons for every grade.
The reopening plan is based on vaccina.on rates and the province will remain in each step for at least 21
days.
Current- Step 1: June 11th 2021- 60% vaccinated with 1 dose
Non-essen>al retail at 15% capacity and essen>al businesses can increase to 25% capacity
Pa>os are open with a max of 4 people per table from the same household where tables can be
distanced appropriately. Pa>os can operate at normal hours 9am-2am 7days/week
Malls remain closed for indoor shopping. Only stores with street-front entrances can open
Outdoor gatherings up to 10 peopleOutdoor dining up to 4 people per table
Short-stay and temporary absences for residents now allowable
No restric>ons on in-province travel, so coWage season can begin where PH measures are in
followed
Day camps for children can now operate if covid-19 protocols are in place
Outdoor religious gatherings including weddings and funerals have no capacity limit, instead
you must restrict the number of aWendee’s to how many people can safely maintain distancing
Step 2: 70% vaccinated with dose 1 and 20% fully vaccinated
Outdoor gatherings up to 25 people
Outdoor sports and leagues
Personal care services where a face covering can be worn
Indoor religious services at 15% capacity
Step 3: 70-80% vaccinated with one dose and 25% fully vaccinated
Indoor sports and recrea>onal fitness
Indoor dining
Museums, art galleries, libraries & casinos
There is s.ll risk with all group ac.vi.es inside or out; especially during travel, socializa.on, and in indoor
spaces like locker rooms. So please, be cau.ous.
Resident Absences
As of June 9th 2021 POAs, SDMs and Residents (if appropriate) may schedule short-stay absences and
temporary absences. Absences for medical or other essen3al reasons are managed separately.
Short-Stay Absences: Absences for social reasons that do not include an overnight stay
• Must be arranged 24hrs in advance
• Upon return the resident will NOT require isola>on. They will be tested for covid-19 on day 8 a^er
their return
Temporary Absences: Absence for social reasons for 1 or more overnight stay
• Must be arranged 48hrs in advance. Weekend TAs should be arranged by Thursday at 3pm so
prepara>ons can be made in >me.
• Upon return, the resident will be isolated in a private room and tested for covid-19. Once that test
result comes back nega>ve, the resident may come out of isola>on. The resident will then be tested
on day 8 a^er their return.
Booking an Absence
• You must call the nurse on duty to arrange an ou>ng
o NH: ext 306o RH: ext 303
• The nurse will ask you basic ques>ons about the planned absence and review the rules for absences
with the caller
o If the nurse believes the ou>ng will be unsafe, they will aWempt to assist the caller in finding
a reasonable alterna>ve. If the nurse s>ll believes the ou>ng is unsafe, they will escalate the
approval to the DOC/Administrator who will make the final decision. If the request is denied,
this will be communicated in wri>ng to the resident and the person making the request
• Only SDMs/POAs and residents can book absences. The accompanying person for the ou>ng does
not need to be the SDM/POA, however they should inform us who will be accompanying the
resident for tracking and safety reasons.
General Rules for Absences
• Ou>ngs must follow all current public health guidance
o E.g., if the current guidance does not allow for outdoor gatherings, the resident should not
be brought to an outdoor gathering.
• We ask that residents avoid ac>vi>es that increase their risk of infec>on such as ea>ng/drinking,
visi>ng other congregated living facili>es, or any indoor ac>vi>es where distancing and masking are
difficult
• Anyone accompanying the resident should be masked and prac>ce distancing and good hand
hygiene wherever possible
• If driving with the resident, please open windows and sit in separate rows if possible. Please
disinfect the area before the resident enters the vehicle
• The accompanying person does not require vaccina>on, screening or covid-19 tes>ng as per
Ministry guidance. However, vaccina>on is strongly encouraged and no one should par>cipate in
the ou>ng if they feel unwell, have been exposed or instructed to isolate
Rules will be reviewed prior to the absence
Proof of Vaccina.on
If you are a caregiver or general visitor, please email your proof of vaccina>on to Alexis our Infec>on Control
Manager once you have received all required doses (2 doses required for Moderna, Pfizer & AstraZeneca). This
is not required however, vaccina>on may be required for visitors to par>cipate in certain types of ac>vi>es
while in the facility as restric>ons are eased, so we would like to begin collec>ng proof of vaccina>on in
an>cipa>on of this.
Please email proof to: ahamill@thewellington.ca – or please leave a copy with the screener who will deliver it
to Alexis. Do not provide originals.
Staff Covid-19 Vaccina.ons
Earlier this week it was announced that staff will be required to choose 1 of 3 op>ons for covid-19 vaccina>on.
This is meant to boost vaccina>on rates among staff and ensure staff have reliable, evidence-based knowledge
of the risks and benefits of vaccina>on, so they can make an informed decision for themselves.Vaccina>on against covid-19 is not mandatory for staff and it is not an>cipated to become mandatory.
However, it is now mandatory that staff choose 1 of 3 vaccina>on op>ons in order to con>nue working with
vulnerable residents;
Op.on 1- Get vaccinated against covid-19
Op.on 2- Get a valid, wriWen medical exemp>on from a Medical Doctor or Nurse Prac>>oner
Op.on 3- Take a vaccine educa>on course, post-educa>on test, and par>cipate in a 1:1 conversa>on with the
home’s Infec>on Control Manager. This conversa>on is not puni>ve, it is meant to create an open-dialogue
between the staff member and a trained infec>on control professional, as well as create an opportunity for the
staff member to ask ques>ons and receive assistance in booking if they wish to do so.
This will come into effect as of July 1 2021 at which .me staff will have 30 days to become compliant with
this direc.ve. If compliance is not met, staff will not be permiEed to work in the facility as per ministry
guidance.
Covid-19 Vaccines
Expedited Dose 2 for All *NEW*
Due to an increasing supply of vaccines, the province is invi>ng individuals aged 70 and over as well as
individuals who received their first dose of an mRNA vaccine (Pfizer or Moderna) on or before April 18,
2021, to book an accelerated second dose appointment ahead of schedule.
To book, you may call the Hamilton Public Health Services COVID-19 Hotline at 905-974-9848 or register
through the online provincial portal.
There is no obliga.on to get your second dose early, however everyone eligible is encouraged to do so in
order to build immunity as quickly as possible.
Eligible caregivers should have been contacted by PH with a new appt 9me by May 20 2021. Those
individuals who do not receive a no3fica3on can call the Hamilton Public Health Services COVID-19 Hotline
at 905-974-9848, op9on 7, then op9on 1 to schedule an appointment for a shortened second dose. Any
individuals who wish to adjust the new appointment date/3me provided to a later date can do so by calling
the COVID-19 Hotline at 905-974-9848
12+ Now Eligible!
Everyone age 12yrs+ are now eligible to register for the Covid-19 vaccina>on through the provincial online
portal. Those under 18 may have to call the hotline to book if the portal will not accept their registra>on.
It is not yet clear if vaccina3on of those 12yrs+ will be mandatory for the upcoming school year, similarly to
how MMR vaccines are mandatory.
Registra.on
The provincial portal can be reached at covid19.ontariohealth.ca or by calling 1-833-943-3900
Trouble Shoo.ngIf you have any trouble registering yourself, registering someone in your household, or registering
for an expedited second dose please email Alexis at ahamill@thewellington.ca or call ext. 121
Please note- The booking phone lines o^en crash on holidays, and during registra>on surges. If you have trouble
geung through the phone lines, please try again over the next few days and if you s>ll cannot get through, please
email Alexis to escalate the issue. Generally, it is simply an issue of the phone lines not being able to handle the surge
in calls. So please be pa>ent and avoid calling excessively as this worsens the problem for everyone.
READER’S CHOICE AWARDS!
We would like to thank everyone who took the >me to vote for our Home once again this year we were
honoured to receive the Diamond Awards for: Best Re>rement Home/Adult Lifestyle Community, Best
Nursing Home/Long Term Care Community, Best Senior Services!
Re.rement Referral Rewards Program
Click Here for our Referral Rewards Program that is being implemented for our Re>rement Home
Spirit Days
Throughout the pandemic our amazing recrea>on team has been doing spirit days with
residents and staff where everyone is encouraged to dress up for themed days! This has been
an amazing way for all of us to relieve some stress and feel connected. SO, we would like to
invite our essen>al caregivers to par>cipate with us when you come to visit. Simply come for
your visit dressed up on spirit days and spread a liWle joy with us!
June Spirit Day Calendar
June 14 Sunshine Day Dress in Yellow
June 21 Tie & Mustache Day Dress up for Father’s Day
June 29 Glam Day Dress in Fancy AXre (Senior Awards
travelling ceremony today)
Photos of spirit days can be found on our Facebook page
Safety Review
If you are outside, you s.ll need either masking or distancing (if not both!).You should always be using 2/3 strategies to prevent covid-19: 1. Being outside vs indoors, 2. Distancing of 2
meters, 3. Masking.You can also read
