Dear Residents and Families,

We remain committed to providing updates to our residents, families, and staff at AgeCare. As such, we are providing weekly updates to keep you all informed on what is happening at our communities and organization-wide.

1. Protect yourself from COVID-19 – Going back to the basics can make a big difference.
2. National Seniors Day – Capturing the incredible legacy of those around us.
3. Rapid Antigen Screening – We encourage ALL visitors, regardless of their vaccination status, to participate in RAS testing.
4. Visitation, Outings, Overnight Stays, and Screening – Our new guidelines are now in effect.
5. Recreation Calendars - Staying active, intellectually stimulated, and socially connected.
6. Weekly Shout-Out – Celebrate the great work and activities happening at our AgeCare communities.

We hope these weekly updates are helpful. Thank you all for your continued support.

Sincerely,

AgeCare Communications

Protect Yourself from COVID-19

While vaccination is the best way to protect yourself against serious illness from COVID-19, the best-case scenario is one where you don’t get COVID-19 at all. As we near 18 months of managing this pandemic, experts agree, it’s still the small things that make the biggest difference in protecting yourself from COVID-19.

Masking

Just how big of a difference does masking make? Recently scientists from all over the globe have been demonstrating this very thing. Take a look at the graphic to see how many respiratory droplets are captured in your mask versus no mask. While masking protects those wearing the mask, masks are best at capturing the virus in people who have COVID-19, both symptomatic and asymptomatic, and stopping it from spreading to others nearby.

When wearing a mask remember:

• Wash your hands before and after touching your mask
• Make sure the mask fits to cover your nose AND mouth. If you adjust the mask to cover those areas, wash your hands before and after
• Wash reusable masks after each use. If the mask is disposable, discard it when visibly soiled or damaged.

Frequent and Correct Hand Hygiene:

Hand hygiene remains one of the easiest ways to stop the spread of COVID-19. When we touch contaminated surfaces and then our faces – even to adjust our masks – we unknowingly put ourselves at risk.

Correct Hand Hygiene includes:

• When using soap and water, wash your hand for a minimum of 20 seconds.
• Use hand sanitizer with 60% or greater alcohol content.
• Wash your hands after using the washroom, before you eat, after contact with another person and after touching high-use surfaces.

Physical Distancing and Gatherings:

Limiting our contacts is one of the best ways to protect yourself against COVID-19. While it’s easy to understand the urge to socialize, there are small things you can do to make gatherings safer.

• Indoor private social gatherings are limited to a single household plus one other household to a maximum of 10 vaccinated people (excludes children under 12.)
• Indoor social gatherings are not permitted for eligible people who are unvaccinated.
• Avoid certain or busier public settings or go during non-peak times. Consider wearing a mask when outdoors if you cannot physically distance yourself from others.
• Maintain a physical distance of 6ft between others when in a public area, especially when indoors.
• If gathering with others, keep track of who is there so that you can notify if a positive case follows the interaction.
• Limit unnecessary travel out of province or country.
• Perform regular health checks for yourself to ensure you are not experiencing symptoms.
• Recognize when you don’t feel well and isolate yourself as necessary.

Get fully vaccinated! Vaccination continues to be our best defence against COVID-19. You can still book your first or second dose – it’s never too late! Learn More

National Seniors Day, capturing their legacy

Today, October 1st is National Seniors Day! We can all think of a senior who has made an impact on our lives. They are our mentors, our leaders, our grandparents and our loved ones. They are our volunteers, our neighbours and our role models.

With the pandemic still in our midst, how we stay safely connected continue to look different than they have in the past. However, you might wish to consider capturing some of their legacy by recording them (virtually or in-person) as they recount their days gone by - documenting their stories and capturing them for family, friends and future generations to enjoy. Read more at www.agecare.ca/national-seniors-day-capturing-their-legacy/

Rapid Antigen Screening

We encourage ALL visitors, regardless of their vaccination status, to participate in RAS testing. Fully vaccinated people with no symptoms can test positive for COVID-19. A rapid test means protecting your family, friends, co-workers and community from the asymptomatic spread.

Remember:

• You MUST be asymptomatic to receive a RAS test.
• If you have ANY symptoms, you CANNOT visit or come on-site. You must book a lab test through AHS. Learn more
• Documentation WILL NOT be provided to prove a negative result. You cannot use a negative RAS test from our communities to participate in the restriction exemption program.

Visitation, Outings, Overnight Stays, and Screening

Visitation

Please note – communities on outbreak may have different visitation restrictions in effect. Contact your community or sign up for email updates to stay informed on the latest information.

Visits no longer need to be booked ahead of time. All visitors will continue to be screened upon entry to the building. If your visit occurs outside of reception hours, please submit your screening documents to the nursing station.

During your visit, it is STRONGLY recommended that visitors:

• Wear a mask when visiting, including in a resident’s suite.
• Be fully vaccinated with two doses (the second dose received a minimum of two weeks prior).

During your visit, visitors are required to:

• Wear a medical mask when in common areas or while travelling around the building.
• Maintain physical distancing while in groups.
• Practice proper hand hygiene frequently.
• Whenever possible, residents residing in shared suites-(semi-private), visits should occur in a designated area or outside. If the visit occurs in a shared suite, the number of visitors may be limited to maintain physical distance from the other residents.
• Continue to self-screen for COVID-19 after your visit. Notify AgeCare if any symptoms arise within 14 days of the visit.

Resident Outings, Overnight Stays and Screening

Residents can engage in any activity off-site as they would pre-pandemic. This includes public outings, overnight stays and more. Residents are also no longer required to be screened upon re-entry to the building or required to quarantine if they have gone off-site.

We encourage everyone to continue to follow all public health guidance while off-site.

Recreation Programming

AgeCare is committed to honouring those whose territory we work and reside on. As such, we observed the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation yesterday at our communities.

Each community had different ways to honour the day ranging from educational videos to indigenous meals to raising awareness by wearing orange shirts – we are so proud of our incredible teams for creating important moments throughout the day to remind residents and staff of all of the work that still needs to be done as we walk the path of reconciliation.

We are committed to year-round recognition, and you will notice Land Acknowledgements placed near the entrance of all of our communities. This is being done to acknowledge daily the people whose land we work and live on.

Thank you to our wonderful AgeCare residents and staff for using this day to learn and reflect. May we continue to honour and respect our Indigenous neighbours every day.