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.
- Information and announcements – this week, we are sharing a reminder about the mandatory restrictions in Alberta, as well as the indoor visitation restrictions at our AgeCare communities.
- Recreation calendars as the need to stay active, intellectually stimulated, and socially connected never ends.
- A weekly shout-out to celebrate the great work and activities happening at our AgeCare communities.
We hope these weekly updates helpful. Thank you all for your continued support.
Sincerely,
AgeCare Communications
Visitation Restrictions at AgeCare
As communicated previously, we have re-opened our communities for indoor visits with some limitations in place:
- Residents/decision makers can designate up to 2 adults over the age of 18 for indoor visits (family member, friend, companion, volunteer, support worker, power of attorney/ trustee, agent, legal guardian, or other).
- Designated family/support persons must book each visit in advance.
- During each visit, there can be only 1 designated support person at one time.
- There will be no temporary replacement of designated support persons at this time, except in extenuating circumstances.
- All visitors must understand the risk of unknown exposure to COVID-19 for themselves and residents and assess health before visits.
- When entering, visitors must be screened and follow ALL safe visiting practices and COVID-19 protocols. If visitors do not follow these, we will deem the visit unsafe, and the visitor will be asked to leave.
- Please read our Indoor Visit Guide (PDF) for all the details to ensure a safe visit. This revised guide reflects our practices during high case numbers and state of public emergency.
These measures will remain in place for a week. We are monitoring the situation closely and will adjust if required. Please note that the Medical Officer of Health (MOH) has the discretion and can provide direction to sites to cease visits during an outbreak.
We strongly advise that designated family/support persons evaluate their own need to be physically present, based on the resident’s need, to help limit the number of people entering the site and reduce the risk of COVID spread.
To ensure residents and family can stay connected during this time, we continue to offer scheduled virtual visits. Residents and families can book one virtual technology session per week. All virtual visits will continue as long as the site is staffed appropriately and care needs are met. To book a virtual visit with your loved one, contact your AgeCare community.
How You Can Stay Connected
To ensure residents and family can stay connected during this time, we continue to offer scheduled virtual visits. Residents and families can book one virtual technology session (Skype, Facetime, Email, Social Media, Phone Calls, etc.) per week. This limitation ensures we have the recreation and social work staff to support all residents in seeing their loved ones virtually. All virtual visits will continue as long as the site is staffed appropriately and care needs are met.
To book a virtual visit, contact your AgeCare community:
Reminder of Mandatory Restrictions Across Alberta
Alberta remains in a state of public emergency amid the second wave of the pandemic due to high case numbers of COVID-19. As of December 8, 2020, aggressive action was taken to prohibit all indoor and outdoor social gatherings – public and private – in an effort to protect our health system from being overwhelmed.
The current situation is critical and these mandatory restrictions that apply province wide will remain in place until at east until January 12, 2021.
Albertans have a responsibility to help slow the virus's spread and make sure the health system can continue supporting patients with COVID-19, influenza and many other needs. The greater the community spread, the more likely it will infect loved ones most at-risk of severe outcomes.
To review these measures in more detail, please visit the Alberta.ca website https://www.alberta.ca/enhanced-public-health-measures.aspx
Recreation Programming
Our recreation team is working hard to create engaging activities that enrich the mind, body and spirit while reducing the risk of transmission and having the least impact on resident well-being.
View the December Recreation Calendar for your AgeCare Community:
AgeCare Orchard Manor – Dec 2020
AgeCare Walden Heights - Dec 2020
Weekly Shout-Out
This week's shout out is from AgeCare Midnapore in Calgary, Alberta.
Our dynamic and energetic Recreation team are always stirring up something exciting. These individuals, who are always ready to help at events for residents and staff to celebrate and enjoy, have brought festive cheer to our community, during a time when we need it the most.
