Memo: Terrace Dining Room Closed

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We are sorry to report that as of today there are 11 COVID positive residents in the Terraces – 8 in Terrace East and 3 in Terrace West. The affected residents are isolating in their apartments. Because of this increase in cases the Public Health office has put some extra measures in place to keep everyone safe.

Here’s what changes starting Tuesday:

  1. The Terrace dining room is closed. Staff will bring your meals and snacks to you in your apartment starting with morning snack Tuesday morning.
  2. All in person recreation activities, including bus trips, are cancelled. Channel 10 programming will continue.
  3. We recommend that all residents wear a mask whenever you are outside of your apartment.
  4. Menno Home and Menno Hospital MIGHT make changes to their visitation rules. Please call ahead before going to visit a loved one.

We are NOT in lockdown. You are still free to leave your apartment, move around the building, visit other residents, go outside, run errands and receive visitors. Please be careful. Please do not visit with residents who have an isolation cart outside their apartment.

If you start to feel unwell press your call button and let the care staff know. If you have any questions please call reception 604-851-4004.

Menno Place Video: Welcome Home

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Watch and enjoy this joyful Menno Place video filmed last summer on our campus of care! Be sure to share the video from our Facebook page!

Read more

Air Conditioners at Menno Place Apartments

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Summer is just around the corner and it’s time to think about air conditioners.  The common areas of each of the apartment buildings are air conditioned but the apartments are not.  Air conditioners are in stores now. If you want to buy one, don’t wait. They tend to sell out quickly.

What kind of air conditioner should you choose?

  1. Choose a portable air conditioner – one that sits on the floor and vents out the window. We are not able to install units that hang outside the window.
  2. Select a unit that is 8000 BTUs or less. Anything higher than that will trip the breakers.
  3. Menno Place’s maintenance team must do the installation to ensure it’s done correctly and safely. There is a $36.00 charge for installation which includes removal at the end of the season.
  4. If your apartment does not have a balcony/patio please check with Leonard to ensure a unit can be installed before purchasing.

How to request installation:

  1. Make sure the unit is on site, in the resident’s suite and unboxed.
  2. Provide a 3-pronged extension cord approximately 6 feet in length.
  3. Contact the receptionist in your building to request an install. The receptionist will fill out a work request and the maintenance team will attend. Air conditioner installs can usually be completed in 2-3 days.

If you order an air conditioner online please be sure to give the resident’s full address including their suite number. The unit needs to be delivered to their apartment. We have had issues in the past where delivery companies have tried to drop the units off at our warehouse which causes confusion, lost units and delays.

If you have any questions about air conditioners please contact your receptionist – Lynn for Primrose Gardens and Pavilion (604 851-4000) or Claire for Terrace East and Terrace West (604-851-4004).

Relaxing Some of the COVID Guidelines

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With the recent completion of fourth dose vaccination clinics in the Apartments along with reduced COVID outbreaks and the relaxing of public health oversight in Independent Living we have started to relax some of the COVID guidelines in all four apartment buildings. This is good news as it means we can reopen some things that have been closed for a long time.

Here are the changes effective June 6, 2022:

  • Canada Post resumes service! Mail is now being delivered to each resident’s personal mailbox each day. The mailbox number is the same as the apartment number. If you have any questions, or if you need a key, please let reception know.
  • Guest meals available – You can now purchase guest meals to enjoy in your apartment with visitors. Call reception to order your meals and we will deliver them up to you. (Guests are not permitted to come into the dining room.)
  • More bus trips – We’re allowed to combine residents from different buildings on the same bus trip which means we can take more trips. This month there’s a trip to Krause Berry Farm, another to White Rock and we’re going shopping. Sign up with reception to reserve your spot.
  • More flexible dining room seating – We are no longer required to seat tenants by floor. If you would like to inquire about changing your seating assignment please contact reception. We may not be able to accommodate all requests. Unvaccinated tenants will also be welcomed back into the dining room.

Here’s what stays the same:

  • If you test positive for COVID you must isolate in your apartment. One of the LEAs (Tamara or Judith) will follow up with you.
  • All staff and visitors are still required to wear a mask in all resident areas.
  • Masks are optional for tenants.
  • Guest suites and room rentals remain closed and will stay closed all summer.

Another Great Outcome!

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From May 2 – 5, 2022 Menno Place was audited by the BC Municipal Safety Association to determine the status of our Occupational Health and Safety Program. This is a voluntary audit that Menno Place chooses to have done each year to ensure we meet and exceed the safety standards required by WorkSafeBC.

We are very pleased that we passed with flying colors – with a final score of 94%! This is an exceptional outcome, considering the extra staffing challenges and safety requirements we have gone through this past year.

Thanks to all our team members, supervisors, Joint Occupational Health and Safety Committee members, and the entire leadership team for your dedication and commitment to Safety at Menno Place!

Come Join Us for the Summer!

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Menno Place is inviting friends and family of our staff and residents to apply for various summer positions funded through the Canada Summer Jobs Program.

Each position is a temporary 8 week full time position funded through the Canada Summer Jobs program (there is a possibility of permanent employment). As with all employees, the worker in this position is required to have a commitment to the vision, mission and values of Menno Place performing duties following Menno Place policies and procedures and ensuring the provision of Resident and Family Centred Care (RFCC) while safeguarding staff and residents.

Each position requires teamwork, communication and cooperation. It is the expectation that the individual contributes to a positive, safe working environment, takes instruction well and cooperates with their supervisor and co-workers. This person manages their time well and participates in continuous quality improvement of services provided.

Please apply if you are interested in any of the following opportunities:
• Food Service Helper
• Accounting Clerk
• Recreation Therapy Assistants

Your resume must clearly state which position you are applying for. All resumes can be sent to recruitment@mennoplace.ca. If you are referred by one of our employees please write their name as well.  Learn more about these positions by downloading the info sheet here.

Required: Criminal Record Check, TB screen, COVID-19 vaccination and influenza immunization.

As per the Canada Summer Jobs requirement, the participant must be:
• Between 15-30 years of age (inclusive) at the start of employment
• A Canadian Citizen, permanent resident, or person on whom refugee protection has been conferred under the Immigration and Refugee Protection Act; and
• Legally entitled to work according to the relevant provincial/territorial legislation and regulations.
*international students are not eligible.

2022 Walk for Alzheimer’s

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After almost two years of navigating this virtual world, Menno Place is excited to announce, the 2022 IG Wealth Management Walk for Alzheimer’s, returning to Abbotsford on Sunday May 29, 2022!

The Walk is a way Menno Place can celebrate and remember people in our lives who have been affected by dementia, while we raise valuable funds and awareness to create change in our community.

The Walk is the Alzheimer Society of B.C.’s flagship fundraising event and a great way for family, friends and the staff at Menno Place to demonstrate leadership in our community by stepping up and showing we care!

If you would like to take part in the Walk, encourage your family and/or co-workers to fundraise and participate! To register as an individual or a team, visit the Walk website at www.walkforalzheimers.ca.

Location: Gardner Park, 31070 Gardner Ave, Abbotsford (Note: The entrance to the park and parking area is off of Livingstone Avenue.)

Route information: There will have three routes (all under 300 meters), one wheelchair accessible and two gravel loops around the park.
Date: Sunday, May 29, 2022
Registration time: 11 a.m. Walk time: 12 – 2 p.m.

Contact: Jordan Penner | Mitchell Wiens

Go to: www.walkforalzheimers.ca to sign up!

UDPATE: Masks Are Now Optional for Residents

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Effective April 27, 2022 residents will have the choice of whether or not to wear their mask when they are in the common spaces of the apartment building.

Although we will no longer ask residents to put a mask on, we do recommend that they wear a mask as an additional layer of protection from this very infectious variant of COVID. Their decision to wear a mask or not should be based on how “at-risk” they are for severe illness if they contract COVID. Residents can figure out their risk by filling out this worksheet.

On the risk assessment page you will see a list of “at-risk” conditions along with a chart that indicates how  age, gender and number of vaccinations factor into the risk of hospitalization. The average fully vaccinated female who is over 80 years of age with 2 at-risk conditions will have a 2.9% risk of severe COVID and hospitalization. A male in the same category has a 3.9% risk of severe COVID and hospitalization.

The highest risk is for those who are unvaccinated where the risk of severe illness and hospitalization is as high as 83.7%. If a resident has not yet been vaccinated, consider how the risk of severe COVID can be as low as 1.1% if they are fully vaccinated and have no “at-risk” conditions. Once the risk percentage has been calculated, residents can make an informed decision about how many layers of protection they will use to keep safe from COVID. Layers of protection include hand sanitizing, mask wearing, social distancing (6 feet) and vaccination, including the 4th booster shot.

The highest risk of contracting COVID is when a resident and another individual are without masks and within 6 feet from each other. This can happen in the elevator, at the dining room table, playing pool, in a car, at church and passing each other or talking in the hallway. If a resident is concerned about their own safety in any of these situations, it’s safest to wear a  mask. It is a good choice, no matter what others are doing.

Visitors, family, friends, contracted help and all staff must continue to wear masks inside the apartment buildings and when providing residents with personal care. Unvaccinated visitors are not permitted to visit inside the apartment buildings.

Please report any symptoms of COVID to the Receptionist.

MENNO PLACE COVID UPDATE – April 14, 2022

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APRIL 14, 2022

Scenario Protocols (1, 2, 3) – CLICK HERE

MENNO HOME E1: Monitoring is complete!

Everything returns to usual COVID-era protocols. Dining and activities are open and visitors are welcome.

 

 

 

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MENNO HOME W1: Enhanced Monitoring (April 7, 2022)

NO NEW CASES

TOTAL COVID POSITIVE CASES = 5  (0 STAFF/ 5 RESIDENT)

Protocols:
  • Twice daily symptom screening for  staff and residents
  • Staff are cohorted and will use separate break rooms
  • Staff must wear goggles in addition to masks
  • Communal dining and group activities stop
  • Residents who test positive are isolated
  • Social visits can continue

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MENNO HOSPITAL E2: ENHANCED MONITORING (April 11, 2022)

NO NEW CASES

TOTAL COVID POSITIVE CASES = 3  (0 STAFF/ 3 RESIDENTS)

  • Active screening twice a day for staff and residents
  • Staff entering the unit MUST wear masks and goggles
  • Communal dining and group activities are stopped
  • Essential and social visits continue as before
  • Continue with Admission and transfer
  • Cohort staff to East 2. Staff can continue to use main entrance provided that meticulous handwashing is done.

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PRIMROSE GARDENS:  SELF-MONITORING – Scenario 1 (March 22, 2022)

NO NEW CASES

TOTAL COVID POSITIVE CASES = 5 (0 STAFF /5 RESIDENTS)

The residents who tested positive are self-isolating. There are no other changes for Primrose Gardens at this time.

  • Staff and residents will be screened twice a day
  • The dining room remains open
  • Recreation activities continue
  • Visitors are welcome

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PAVILION: SELF-MONITORING – Scenario 1 (April 7, 2022)

NO NEW CASES

TOTAL COVID POSITIVE CASES = 1 (1 STAFF / 0 RESIDENTS)

There are no changes for Pavilion residents at this time. The dining room and activities stay open and visitors are welcome.

 

MENNO PLACE COVID UPDATE – April 13, 2022

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APRIL 13, 2022

Scenario Protocols (1, 2, 3) – CLICK HERE

MENNO HOME W1: Enhanced Monitoring (April 7, 2022)

NEW POSITIVE CASES = 1 RESIDENT

TOTAL COVID POSITIVE CASES = 5  (0 STAFF/ 5 RESIDENT)

Protocols:
  • Twice daily symptom screening for  staff and residents
  • Staff are cohorted and will use separate break rooms
  • Staff must wear goggles in addition to masks
  • Communal dining and group activities stop
  • Residents who test positive are isolated
  • Social visits can continue

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MENNO HOSPITAL E2: ENHANCED MONITORING (April 11, 2022)

NO NEW CASES

TOTAL COVID POSITIVE CASES = 3  (0 STAFF/ 3 RESIDENTS)

  • Active screening twice a day for staff and residents
  • Staff entering the unit MUST wear masks and goggles
  • Communal dining and group activities are stopped
  • Essential and social visits continue as before
  • Continue with Admission and transfer
  • Cohort staff to East 2. Staff can continue to use main entrance provided that meticulous handwashing is done.

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MENNO HOME E1: ENHANCED MONITORING (April 5, 2022)

NO NEW CASES

TOTAL COVID POSITIVE CASES = 4  (3 STAFF/ 1 RESIDENT)

Protocols:
  • Twice daily symptom screening for  staff and residents
  • Staff must wear goggles in addition to masks
  • No changes for residents – dining room stays open
  • Visitors are welcome

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PRIMROSE GARDENS:  SELF-MONITORING – Scenario 1 (March 22, 2022)

NO NEW CASES

TOTAL COVID POSITIVE CASES = 5 (0 STAFF /5 RESIDENTS)

The residents who tested positive are self-isolating. There are no other changes for Primrose Gardens at this time.

  • Staff and residents will be screened twice a day
  • The dining room remains open
  • Recreation activities continue
  • Visitors are welcome

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PAVILION: SELF-MONITORING – Scenario 1 (April 7, 2022)

NO NEW CASES

TOTAL COVID POSITIVE CASES = 1 (1 STAFF / 0 RESIDENTS)

There are no changes for Pavilion residents at this time. The dining room and activities stay open and visitors are welcome.