Silvera information re COVID-19 coronavirus - Silvera for ...
←
→
Page content transcription
If your browser does not render page correctly, please read the page content below
Silvera information re COVID-19 coronavirus
Updated March 13, 2020 at 5:15 p.m.
COVID-19 risk assessment
Are Silvera communities at risk of an outbreak of COVID-19?
Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer says that while the risk of exposure in Alberta remains low (as at
March 12, 2020), this could change rapidly.
There are no presumed or confirmed cases of the virus in any Silvera community.
How do you assess the risk of infection?
We focus on what the Government of Alberta, Alberta Health Services (AHS) and the
Government of Canada say about the virus, the risk to Albertans, travel advice, and
precautionary measures individuals and organizations are advised to take.
What specific sources of information do you refer to?
Government of Alberta:
https://www.alberta.ca/coronavirus-info-for-albertans.aspx.
Alberta Health Services:
https://www.albertahealthservices.ca/topics/Page16944.aspx.
Government of Canada:
https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-
infection.html
Global Affairs Canada:
https://travel.gc.ca/travelling/advisories?_ga=2.268074956.39178518.1583192977-
310479409.1581376777
What will you do if the situation worsens?
Although it is natural to wonder what may happen in a variety of possible scenarios and what
we may be able to do in response, it is not possible to actually know at this time or predict with
anything with accuracy.
1For this reason, we will not speculate.
What we can commit to is:
• maintaining an up-to-the-minute understanding of the situation as provided by our
government and health authorities;
• building on our tested outbreak management protocols that have served residents well
in influenza outbreaks; and
• remaining as prepared as we possibly can be, focusing some of our people on the most
immediate challenges and others on longer-term preparations.
Extra precautions against COVID-19 infection
What special preparations are you making now for the possibility that the COVID-19 virus may
appear in one of your communities?
We are adopting several special measures.
Because no one can predict where the coronavirus will spread to or when, Silvera is
continuously monitoring the situation through updates from the Government of Alberta, AHS
and Global Affairs Canada (travel).
We are reinforcing our outbreak protocols by taking extra precautions in our communities that
have common areas and in our headquarters. These include:
• increasing cleaning and disinfecting in some areas beyond our high normal standards;
• being ready to require symptomatic residents to self-isolate in their suites, as per
normal outbreak procedure (none are required to do so at this time;
• ensuring our employees adhere to our fit-for-work policies if they are not feeling well
(directing them to not come into work);
• directing visitors who are not feeling well or showing symptoms to not enter our
buildings;
• reducing the number of volunteers entering our communities;
• cancelling some Active Aging programs involving outings or large groups;
2• restricting entrance for people who have traveled internationally within the last 14 days;
• converting large in-person employee meetings to conference calls wherever possible;
• constantly urging residents and employee to practice precautionary health hygiene,
particularly frequent hand washing;
• recommending to residents that they follow Government of Alberta guidelines for
avoiding large gatherings outside of their Silvera community;
• increasing communication with residents and their families, employees, volunteers and
others by providing Silvera updates and recommending they seek guidance directly
from government and public health authorities.
No outbreak protocol is 100 per cent effective. We recognize this and it encourages us to be as
thorough as we can be.
What specific different procedures are you following for people entering your communities?
We are tightening restrictions on who can visit our communities. We are directing visitors to not
enter our communities if:
• they have traveled internationally in the previous 14 days, or
• they have been in close contact with someone who has traveled internationally in the
previous 14 days,
• they are showing symptoms of COVID-19, or
• they have been in close contact with someone showing COVID-19 symptoms.
We are directing employees who have travelled international recently to self-isolate according
to AHS guidelines before returning to work.
We are restricting non-essential work by contractors.
We are encouraging employees to follow Government of Alberta guideline, which caution
against travel outside of Canada. If they travel, they will be asked to self-isolate according to
AHS guidelines before returning to work.
Has Silvera developed extra precautions for employees to take?
If an employee exhibits symptoms of COVID-19, or has been in direct contact with someone who
has symptoms, we direct them to:
3• immediately contact their primary health provider or Health Link 811 for the next steps
they should take;
• not report to work, and to contact their supervisor about their situation immediately;
• stay at home and avoid close contact with other people, especially those with chronic
conditions, a compromised immune system, or seniors; and
• obtain a medical certificate of clearance before returning to work.
Has Silvera cancelled business travel by employees?
All of Silvera’s operations are located in Calgary, and it is rare for employees to travel outside of
Alberta on business. No out-of-province travel is currently scheduled. We are reinforcing the
Government of Alberta’s guidance: no travel outside of Canada is advised.
What will you do if one or more of your communities becomes infected?
We would follow our outbreak protocols and the strict directions of Alberta Health Services.
Do you have enough supplies to keep employees and seniors safe in the event of an outbreak
of the coronavirus?
No one knows whether COVID-19 will arrive in a Silvera community or how long and outbreak
would last. Supplies are limited worldwide.
In February, we placed orders for additional supplies of cleaning products; personal protective
equipment, including masks and gloves; and single-use plates and cutlery for possible meal
delivery to resident suites. Those orders have been partially filled.
Can you be sure you are ready?
What we can assure people of is that we will continue to continuously monitor the situation,
follow the advice and direction of public health authorities, and keep the safety and comfort of
our residents and employees as our main priority.
We will continue to apply our proven outbreak prevention and management procedures, which
have been helpful over the years in normal times.
4Normal outbreak risk mitigation (not specific to COVID-19)
Do outbreaks and infections occur in your communities?
Yes. Every year, all Calgarians are at risk of influenza and gastro-intestinal and infection, and it is
typical that some Silvera residents and employees fall ill each year.
For context, Silvera operates two types of communities:
• Independent Living communities, which are self-contained apartments and townhomes
(where in most cases we act essentially as landlord but with employee contact for
information and some support), and
• Supportive Living communities with private suites and common areas, along with
services including daily dining, weekly housekeeping and Active Aging programs.
Silvera is not a healthcare organization, although home care is provided in our Supportive Living
communities by Alberta Health Services and CBI Health Group.
Recognizing that large numbers of residents and employees live and work closely together in our
Supportive Living communities, we take outbreak prevention and management very seriously.
We continually take special precautions to minimize the chance of infections occurring in these
communities and spreading if they do. No outbreak protocol is 100 per cent effective, but this
encourages us to be as thorough as possible.
We work closely with Alberta Health Services and follow its strict outbreak management
protocols.
What precautions do you take to prevent outbreaks in your communities?
We have an expert outbreak-management committee consisting of leaders from
each Silvera department. It meets regularly to assess the current situation, monitor any
outbreaks that do occur and deploy resources, and learn from outbreaks afterwards.
We have working relationships with Alberta Health Services, Infection Prevention and Control;
Homecare; and CBI Health Group, which is the largest provider of community healthcare
services in Canada.
We remind employees and residents to pay extra attention to and practise excellent hygiene.
The best ways to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and respiratory illnesses are to:
• Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds
5• Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, especially with unwashed hands
• When coughing or sneezing:
o cover your mouth and nose with your arm or tissue
o immediately dispose of tissues and wash your hands
• Avoid close contact with people who are sick
• Stay away from others if you are feeling ill to avoid spreading sickness to others
• If you are experiencing symptoms self-isolate and call Health Link 811.
We follow strict protocols for cleaning and disinfecting.
Even in normal times, we encourage every employee and resident to get a seasonal flu shot, and
we provide clinics in our supportive living communities each fall to make it easy for people to
get vaccinated.
What steps do you take in the event of an outbreak?
No outbreak protocol is 100 per cent effective, but this encourages us to be as vigilant as
possible. Measures include the following, many of which we have implemented even though we
are not in outbreak:
• We isolate ill residents in their suites.
• We restrict visitors and group activities.
• We implement outbreak cleaning and control measures in every department of the
community, including cleaning and disinfecting more frequently and, in some cases,
using different cleaning products.
• We follow different procedures in the serving of meals, for example removing self-
service at salad bars and providing room service to isolated residents.
• We ensure that employees entering an ill resident’s suite practice safe donning and
doffing of personal protective equipment, which includes masks, gloves, gowns and
eyewear.
• We ensure that sick employees stay home from work.
• We evaluate the work scheduled for contractors and postpone any non-essential work
until the outbreak is over.
• When an outbreak is declared, all communities and the admin office are notified by
email, and we are updated regularly.
6Once given the al clear from AHS, we continue to use outbreak protocols for 2 to 3 days as an
added precaution.
As at March 13, 2020, there are no outbreaks of any infections at any Silvera community.
Have you had outbreaks in your communities this year?
• Yes. We have had three outbreaks in 2020: 2 influenza and 1 gastro-intestinal. This is
not an uncommon occurrence.
Have any residents died from Influenza or gastro-intestinal infections? This year? Last year?
Prior years?
• When a resident dies, we are not informed of the direct cause of death, as this is private
health information and Silvera communities are non-medical facilities.
Communications
Where can I get information about Silvera’s preparations and responses to the spread of
COVID-19?
It is understandable that there is heightened concern and a desire for more information about
COVID-19.
The best source of Silvera COVID-19 information is our website: silvera.ca. Updates are posted
there.
We are also active on our social media channels – Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn and Instagram –
most often pointing people to our website.
In addition to this, we are sending letters and emails to residents and their families, employees,
volunteers and other Silvera stakeholders.
If you have a question that is not addressed here, you can email it to covid19info@silvera.ca,
and we will work to answer it as soon as feasible recognizing that our resources are limited.
7We may be delayed in responding, and thank you in advance for your understanding and
patience.
We wish you and your families our best during these unusual and stressful times.
8You can also read
