October 29,
2020
Dear
Families,
We have
become aware of a 3rd Resident at the Simkin Centre who has tested
positive for COVID-19.
Family
members of Residents living on the affected unit will be contacted.
We
appreciate this is incredibly unsettling news for our Residents and their loved
ones. Please be assured that we have
moved quickly to enact precautions that will prevent any further spread of
illness. The care of our Residents’
health is our top priority.
To help stop
the spread of illness, the following measure have been implemented:
- Residents affected are in isolation and are receiving care by staff dedicated to their needs.
- All visitations, including designated visitors, are suspended until further notice.
- We have suspended admissions to the facility.
- Staff are being screened to see if testing is required.
- All staff who are in contact with Residents will continue to wear personal protective equipment to further prevent any potential transmission between staff members and Residents.
- Communal meals and recreation activities for all Residents are being modified. Residents who are symptomatic will be isolated from other Residents and those dining together will continue to be be physically distanced from one another at meal times.
We
appreciate your concern for your loved one.
Our priority at this time is the care of our Residents. Please call Janet Conrad (204) 589-9014 with
any inquiries you may have.
If you
recently visited the facility and have questions or concerns about your own
health, please contact Health Links-Info Santé at 204-788-8200 or toll-free
1-888-315-9257.
We are pleased to report that there
have been no additional positive Covid results for our Residents or staff.
Our Resident who tested positive for
Covid remains isolated in our Covid unit and is being cared for by staff
dedicated solely for this unit.
I want to take this opportunity to
thank Corinna (RN), Lindsay (LPN), Roma (LPN) and Sara (RN) who volunteered to
work in our Covid unit. This selfless
act is appreciated by all! Check out our
Facebook page to see pictures of our Simkin Hero’s in yellow gowns. www.facebook.com/simkincentre
If you would like to send messages
of encouragement to our Resident or staff that are in our Covid unit, here is
the link: https://www.simkincentre.ca/email-a-resident/.
Type Covid Unit and your message.
This would mean so much to our Resident and staff.
We continue to be vigilant in our
use of PPE and hand hygiene. We are
performing regular audits of PPE use to ensure compliance. Enhanced cleaning measures remain in place.
Ten additional iPads and cases have
been purchased and will be used to increase the number of FaceTime and Skype
opportunities. We are proud to say that
between October 26th and November 1st, we have 253
FaceTime & Skype opportunities available.
Book your appointment using our booking app by going to our website and
clicking at the top where it says, “Book a Visit”. Please consider donating to our Covid Fund to
help support Covid related initiatives such as this.
We also want to encourage everyone
to do their part in stopping the spread of Covid. Please follow public health guidelines. Our Residents and staff are depending on you.
Sincerely,
Laurie Cerqueti, CEO
Dear Volunteers;
We are looking to train
a team of volunteers to be on emergency standby should we be at risk of not having
enough staff available to feed our residents.
We know from previous outbreaks in other provincial jurisdictions that a
lack of staffing can contribute to issues with the proper feeding of residents in
Personal Care Homes.
Please confirm with us if you would be interested in participating in a 2 hour orientation on feeding/swallowing. The orientation will take place at The Simkin Centre on Tuesday, October 27th at noon. Personal Protective Equipment will be provided. Please note part of the orientation will include hands on experience feeding a resident.
This extra assistance
will allow us to be prepared for every eventuality. We have offered this
orientation once before and it has been very successful. We are now seeking additional volunteers to
assist us in planning for the future.
Please contact Alissa
Minaker
(Acting Volunteer/Companion
Coordinator) at 204-589-9008 or Alissa.minaker@simkincentre.ca.
Please reply by October
23rd to confirm your attendance.
Today, we were notified that a
2nd Resident has tested positive for Covid-19. In this case, the Resident recently returned
from an acute care site where Covid-19 outbreaks have been declared. This Resident has been isolated in their room
since returning from hospital and staff have been wearing the required
PPE. This Resident will be moved to our
Adult Day Program room which was converted into our Covid Unit. Staff have been dedicated solely to this
space to stop the spread of the virus. Contact
tracing is underway.
The Centre continues to manage
the Covid-19 outbreak according to Shared Health guidelines and our own
internal Covid-19 Pandemic Plan.
Residents on Covid affected
care units are being kept in their rooms as much as possible. Resident meals are being served in their
rooms. Recreation and Spiritual Care
will be provided on a one to one basis.
Enhanced cleaning procedures have been put in place.
On other care units, safe
distances are kept between Residents during meals. Recreational and Spiritual Care programs are
being held in a modified manner.
Residents that are safely able to tolerate wearing a non-medical mask
are wearing facility supplied and laundered non-medical masks. Enhanced cleaning has been put in place.
We have purchased, received
and put into use a UVC disinfecting chamber, a Nocospray fogger and an
electrostatic sprayer. These items will
help to clean large areas, surfaces and items to reduce contamination.
Staff are now entering through
the front entrance and are being screened.
All staff continue to wear personal protective equipment and practice
universal precautions such as hand hygiene.
Staff are provided with safe distanced break spaces.
Please check your email
regularly for updates. Thank you for
your support and understanding during this unsettling time.
