Dear Residents and Families,

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

 

1. Information and announcements – this week, we are sharing a couple of community updates along with how to select, wear, and clean your cloth mask.
2. Recreation calendar as the need to stay active, intellectually stimulated, and socially connected never ends.
3. A weekly shout-out to celebrate the great work and activities happening in our community.

These updates are sent on Friday each week. We hope that you find them helpful. Thank you all for your continued support.

Sincerely,

Matejah Kovacs, LPN
Administrator

Community Updates

• Preparations for the influenza season are underway, including resident consent for influenza vaccination.
• Annual and Admission Care Conferences will now include multiple team members connecting with the resident and family by teleconference call.
• Committee work and special education have resumed: Dementia Matters, Education, Falls review committee and more.
• Planning for outdoor visits as the weather gets cooler is in progress.

Safe Visitation Reminders

• All visitors and staff wear masks continuously when in the building.
• Disposable surgical procedure masks are recommended. Re-useable cloth masks do not provide the best protection in health care facilities to reduce exposure for our high risk and vulnerable residents.
• Food and drinks may be brought in for residents to enjoy. However, visitors are expected to follow mask protocol and wear continuously.
• Public washrooms are not available to visitors. Designated Support Persons may use the washroom located in the resident room if required during indoor visits.
• If you have questions about assigned Designated Support Persons, contact:
• Anna – Heritage Point aandres@agecare.ca
• Belen – Chaparral & Bridlewood bbanasen@agecare.ca
• Colleen – Sundance & Somerset cmiles@agecare.ca
• Margaret – Shawnessy & Evergreen mlichwa@agecare.ca
• Betty-Anne – Estates bmilan@agecare.ca

Health Quality Council of Alberta Survey

The Health Quality Council of Alberta (HQCA), in partnership with Alberta Health and Alberta Health Services (AHS) is conducting a new study about the experiences of those living in continuing care homes during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes individuals living in Supportive Living Level 3 (SL3), Supportive Living Level 4 (SL4), Supportive Living Level 4 Dementia (SL4D) and Long-Term Care in Alberta.

We have provided the HQCA with the contact information of residents and families for the purpose of this study. The HQCA will choose individuals from these lists and contact them directly to request their participation. Read the HCQA’s Experience Survey Fact Sheet for more information >

How to Select, Wear and Clean Cloth Masks

With fall and back-to-school upon us, we wanted to share these easy to follow “how-to’s” on selecting, wearing, and cleaning cloth masks.

Masks are recommended to be worn in public settings when you can’t stay 2 metres (6 feet) away from people who don’t live in your household. Masks help stop the spread of COVID-19 to others.

How to Select

There are many choices when selecting a cloth mask. Here are some do’s and don’ts:

Note: resources were developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and adjusted slightly to align with the recommendations from the Alberta Government and Alberta Health Services.

Wear a Mask that:

• Covers your nose and mouth and fits securely under your chin.
• Fits snugly against the sides of your face.

How to Clean

Masks should be washed regularly. Always remove masks correctly and wash your hands after handling or touching a used mask.

• Include your mask with your regular laundry.
• Use regular laundry detergent and the warmest appropriate water setting for the cloth used to make the mask.
• Use the highest heat setting and leave in the dryer until completely dry.

Recreation Calendar

We are happy to share that our recreation calendar is back, and many of our regular recreational activities in the community have resumed. Residents can participate in a variety of engaging activities that enrich the mind, body and spirit, while maintaining appropriate physical distancing.

• Midnapore Recreation Calendars – September 2020

Weekly Shout-Out

What a wonderful Administration Team we have! This group of individuals has stepped up to complete many new responsibilities essential during the pandemic.

Tracy, Abeeda, Jyostna, Nuni, Lesley and Sue greet you at the screening desk, take temperatures, educate visitors about hand hygiene and share information about visitations.  Ada helps new families with the finance process and files all the screening forms daily. Joanne contacts new families and arranges move-ins. Nicole, Clyde and Gessa are responsible for procuring supplies and delivering throughout the building.  Cheriel ensures we have enough staff every day and helps out at the screening desk. Renard is like a train conductor, keeping everything running on schedule and telling people where they need to go. Finally, Nasir, he is answering questions and keeping operations running smoothly. This group is paramount to ensure safe and effective care is provided for our residents.

Standing: Joanne, Clyde, Tracy, Nicole, Abeeda, Nasir and Renard.  Sitting: Lesley, Cleriel and Ada