Thoughts on COVID at Menno Place

/in , ,

Some thoughts on COVID at Menno Place:

We are very happy that the number of COVID positives for residents is not growing. This is a huge relief for our leadership, staff and families. We know that this very infectious variant (Omicron) is still bringing about high numbers of hospitalizations and deaths in BC – and that is a very sad situation for so many who are impacted by the virus in this way.
BOOSTERS – We are grateful for the booster shot for our residents and staff members – this is proving to reduce risk of hospitalization by 50% as compared to only 2 shots. We know that this layer of vaccination protection is what is making this wave of COVID at Menno Place a much more manageable situation. We have still struggled with staffing shortages when our staff are off sick and we continue to look for nurses to join out Menno Place team. If you know of any you’d like to refer, please send them to https://www.MennoPlace.ca/careers to apply.
COMMUNITY MEETINGS AT THE APARTMENTS – Because of the high rate of booster shots, we are working to bring back more of our normal life with a focus on the Apartments that does not have the same visitor restrictions at this time. This means that we are working hard to keep the dining rooms open and will be holding Community Meetings for all the apartment buildings for the first time in 2 years! This is an exciting opportunity for residents to share their challenges, hopes and vision for the next stage of the pandemic. We are so pleased to see how many residents remain committed to the additional layer of mask-wearing.
RESIDENT COUNCIL AT HOME AND HOSPITAL – We have also returned to having resident council meetings at the Home and Hospital – a great way for us to hear from residents. This brings us all so much joy to hear their gratitude and ideas for how we can have good times together again as we plan for the future.
VISITING AT HOME AND HOSPITAL There are no changes to the visitation restrictions for Menno Home and Hospital. One essential visitor and one social visitor for each resident (one at a time) at this time. Our Visitation Hosts are happy to greet essential and social visitors and to, screen you and get you safely in to see your loved one. If you are visiting a palliative resident, please come as an essential visitor regardless of your vaccination status. We will outfit you in appropriate PPE to ensure you have this very important time with your loved one. Please arrange this with the nurse on the unit.
GOOD NEWS! There are 2 units off Enhanced Monitoring today – one in Home (E2) and one in Hospital (W2). What good news! Great job by the staff in preventing transmission of COVID among the residents!
MENNO TV – Chaplain John Dyck and Leonard Klassen (Life Enrichment Coordinator) do an amazing job bringing information to the residents of Menno Place each Tuesday and Friday at 11am on Menno TV (channel 10 in apartments, channel 59 in Home/Hospital). It’s really fun to watch them and residents love that they can hear the announcements CLEARLY in their own space. They go to Terrace West to do these announcements in person.
SUNSHINE COMING! We love that there is good weather coming up. This will help to cheer our residents and our staff. The weather has been particularly challenging this year – or is it that we are all just so very tired of COVID?
WORKSHEET DOWNLOAD – GOOD ONE! We created a worksheet that is really helpful for you if you are deciding what the risks of hospitalization are for your loved one – some of you are wondering how to plan a special birthday party or attend a funeral – these questions can be informed by the specific risk your loved one faces – check out the worksheet (PDF) – click here: https://mennoplacelife.com/wp-content/uploads/bsk-pdf-manager/2022/01/COVID-19-Hospitalization-Risk.pdf
DAILY UPDATES – With the level of COVID in our community and impacting our staff, we have had a difficult time updating you on a daily basis. Updates on staff who are COVID positive will now be focused only on the COVID positive staff who have had close contact with residents.
THANK YOU – We know that you are walking this journey with us – and that you feel the stress of the changes and the length of time. A friend told me that there is a German saying – if you know it, please put it in the comments – in English, “It’s the length that is the burden.” Yes, it is. This has been a long and difficult journey together. So much has been lost that we can barely remember the vibrant ways we did life together here at Menno Place. As Leonard Klassen said today on Menno TV – “We will get through this together.” We will. We are.