Visitor Policy Update – July 10, 2020 – Video
Family and Friends Visits Survey
Thank you to everyone (192 people) who has filled out the Family and Friends Visits Survey. We are so appreciative of your input as we put together the safe visits process for visits to begin at Menno Home, Menno Hospital and Terrace East Assisted Living. Take a look at the results of the questions – CLICK HERE
Visit Update Video (scroll down for video)
Sharon Simpson has done a video (scroll down) explaining the process and answering the questions that you asked in that survey. At this time, we are awaiting the funding to hire three full-time equivalent positions to assist with the visits. We are planning to have spouses / partners as first priority to visit their loved one. There will only be one designated visitor in our first phase of visits. Each visitor will have infection control protocols to follow. Those are some of the same protocols that we require of our staff, including wearing a mask. Our staff, by the way, also change their clothing each shift to wear freshly laundered clothing when they arrive at work. They wear goggles, masks and gowns. They are doing an incredible job of staying safe and keeping your loved ones safe!
As you wait for the in-person, no-touch visits to begin, please take full advantage of the Zoom calls and the Messages of Love programs that we’ve set up to communicate with your loved one. Some of you commented that you just want to see your loved one to know that they are doing okay. You can use Zoom for this, even if your loved one is non-verbal or unable to communicate, you can see how they are in their room on that day. This has worked for others to help ease the anxiety of not knowing how they are doing.
Here are the links:
Book a Zoom Call with Menno Home resident
Book a Zoom Call with Menno Hospital resident
Send a Message of Love (will be printed and delivered – you may include photos)
Smile Masks
On the mask-front, we have exciting news that 20 “smile masks” are en-route to Menno Place. They have vinyl where the mouthpiece is so that lips can be seen. They are $10 per mask, non-medical grade and hand-washable – created by a speech therapist who knows the importance of lips being seen when communicating. They fog up, so there’s instructions to minimize fogging that come with the mask. Call Terrace East Reception to order a mask: 604.851.4004 (Claire Colvin). We have also ordered 50 medical-grade smile masks, but don’t anticpate that they will arrive until late summer.
A Cautious and Phased Approach
We are saddened to see that there are outbreaks at two long-term care homes in BC (Vancouver Holy Family Hospital and Maple Hill) and, once again, deaths of residents who live in those homes. This is sobering and we are reminded how grateful we are that we are COVID-19 free – a tremendous feat with over 700 seniors on the same campus. Let’s continue to be vigilant and thank you for your patience as we await the promised funding and hire staff to do our best to ensure that we will continue to be COVID-19 free. Menno Place is committed to a cautious and phased approach to re-opening visits.
