BC Hydro Power Outage November 10 2023

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BC Hydro will be conducting a planned power outage on Friday, November 10th from 10am to 12pm. This is so that they can do some equipment maintenance.

The outage will affect the Primrose Gardens, Terrace East and Terrace West buildings. The emergency generators will provide power to one elevator in each building and essential power including hallway heating and some kitchen power. Residential apartments will be without power, heat and light during this time.

Lunch will still be served in each dinin room at the usual time. Residents should start coming down to lunch early as there will be longer lines at the elevator. Please be patient and do not attempt to take the stairs if that is not a usual activity for you. Residents are welcome to come down to the lobby if their apartment is uncomfortable during this time.

Concerts in Care – Oct 25th

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The next Concert in Care is Oct 25 at 10:30in the Menno Hospital chapel featuring Domagoj Ivanovic on violin and Karen Lee-Morlang on piano. All are welcome to join us.

Temporary Changes to Dining for Terrace East Residents

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2nd Update March 27: The dining room will remain closed to Terrace East residents for Monday and Tuesday March 27 & 28th. The number of cases is trending down and we hope to be back in the dining room soon.

Due to the spread of GI (similar to stomach flu) in Terrace East we have made a couple of temporary changes:

  • The dining room is temporarily closed to Terrace East residents. Meals and morning break will be delivered to each  apartment for Wednesday, Thursday and Friday (March 15 – 17).
    We hope to be back in the dining room on Saturday.
  • Terrace West residents will still eat in the dining room.
  • Morning break for Terrace West residents has been moved to the Terrace West bistro area.

We are NOT in lockdown. All residents who are feeling well can move about the building, go outside, and run errands.  Residents who are feeling sick are asked to please stay home until you feel better. Terrace East residents who start to experience symptoms (vomiting and/or diarrhea) should press their pendant so care staff can assist them.

All residents can still have visitors. If you are coming into the Terrace East building please be aware that GI is highly contagious and be extra careful if you or someone in your household is immunocompromised.

Recreation activities are being split by building. Terrace West residents will get updates in the lunch time announcements each day. For Terrace East most recreation activities are paused except for bingo which will still happen at 1:15 on Thursday. Terrace East bingo players will meet in the first floor lounge. Terrace West will play in the Terrace West bistro.

There are no changes for Primrose Gardens or the Pavilion at this time.

Income Tax Preparation for Apartment Residents

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We are pleased to provide income tax preparation services completed by a volunteer accountant, working in conjunction with the Community Volunteer Income Tax Program (CVITP). The CVITP partners with Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) to provide volunteers who prepare tax returns for those who have a modest income and a simple tax solution.

Eligibility:

  • Individuals with income up to $35,000
  • Couples with income up to $45,000
  • Simple tax solution

To access this service please see Claire or Angela at reception to get a form. Return the completed form to reception no later than April 14th.  Reception will set up a phone appointment for you with the accountant.

Appointments will be by phone on Wednesday and Saturday afternoons throughout March and April. There are a couple of in-person appointments available as well.

For family members:

Family members are welcome to be on the call with the resident if they choose. For family members who have a current POA agreement, you can choose to take the call instead of the resident with permission from the resident. Please contact Claire 604-851-4004 to arrange this.

Memo: Expanded Options for Visitors to Assisted Living Only

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The BC Ministry of Health has expanded the visitation rules for Assisted Living residents to allow one unvaccinated essential visitor per resident. This change does not apply to long term care (Menno Home or Menno Hospital) at this time.

All requests for essential visitors to Terrace East must be approved by Trish Giesbrecht. Once approved, the visitors will be placed on a list so the visitation hosts know they can come into the building.

All unvaccinated visitors must:

  • Wear a mask at all times while inside the building.
  • Take a COVID rapid test at every visit.
  • Only visit in the resident’s apartment. Please do not visit in lounges, the dining room, the lobby or the bistro.

In addition, pharmacy and grocery delivery drivers will no longer need to be vaccinated and will be able to bring your delivery right up to your apartment door.

If you would like to request an essential visitor for Terrace East please see Claire at Reception or call 604-851-4004.

If you have questions about unvaccinated visitors to Menno Home or Menno Hospital please call Garry Janzen 604-851-1332.

Resident Satisfaction Survey Results 2022 – Independent & Assisted Living Apartments at Menno Place

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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).

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.

Updated Visitation Guidelines for Long Term Care and Assisted Living

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As previously announced, the BC Ministry of Health has put out new guidelines for visiting in Long Term Care and Assisted Living. These guidelines officially began on Mar 18th but here at Menno Place we’ve been already been enjoying these changes for the last week.

Are there any additional changes to what was announced on March 11th? Yes:

  • At home testing – LTC visitors have the option to complete their rapid test at home prior to coming on campus. On site testing is also available. If you choose to test at home we recommend putting the date on your test and taking a photo on your cellphone to show the host when you arrive. (At home testing is not currently an option for Terrace East.)
  • Masks can be removed in single resident rooms. Masks must be worn in all common areas and shared rooms.
  • Assisted Living residents can choose a designated visitor. Designated visitors are able to visit at all times, even in the event of an outbreak. (LTC residents already have designated visitors.)

You can find the full set of changes that went into effect on March 11th by clicking here.

MEMO: Terrace East Elevator Safety & Guidelines

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Now that everyone is coming down for meals again we wanted to remind you of the current rules and safety practices for using the elevators. These guidelines will ensure everyone has a safe and enjoyable ride.

  1. Max 4 people in the Terrace East elevator at a time. Up to four people (staff and residents) can be in the elevator at the same time. If the elevator arrives and there are already four people inside please wait for the next one. For the Terrace West elevator the max stays at 2 people.
  2. Please do not push to get in or out of the elevator. We understand that elevators can be slow and sometimes it’s hard to wait but it’s important to take good care of each other. Shoving can lead to injuries or even a fall and we don’t want that. There is plenty of time. Thank you for practicing patience.
  3. Wear your mask. All residents, staff, and guests are required to wear a medical mask in all hallways, elevators and stairways. Please make sure your mask covers both your nose, mouth and chin.
  4. Come down for lunch at 12:00, not before. Remember to wait until 12:00 to come down for lunch so we don’t get a crowd gathering in the lobby.

If you have any questions or concerns about using the elevator please let Leonard know (604-851-4006). Your safety and wellbeing is our highest concern.