Menno Apartments Memo: July 29, 2020 – Please read in full

Residents in Menno Apartments will receive a memo copy at their suite door July 29th afternoon.

Going Off the Menno Place Campus

You may now leave the Menno Place Campus, following Public Health Guidelines
The Assisted Living Registrar has advised us that residents living in Terrace East Assisted Living are now able to go on outings if they adhere to the BC Center for Disease Control parameters. Independent Living residents may also go on outings that adhere to the BC Center for Disease Control parameters.

Public Health Guidelines include social distancing (6 feet), washing hands frequently and staying home if feeling unwell. Gatherings may not be larger than 50 people and must be socially distanced.

Your risks are all of our risks: Every risk you take in going out can impact the others who share your Apartment building – your neighbours, friends and the staff. If you get infected with COVID-19, you could be the one who brings it home to your Apartment building where it can spread rapidly. COVID-19 is highly contagious. Be VIGILANT and CAUTIOUS in your outings so that you keep YOURSELF and EVERYONE at Menno Place safe.

Going Off the Menno Place Campus:

1. Walking to Mill Lake Park –LOWER RISK – wear a mask around others, stay 6ft apart
2. Visiting in the outdoors such as Living Waters Gardens – LOWER RISK – wear a mask at all times, stay 6ft apart, use hand sanitizer – risk increases as it gets crowded
3. Going to a church service – HIGHER RISK – follow all instructions, 50 people or less, wear mask and 6ft apart, use hand sanitizer.
4. Going to a wedding or funeral – HIGHEST RISK – as there is no organization enforcing infection control protocols. Wear a mask, stay 6ft apart to protect yourself, use hand sanitizer.
5. Going to a restaurant – HIGHER RISK – server should be wearing a mask, they will ask for your phone number for tracing purposes, use hand sanitizer
6. Going to an appointment with a service provider – LOWER RISK – (hair salon, barber, pedicure, doctor, dentist, physiotherapist, chiropractor, massage therapist, etc.) – follow all instructions, wear a mask at all times, use hand sanitizer
7. Going to a family’s home for dinner – HIGHER RISK – don’t hug, kiss or touch. You must wear a mask and stay 6ft apart, use hand sanitizer – LOWER RISK if the gathering is outside
8. Going to a public location with strangers (store, mall, public transit, Handy Dart) – HIGHER RISK – wear a mask at all times, stay 6ft apart, use hand sanitizer

This is a time for Caution – Stay in or start with LOWER RISK activities

Menno Place recommends that residents of Terrace East Assisted Living USE AN ABUNDANCE OF CAUTION to “open-up” outings as we are now seeing an increase in COVID-19 positive cases in our province.

Dr. Bonnie Henry, BC’s Public Health Officer is warning that there could be “explosive growth” in COVID-19 infections as the number of positive cases surges (July 20, 2020). She also said that 20% of COVID-19 patients in long-term care homes have died of their illness. Key factors contributing to these deaths include: being over 80 years old; having an illness that compromises your immune system and living in congregate housing where you more readily meet up with others.

If you are going off campus, you MUST follow these guidelines

For all residents living in Assisted Living and Independent Living (Pavilion, Terrace East, Terrace West, Primrose Gardens), you MUST do the following.

• Practice social distancing at all times – remain 6ft away from all others. No hugging or touching.
• Wear a mask as much as possible. Examples: at the hair salon, doctor’s office, driving in a car, at the store. Your mask MUST cover both your nose and mouth.
• Wash your hands with soap and water as frequently as you can. Use hand sanitizer when you can’t.
• Carry hand sanitizer with you and use it when you touch any object that others may have touched (door knob, car handle, shopping cart, chair arm, PIN pad for paying)
• Immediately hand sanitize when you return to your apartment building (before you get on the elevator)
• Immediately wash your hands with soap and water when you enter your own apartment suite
• Avoid touching your face so that you don’t bring the virus from your hand to your mouth, nose or eyes
• Self-monitor your own symptoms and health, using Self-Screening Questions
• Report your symptoms to Reception or Care Staff if you have any new symptoms
• Keep track of the people you contact and the places you go during each time you go out so that Public Health can trace any COVID-19 infections and warn you if you have come into contact with the virus
• Do not participate in events that have more than 50 people in attendance. If you attend an event with 50 people, you MUST practice social distancing. Bring your mask and hand sanitizer.

How to Stay Safe when you go out:

• Create a Safe Bubble (Group): Create a “bubble” of safe people with whom you visit. Your bubble should be a small group, no more than 6 people who are also following safe infection control practices such as social distancing (6ft apart) and wearing masks. Your bubble will likely be your children and very best friends only. Ask your family to meet outdoors for socially distanced visits as it is safer and the weather is good now in the summer. No matter how difficult it is, do NOT hug or touch others.
• Protect Yourself from Strangers: ALWAYS wear a mask if you are indoors with people who are not in your bubble, for example those in a grocery store. Strangers may come within 6 feet of you and put you at risk (example: in a grocery store lineup or in the aisle). Your mask and hand sanitizer are your protection. Use them often.
• Minimize Indoor Events: Minimize the number of indoor events you go to each week. Once per week is a reasonable number. This includes going to stores, church, family dinner’s in a home, grocery shopping or beauty appointments. Menno Place continues to accept grocery deliveries to ensure that you do not NEED to go out for essential grocery items. The highest risk places are where others are not practicing infection control – places where they are not wearing masks or staying 6ft apart from each other.
• Maximize Outdoor Events: Walking to Mill Lake is a low risk outing because it is outdoors. Take a mask and hand sanitizer with you. If it is crowded or you have a walking partner, wear your mask.
• Use Your MASK AND HAND SANITIZER: Carry a personal hand sanitizer with you and use it OFTEN. Always carry a mask and use it if you can’t be 6feet apart from others. Change your clothing when you arrive home from your outing if you can do so safely.

When to stop going out:

• If someone you know has COVID-19 symptoms – Stop going out if you hear of anyone in your circles/bubble (church, friends, family) who has COVID-19 or COVID-19 symptoms.
• If someone at Menno Place is COVID-19 positive – The safest place for you is IN your own apartment suite. We will inform you if there is a COVID-19 positive at Menno Place.
• If YOU feel ill with symptoms of COVID-19 (see Self-Screening Questions)
• If the number of COVID-19 positive cases continues to increase in the Fraser Health Region.

Self-Screening Questions

Do you have new onset of any of these symptoms:

Do you have any of these risk factors?

Safe Social Distance Outdoor Visits at Menno Place

Menno Place has encouraged outdoor, socially distanced visits on the Menno Place campus. This has been a great opportunity for apartment residents to enjoy their families and friends. To ensure your visit is safe outdoors, you MUST follow these actions:

• Social Distancing: You must stay 6 feet apart from others. Don’t park your walker close to someone. There are signs and red duct tape markers to show you how far away you need to be in order to keep yourself and your visitor/friend safe. Six feet apart is VERY far from each other and will feel “too far”. Resist the urge to get closer. Remember, all of the tables are only 4 feet across, so you will need to sit back from them in order to make the 6 foot required safe distance work.
• Masks: Wearing a mask protects you from others’ spit droplets. You need to wear it over your nose and mouth if you want to stay safe. It also protects others from your spit droplets.
• Crowding: Avoid being in a crowd. There are many residents who use the Living Waters Gazebo to visit. If it is full, find another place to sit and enjoy the outdoors. Menno Place monitors the crowding in the Gazebo. We do not want to shut it down. Please follow the marks on the ground (red tape) to know if there is a place for you in the gazebo.
• Smile masks: You can now purchase a vinyl clear mask that allows others to see your lips. This is good if you or others are hard of hearing. We ordered 20 masks and they are $10 each. Call Reception to place an order for you or your family member.

Returning from Hospitalization

• A COVID-19 Swab Test is required BEFORE you return to Menno Apartments from the hospital.
• You must isolate for 14 days after returning from hospital in order to ensure that you are not COVID-19 positive and to ensure that you don’t inadvertently spread COVID-19 if you are asymptomatic (without any symptoms).