As many of you are aware, the Chief Medical Officer of Health addressed visitor restrictions within her recent order of April 29, 2020. AgeCare has reviewed this order and will support and facilitate resident visitation in outdoor spaces.
Our goal continues to be the safety of residents, families and staff. AgeCare, with the support of residents, staff, families and loved ones, has been very vigilant, and this vigilance has proven successful in keeping our residents and staff safe. We are asking families to continue to be patient and urging everyone to assist AgeCare in preventing the spread of COVID-19 in our communities.
To this end, and to ensure the safety and security of residents and staff, outdoor visitations will be added to the current exception of visitation for dying residents. These additional interactions will occur outside the building and will be scheduled by AgeCare staff. There will be no visitations occurring inside the building – including indoor (enclosed) courtyards. Family and or loved ones will be asked to complete a Visitor Acknowledgement form.
At this time, visitation inside the building will continue to be limited to one essential visitor attending to a resident who is dying. For this exception, sign-in & completion of an exposure checklist is still required.
Residents who are currently in isolation will not be permitted to visit outside. You can continue to meet with them through one of our virtual technology visits.
Residents and families have the option to book one in-person session or one virtual technology session (Skype, Facetime, Email, etc.) per week. This limitation ensures we have the recreation and social work staff to support all residents in seeing their loved ones either virtually or in person, as they wish. All visits (virtual and in-person) will continue as long as the site is staffed appropriately and care needs are met.
In-Person Sessions
In-person sessions are limited to groups of 3, including the resident. Visits must be booked in advance to ensure staff are available to support. When booking, family members will be added to the sign-up sheet and the recreation and social work team will confirm the date and time of your visit. To ensure everyone has the opportunity to schedule a visit with their loved ones, these sessions will be limited to 30-minute.
Essential visitors who schedule a session must agree to:
- Assess their health prior to visit and not visit if experiencing any symptoms (fever, cough, shortness of breath, sore throat, runny nose, generally feeling unwell) or have been in close contact with anyone who has tested positive for COVID-19.
- Visit only during scheduled times.
- Visit only in designated outdoor spaces
- Maintain social distancing throughout the entire visit as advised by the Chief Medical Officer of Health
- Wear a mask at all times during the visit.
- Complete hand hygiene before and after the visit.
Members of Recreation, Social Work and AgeCare volunteers will help monitor these interactions to ensure appropriate physical-distancing. 2-meter seating spaces will be marked to support this. Visitors will also be instructed on how to put on and take off Personal Protection Equipment (PPE). Visitors must be 18+ years, no children will be allowed.
The approval of these visits are based on the resident’s care plan. If visitation does not align with the care plan, an individual meeting will be scheduled with the Director of Care/Administrator for their consideration and approval.
Virtual Technology Session
Residents and families who are unable to schedule in-person sessions with their loved one can continue to stay connected using technology like Skype, Apple FaceTime, email, or social media, phone calls, and written letters.
To sign-up for an in-person or technology session with your loved one, contact the recreation team at your AgeCare community (www.agecare.ca/contact).
We understand that this is a stressful time for residents and their families, but as positive COVID-19 cases continue to increase in Alberta, our first priority remains controlling the spread of the virus. These decisions have been made for the protection of our residents, staff, and visitors.
We thank all our families for their support at this time as we continue to work to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our communities and keep our residents and staff safe.
Sincerely,
The AgeCare Leadership Team
* Download Acknowledgement Form (PDF)