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.
This weekly update includes:
- COVID-19 Variants – Information from AgeCare Skypointe's medical director Dr. Simon Dawes
- Recreation & Activities - An update on our return to safe recreation and activities as the need to stay active, intellectually stimulated, and socially connected never ends.
- Weekly Shout Out - Sharing words of gratitude messages from residents and families to our staff.
Thank you all for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Cindy Kahlon,
Administrator
Harmony Court Estate & Care Centre
A message from Dr. Simon Dawes, AgeCare SkyPointe Medical Director
There is news recently about "Variants" of the coronavirus and what this means.
We know that coronavirus, like many viruses, mutates frequently. This is how they randomly develop the ability to infect people and can suddenly become more infectious or more deadly.
Coronaviruses mutate frequently, and there are now almost countless COVID variants that are being followed. Some variants are more concerning because they are more easily spread than others. Over time these variants become dominant in some communities - i.e., the "UK variant". It is possible that a variant may be more deadly, and if it spreads more easily then it is always going to be more dangerous.
What's relevant to us is that we think people can be re-infected by variants even after they have caught a different strain of coronavirus. We are cautiously optimistic as it seems at this point that your immune system will fight the new infection much more than if you had never had COVID. You are also quite likely to be protected against variants if you have had the vaccine - the reasons why are complex and technical, but the important thing to know is that there is no certainty about this.
The bottom line is that it's very likely we will see a spread of these variants in our communities as well. We all need to be very careful until more is known about how well the vaccines fight these variants.
Recreation & Activities
Our recreation team is working hard to create engaging activities that enrich the mind, body and spirit. We are taking a measured, phased approach to recreation activities. Each week we will be reassessing how these are going and make any adjustments that may be required.
During all interactions, staff continue to practice exceptional hand hygiene, wear Personal Protection Equipment (PPE), and are using extreme diligence in enhanced cleaning and disinfecting procedures
Harmony Court Care Centre – Long Term Care (LTC)
In the Care Centre, we continue to one-to-one activities or visits with LTC residents. We are looking for opportunities to get residents out of their rooms for indoor or outdoor walks.
Last week we began to host small (4-6 residents) for morning and afternoon activities in our social spaces. We will be co-horting LTC residents into groups so they may enjoy the activities with the same residents each time. All cohort recreation programs will involve no touching of each other or shared objects.
In addition, we continue to:
- Offer and support virtual visits Monday to Saturday.
- Provide resources for residents to enjoy in their room, such as art therapy supplies, trivia and puzzles sheets, knitting supplies, books, magazines, jigsaw puzzles, and DVDs.
- Assist with their TVs and stereos.
Rosewood weekly programs
Wedgewood weekly programs
Harmony Court Estate – Independent Living
In the Estates, recreation continues to do one-to-one activities or visits with residents.
We will continue to check in with Independent Living residents and see if they can provide any recreation or leisure items for their enjoyment. These include art therapy supplies, trivia and puzzles sheets, knitting supplies, books, magazines, jigsaw puzzles, and DVDs.
Last week we began to host small (4-6 residents) for morning and afternoon activities in our social spaces. We will be co-horting LTC residents into groups so they may enjoy the activities with the same residents each time. All cohort recreation programs will involve no touching of each other or shared objects.
Download the February Recreation Calendar for Harmony Court Care Estate:
Estate weekly programs
Weekly Shout-Out
These challenging times have allowed us the opportunity to reach out to many of our families to provide updates on their loved ones. Many have expressed gratitude and support for our amazing staff, and for that kindness, we thank you.
Here are just a few of the kind words that have been shared:
"Thank you for taking the time to listen. I know everyone is busy these days, but I appreciate you taking the extra time for me."
"You guys are doing a very good job. Thank you, I appreciate that."