APRIL 20 – TERRACE EAST AND TERRACE WEST – Total COVID positive = 2

COVID UPDATE – April 20, 2021 – Terrace East (TE) and Terrace West (TW)

NEW COVID POSITIVE CASES  = 0 (0 residents / 2 staff)

TOTAL COVID POSITIVE CASES = 2 (0 residents/ 2 staff)

TOTAL NEW SYMPTOMATIC = 1 (1 resident / 0 staff)

SWABBED FOR COVID – 24  residents – all results are NEGATIVE – YAY!  |  27 staff swabbed – 23/27 negative awaiting 4 more results

Terrace East remains on isolation and all who require full PPE continue to require full PPE for staff to enter their apartment suite. We are so grateful to our chaplain, Scott McKenzie for his ministry in Terrace East. He will be spending time with residents encouraging them as they go through this 14 day isolation. If you would like Scott to pay a visit to your loved one, please email him: Scott.McKenzie@MennoPlace.ca

ISOLATION ORDERS LIFTED FOR TERRACE WEST

The Medical Health Officer has assessed the situation and Terrace West is NO LONGER ON ISOLATION!

Registered Visitors may resume visits and support.

Today was an audit by Fraser Health to ensure that all of our practices support the safety of residents and staff. They were very pleased with the way that our staff team is managing the protocols and safety. Thank you to Cheryl Dawes and the amazing staff of Terrace East & West!

APRIL 19 – TERRACE EAST AND TERRACE WEST – Total COVID positive = 2

COVID UPDATE – April 19, 2021 – Terrace East and Terrace West

NEW COVID POSITIVE CASES  = 0 (0 residents / 2 staff)

TOTAL COVID POSITIVE CASES = 2 (0 residents/ 2 staff)

TOTAL NEW SYMPTOMATIC = 0 (0 residents / 0 staff)

SWABBED FOR COVID – 24  residents and all staff


There is no update of information today except to say that there are no new symptomatic residents nor staff. Some staff swabs have come back, all are negative.

We have received a number of emails from family members along with phone calls that prompts this next set of Frequently Asked Questions. If you have additional questions, please email them to Sharon.Simpson@MennoPlace.ca

Frequently Asked Questions:

  1. My loved one lives in Terrace West and is in need of my help daily with medication administration. How can I help them? Will Menno Place provide them with this help? Answer: You may apply for Essential Visitor status through a conversation with Cheryl Dawes, Manager, Community Enrichment – 604.851.4020. This is a new kind of visitor for those living in Independent Living. All Essential Visitors must be assessed and permitted through Cheryl Dawes. You can read about Essential Visits on the Fraser Health website – CLICK HERE
  2. I need to get some important paperwork to my loved one in Terrace West. What do I do? Call Leonard Klassen, Life Enrichment Coordinator – 6043851.4006+ to arrange pick-up of the paperwork from you to the resident.
  3. Why are residents on isolation when they have been vaccinated? This decision to isolate residents is made by Public Health. They have collected all the information about who was in contact with the initial COVID positive staff member and have evaluated the risk to the residents.
    We know that the chance of a double-dose vaccinated person becoming COVID-19 positive is a 5% chance (efficacy rate of 2 doses of Pfizer-BioNtech is 95%) and that it lessens the symptoms and severity of the disease if you are vaccinated.
    We expect as time passes and the evidence of how the vaccine protects people becomes stronger that there will be more freedom. Until the population is vaccinated to herd immunity (60-70%), it is likely that there will be continued caution.
  4. Why aren’t staff getting vaccinated? 94% of our staff are vaccinated. There are medical and personal reasons why a staff member may choose to not get vaccinated. It is important to remember that medical information is confidential. Staff are not required to disclose to Menno Place (employer) whether or not they are vaccinated. We receive the percentage of staff vaccinated from Fraser Health’s records. All healthcare workers are required to state their employer when they get their vaccination.

Please send further questions to Sharon.Simpson@MennoPlace.ca

You will receive daily reports on www.MennoPlaceLife.com and www.Facebook.com/groups/MennoPlace

If you have questions, please address them to Cheryl Dawes, Manager, Community Enrichment, 605.851.4020 – Cheryl.Dawes@MennoPlace.ca

APRIL 18 – TERRACE EAST AND TERRACE WEST – Total COVID positive = 2

COVID POSITIVE – April 18, 2021 – Terrace East and Terrace West

NEW COVID POSITIVE CASES  = 1 (0 residents / 2 staff)

TOTAL COVID POSITIVE CASES = 2 (0 residents/ 2 staff)

TOTAL NEW SYMPTOMATIC = 4 (2 residents / 2 staff)

SWABBED FOR COVID – 24  residents and all staff


24 residents were swabbed for COVID today. Primary contacts for all residents have been contacted. These 24 residents are on droplet precaution and full PPE (personal protective equipment) is required to enter their suite. This includes gown, gloves, goggles, mask. This does not mean that they have COVID. This is a precaution to prevent spread.

All staff are required to be swabbed for COVID.

All residents in Terrace East and Terrace West are on isolation. No visitors, no leaving their apartment suite. If all is well and this does not spread, this isolation will end at midnight on May 1st. This will change if there COVID spreads.

We are following orders from public health who have gathered all pertinent information to assess the risk of the situation to other staff and residents in both Terrace East and Terrace West.

As you know, we locked down visitation March 16th, 2020 and have now passed the 13 month point since that date. We are pleased with the way that we’ve been able to manage outside visits for Terrace East which has not been possible for other Assisted Living buildings. Thank you for keeping your loved ones safe in these visits. There has been no COVID exposure through these visits. We are pleased with the very successful Registered Visitor program which has allowed all Independent Living residents to have up to 2 Registered Visitors. There has been no COVID exposure through this program. A tribute to the loved ones of our Independent Living residents!

We are MOST pleased with the opening of social visits on April 1, 2021. This was pure joy for our staff to witness the reunions of loved ones. The love expressed between residents and their families/friends was a daily emotional happiness for us. The staff in Terrace East and Terrace West have wept with the news of lockdown, knowing how difficult this will be once again for the residents they love and serve.

We are grateful to the Visitation Hosts who screened 199 visits from April 1 – 14, the first two weeks of social visits. 79% of the Terrace East residents received one or more visits. Many received many more. This open visiting was short-lived, but it will resume one day. For now, we are working in cooperation with Public Health to ensure that COVID does not spread any further.

You will receive daily reports on www.MennoPlaceLife.com and www.Facebook.com/groups/MennoPlace

If you have questions, please address them to Cheryl Dawes, Manager, Community Enrichment, 605.851.4020 – Cheryl.Dawes@MennoPlace.ca

 

 

COVID UPDATE – APRIL 17 – TERRACE EAST AND TERRACE WEST – MEMO

This memo was handed out to the residents of Terrace East and Terrace West on April 16, 2021

Dear Residents of Terrace East & Terrace West,

We were notified this morning that a staff member in Terrace East has tested positive for COVID. Because East and West share a dining room the Public Health Office has ordered a two week isolation for both Terrace East and Terrace West.

The following rules are in place from Friday April 16 – Saturday May 1:

  1. All residents must remain in their suites at all times. You are not permitted to walk the halls or go outside.
  2. The dining room is closed. All meals will be served in your suite.
  3. All recreation activities are cancelled. Recreation programming on
    Channel 10 will continue.
  4. Grocery delivery will resume. Your loved ones can drop off essential groceries and laundry from 9-11am, seven days a week.
  5. All visits to Terrace East residents have been cancelled.
  6. Registered Visitors are NOT permitted inside Terrace West during this time.
  7. All medical appointments will need to be rescheduled. If you have an urgent appointment please call the LPN for direction: 604 615-7652

If you have any questions please phone Claire at Reception: 604 851-4004.

Thank you for working with us to keep everyone safe. We understand how hard it is to be in isolation, especially in such nice weather. We hope to be able to get back to normal as soon as possible.
Cheryl Dawes
Manager of Community Enrichment

COVID-19 UPDATE – April 17, 2021 – TERRACE EAST AND WEST APARTMENTS – COVID POSITIVE STAFF

16- April-2021
Dear Residents and Families of Menno Place Terrace- East,

We are writing to notify you that someone at Menno PlaceTerrace- East was diagnosed with COVID-19. The Fraser Health enhanced monitoring team is working with the staff and medical staff at the home to identify anyone who may have been exposed and to take steps to protect the health of all residents, staff and medical staff. Our Medical Health Officer has not declared a COVID-19 outbreak at this time.

This exposure does not mean that your family member is sick with COVID-19. Residents, staff and medical staff will be screened twice-daily for any signs of illness. Those who develop symptoms will be isolated, tested for COVID-19 and provided the care they need.

The health and safety of residents, staff and medical staff is our first priority and a responsibility we take very seriously. To date, as part of our proactive management, Fraser Health has worked to ensure enhanced measures are in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at this home.

We know that staying away from your loved one is very difficult and we appreciate that you are cooperating with this request with the goal of keeping residents, staff and medical staff healthy.
Staff and medical staff at this home will continue to provide care and services to our residents to enhance their safety and well-being while maintaining routines where it is safe to do so. We will also keep you up-to-date on any changes related to your family member’s health status.

For general information about COVID-19, call 8-1-1, or visit HealthLinkBC: https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-feature/coronavirus-covid-19.

If you have further questions, please contact Cheryl Dawes, Manager, Community Enrichment, 604.851.4020

COVID-19 UPDATE – April 16, 2021 – TERRACE EAST APARTMENTS – COVID POSITIVE STAFF

We received the report today that there is a COVID positive staff member who worked at Terrace East. All booked social visits have been cancelled for Friday and Saturday. *UPDATE* – Social visits will be cancelled for 2 weeks, opened again on May 1st if all is clear of COVID.
The dining room will be closed and residents will have their meals delivered to their apartments. All recreation activities are temporarily cancelled. No entrance into the building.
All who were in contact with this staff member will be contacted through public health tracing.
We are awaiting instruction from public health to let us know the next steps to keep residents and staff safe. We will keep you posted.

MEMO: Family & Friends of Terrace East (Assisted Living) Residents

MEMO

Date:               April 9, 2021
To:                   All Terrace East Family and Friends
Re:                   All Visits Must Be Scheduled
________________________________________________________________________

Dear Family and Friends of Terrace East Residents (Assisted Living),

We are delighted to be able to welcome you back into the Terrace East building! At this time we wanted to remind you of a couple of guidelines that will help keep the visiting program open and thriving:

  1. All visits must be scheduled. Current Public Health guidelines for Assisted Living require ALL visits to residents to be scheduled. This ensures that we can keep accurate records of who is in the building and properly screen each potential visitor before they enter the building.

    You can schedule your visit online at mennoplacelife.com . If you have special circumstances or want to inquire about an evening visit please phone
    Garry Janzen 604 851-1332.

  2. Wait for the visitation host to let you in. Many of you have keys for the Terrace East building and before COVID were able to come and go as you please. Please do not use your key to open the building at this time. The Visitation Host will come out to you. We are required to screen all visitors before they enter the building.

 

Also, we welcome Scott McKenzie, temporary chaplain, to the office in Terrace West. Leonard Klassen, Life Enrichment Coordinator is now located in Primrose Gardens. When John Dyck returns, he will be working from the Terrace West office.

Thank you for your cooperation. It is lovely to see so many visitors coming to see the residents.

Cheryl Dawes
Manager of Community Enrichment

MEMO TO ASSISTED LIVING RESIDENTS – COVID PROTOCOL UPDATE

MEMO HANDED TO TERRACE EAST (ASSISTED LIVING) RESIDENTS APRIL 1, 2021

**EDIT: Dining Room Times

Lunch :  11:30 – 12:00 – Coffee & Tea Service

12:00: Meal Service Begins

Dinner: 4:30-5:00 Coffee & Tea Service

5:00 Meal Service Begins

 

Date:              April 1, 2021

To:                   Assisted Living, Terrace East
Re:                  Changes to Social Visits

________________________________________________________________________

Effective Today – Changes to Social Visits

On March 25, 2021, Dr. Bonnie Henry, BC’s Public Health Officer (PHO) announced significant changes to the way that families and friends can visit residents in Assisted Living and Long-Term Care. For the first time in a year, you will be able to welcome family and friends into your apartment. This will not be the same as it was before the pandemic as there are still very high numbers of COVID cases in the community and we are being urged to be vigilant and careful.

As most of the residents in Assisted Living received 2 doses of the Pfizer vaccine, the PHO has allowed visitors, once again, into your apartment suites.

What is different about how these visits will take place?

  1. Every visitor has to pre-book their visit 48 hours in advance. They will not be able to enter the building if they haven’t booked their visit. Visits can be booked at MennoPlaceLife.com using an online booking calendar. The visitor must do the booking. We will let you know if you have a visit booked. Visits can be booked 7 days a week with a start time between 10am and 5:45pm on weekends and 8:45am – 5:45pm on weekdays.

 

  1. The visitor can ONLY come and go through the main entrance of Terrace East. They will be screened (asked about COVID symptoms and COVID risks) and must pass before they are allowed to enter the building.

 

  1. All visitors MUST wear a medical mask supplied by Menno Place. They must wear it for their ENTIRE visit. They can’t take it off. It must cover their mouth and nose at all times. This mask is a layer of protection for your visitor. It must be worn.
  2. Visitors must sanitize their hands when they enter the building and frequently while they are in the building or visiting you. By practicing hand hygiene, they add another layer of protection for all the people who live and work in the building. Although most are vaccinated, some are not. There are valid reasons (medical and personal) for individuals to not get the COVID vaccine.
  3. Your visitor may NOT buzz up through the enterphone system at the front door. Do not let anyone up through this door buzz system.

 

  1. Visitors can only be in groups from the same household with a maximum of 2 adults + 1 child under 18. You can’t have more than this number of visitors at one time in your apartment.

 

  1. The lounges and common spaces are NOT available for visiting. You can only visit in your apartment suite inside the building.
  2. Visitors can only visit YOU. They must stay 6 feet away from other visitors, residents and staff.
  3. Visitors will bring you deliveries and groceries. There will be no more delivery of these items by the Menno Place team. Your visitor will be responsible to sanitize items to ensure that they are safe for you. Your mail will continue to be delivered to your apartment.
  4. Your visitor can HUG you! They can hold your hand! They do not need to be 6 feet away from you. Your 2 doses of vaccine are a strong defense against COVID-19. If you have not been vaccinated, you will want to be very cautious and wear a medical mask when you are closer than 6 feet from your visitor.
  5. You may not visit with another resident in each other’s apartment suites. This has not changed.

 

  1. As over 90% of you have been vaccinated TWICE, you no longer have to wear a mask inside the Terrace East apartment building. If you haven’t been vaccinated, you will want to be cautious and continue wearing a mask.

 

  1. Dining all together in the dining room will begin today, April 1st! If you are not vaccinated and wish to dine in your apartment, please let nursing staff know your preference. ** SEE EDIT AT TOP OF PAGE WITH DINING ROOM TIMES. We encourage you to help remind your loved one of the time the meal time begins starts as they set a new routine going down to the dining room everyday. Feel free to make them a poster reminder, or anything that will help them remember.

 

  1. There is no limit to the number of visits you can have nor how long they can last.

 

  1. Your visitor may book an outing for you. This must be done through the nursing team.

 

  1. Your visitor can book an outdoor visit with you in the Living Waters Garden or the patio.

 

CHERYL DAWES

MANAGER OF COMMUNITY ENRICHMENT

604 851 4020

Update – Social Visits – Menno Home, Menno Hospital, Terrace East Assisted Living

Update – Social Visits – March 27, 2021 – Menno Home, Menno Hospital, Terrace East Assisted Living

Our teams did some great work to move forward with the practical steps needed to put in place the social visit changes, effective April 1, 2021.
We plan to open the new booking calendar on Tuesday, March 30th. We will announce it on our Family and Friends Facebook Page and to families through www.MennoPlaceLife.com
You can read a summary of new changes to the social visits on this webpage: https://mennoplacelife.com/social-visit/

A big change is that residents will be dining together in the dining rooms effective April 1, 2021.

You can also register on this web page to indicate that you want an email when the new booking calendar opens. We expect that it will be available on Tuesday, March 30th. Send this link (above) to anyone who wants to visit who is not currently a designated visitor.

We are excited to offer over 300 bookings per week per building in this new system. Bookings are available 7 days/week. We are recruiting to hire 2 more Visitation Hosts – more information is available on https://www.mennoplace.ca/careers/

The booking calendar will give you an entry-time when you will be screened to enter the building. You will then go to your loved one’s room or apartment to visit unsupervised, following infection control protocols.

There will be more communication coming about specific questions that you have, such as bringing in food, pets or joining your loved one in a meal.

An immediate change for Terrace East residents is that the grocery delivery to Reception will not continue after April 1, 2021. Groceries will be delivered directly to residents in their apartments by their social visitor.

There are many family members who are concerned about the safety of their loved one under these new guidelines. The staff are concerned about COVID as well. Please remember that this is a huge transition, particularly for those who have been frontline workers who have see first-hand the devastating effect of COVID and COVID isolation. Although this announcement is good news to some, it is difficult news for others.

Some of you are wondering what will happen with your current safe visit bookings – we plan to move bookings from April 1 – 8 into the new booking calendar at the same time as you are currently booked. After April 8, you’ll need to book your social visits again in the new booking calendar (opening next week).

Menno Place continues to be committed to the vigilant practice of infection control protocols within our buildings and among our residents. We are eager for residents to have this meaningful connection in a way that keeps everyone safe. It is a short time ago that we faced COVID head-on and that is something that we never want to face again. We are grateful for the respectful way you’ve connected with us throughout the past year of lockdown and COVID protocols.

Thank you, again, for how you continue to work with us for the good of your loved one. We pray that this next season of visits will be a time of immeasurable blessing for your loved one, for you and for our staff.

We are excited for you and your loved ones that you can be together, again, in this way. For many of you and our residents, it has been nearly unbearable. We look forward to seeing you next week!