Extreme Heat Response

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 and 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 and 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 and tenants are wearing light-weight clothing.

To prevent heat exhaustion among our staff, staff mask and eye protection requirements may be temporarily relaxed given the extreme heat.

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 and 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.

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