Family Update From Venta Care Centre

To our Residents and Family Members,

Firstly, Venta Care Centre would like to thank you for your support and collaboration during the facility outbreak. We are excited to announce our outbreak lift date today February 3, 2021! However, we are proceeding cautiously with the continual growing prevalence and likely persistence of community transmission of COVID-19.

We know that the best way to prevent the entry of COVID-19 into long-term care settings is to limit non-essential visitors from entering the home. While it is arguable that most visits from family and friends are important to the overall health and well-being of residents, there is a greater risk that these visitors could inadvertently introduce the virus into the entire home.

Nursing home residents are at high risk for infection, serious illness, and death from COVID-19. The Center for Disease and Control acknowledges that there are COVID-19 variants and describes them as having the capability of spreading more easily and quickly than other variants, which may lead to more cases of COVID-19.

Measures to prevent and manage COVID-19 infections in Care Homes need to strike a careful balance between maintaining the welfare and quality of life of both the people who live in the facility and the staff who work there to prevent the spread of infection.

For months Venta Care Centre has tested all residents and staff weekly for COVID-19. This allowed us to detect current infections among residents at Venta Care Centre. Viral testing is an important addition to infection prevention and control (IPC) measures aimed at preventing COVID-19 from entering nursing homes, detecting cases quickly, beginning isolation, and stopping transmission. Testing will soon cease as per the Medical Officer of Health, however, Venta Care Centre would like to advocate the Medical Officer of Health to allow us to continue weekly testing for COVID-19 in staff and monthly swabbing for our Residents.

Venta Care Centre would like to collaborate with families to facilitate what future visitation and protocols will look like. Moreover, we would like your input on testing for COVID-19, post our COVID-19 facility outbreak.

An emergency Resident Council meeting was convened on February 2, 2021. All Residents were invited to attend, and those Residents who wanted to attend were portered to the meeting with assistance. By a unanimous consensus, the Residents indicated that they would like to see visitation only in the designated visitation area. The Residents also stated that they would like to see staff have a swab weekly for COVID-19 and monthly swabbing for themselves. The Residents clearly specified that they do not want visitors in the home (rooms)at this time.

This questionnaire was created using the Medical Officer of Health Directive and in accordance with Venta Care Centre’s Safe Visiting Policy

1. To prevent the possible disease spread and for all resident/staff safety, I acknowledge that I must be screened before entering the facility.
   • Yes
   • No
2. To prevent the possible disease spread and for all resident/staff safety, I understand that if I do not pass the screening criteria, I will not be permitted entrance/visitation.
   • Yes
   • No
3. To prevent the possible disease spread and for all resident/staff safety, I acknowledge that I must wear any/ all personal protective equipment as required for the duration of my visit.
   • Yes
   • No
4. To prevent the possible disease spread and for all resident/staff safety, I understand that if I do not wear/ remove the personal protective equipment as required I will be suspended from visiting.
   • Yes
   • No
5. To prevent the possible disease spread and for all resident/staff safety, I acknowledge that I must be required to follow all physical distancing practices.
   • Yes
   • No
6. To prevent the possible disease spread and for all resident/staff safety, I acknowledge there are a limited number of visitors per resident.
   • Yes
   • No
7. To prevent the possible disease spread and for all resident/staff safety, I agree to visit with my loved one only.
   • Yes
   • No
8. To prevent the possible disease spread and for all resident/staff safety, I agree that only the designated family support persons can visit.
   • Yes
   • No
9. To prevent the possible disease spread and for all resident/staff safety, I agree that there can only be a maximum of 2 visitors for each visit.
   • Yes
   • No
10. To prevent the possible disease spread and for all resident/staff safety, I acknowledge that I must come visit at an appointed time (online booking/phone).
    • Yes
    • No
11. To prevent the possible disease spread and for all resident/staff safety, I acknowledge that I must visit in a specified location.
    • Yes
    • No
12. To prevent the possible disease spread and for all resident/staff safety, do you respect the resident’s decision with continuing visits at the designated visitor area only?
    • Yes
    • No
13. To prevent the possible disease spread and for all resident/staff safety, I believe that staff should have regular COVID-19 swab.
    • Yes
    • No
14. To prevent the possible disease spread and for all resident/staff safety, I believe that residents should have regular COVID-19 swabbing.
    • Yes
    • No
15. To prevent the possible disease spread and for all resident/staff safety, I believe that families/visitors should have regular COVID-19 swabbing.
    • Yes
    • No

Thank you for understanding that visitations are based on risk tolerance assessment and are not constant, our philosophy at Venta Care Centre is to be proactive rather than reactive, please support us in keeping our most vulnerable populations safe.

Sincerely,
Helen Doan
Director of Nursing, Bachelors of Science in Nursing, Masters of Nursing in Leadership with a
specialization in geriatrics (pending).
Venta Care Centre Phone: 780-377-2326
Fax: (780) 456-4193
Email: hdoan@ventacarecentre.com

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All our Families/ Staff have been essential in the safety and care of all our loved ones. To ensure collaboration and transparency with the Minister’s Orders, Venta Care Centre is asking you to complete a brief questionnaire by Feb 7, 2021, at 11:00 pm. Please email the completed questionnaire to cbirzgalis@ventacarecentre.com.

In addition, we will be opening up visitation bookings via telephone and online beginning February 5, 2021, at noon (Friday). In-person visitations will be held on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Saturdays. At this time only the two Primary Family Designates will be allowed to visit. Please email Terra your two designates if your family has not already chosen tfleming@ventacarecentre.com.

Personal laundry services will resume for all units starting Tuesday, February 9th, 2021. Laundry pick-up and drop-off times will be on Tuesdays and Thursdays of each week between 9:00 am and 4:00 pm. If you are a family member who has requested to do your loved one’s laundry you will be required to pick up and drop off laundry on these days. Please call an hour prior to arriving for laundry pickup. Phone Number 780-377-4400.

We are committed to full transparency in keeping you informed.

If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call Helen Doan Director of Nursing 780-377-2326.

Respectfully
Dr. Peter Birzgalis
CEO Venta Care Centre