Menno Place – Following our safety plan in an unprecedented heatwave

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Dear Menno Place Resident/Tenant Families,

­­­­In response to the heat wave impacting our region, we have put several measures in place as part of our emergency preparedness plan, to ensure the health and safety of our residents/tenants.

As such, we are closely working with Fraser Health leadership to address heat-related challenges and access support and resources, including relief staff and air conditioning devices.

To protect our residents/tenants, we are proactively monitoring them for signs of heat-related conditions and mitigating their risk in the following ways:

  • Ensuring they are regularly hydrated;
  • Providing cooling cloths;
  • Using ice machines and fans/air conditioning devices;
  • Closing blinds and ensuring residents/tenants are wearing light-weight clothing.

To prevent heat exhaustion among our staff, staff mask and eye protection requirements have been temporarily relaxed given the extreme heat. We have removed the expectation for residents in the apartments to wear masks.

The risk of heat-related dangers to older adults at this time is more imminent than COVID-19 transmission. Thus, sites not experiencing an outbreak can relax certain COVID-19 restrictions at their site, such as grouping residents/tenants in cooling spaces and using fans/air conditioning devices. The relaxation of these restrictions is possible because of the protection residents/tenants/staff have received through widespread vaccination in long-term care and assisted living sites, and the decreased risk of COVID-19 transmission in our community.

We encourage you as families and friends to get vaccinated for COVID-19 in order to keep your loved ones safe. If you have the opportunity to get fully vaccinated (2nd dose + 14 days), you are bringing a significantly high layer of protection to your loved one, other residents and our staff when you visit.

Once the heat warning has ended, we will work with Fraser Health leadership to re-evaluate our approach.

If you have any specific questions about your loved one, please contact the nurse on their unit, or the Manager of Community Enrichment in the Apartments.

Sincerely,

Menno Place Leadership