Memo for Terrace East Residents – September 12, 2021

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MEMO

Date:             September 12, 2021
To:                  Terrace East Residents
Re:                  COVID-19 positive residents in Terrace East

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There are 2 COVID positive residents in Terrace East. As a result, new Public Health Orders are in place.

Residents on floors 5 & 6:

As a result, Public Health has ordered all residents of the 5th and 6th floor to be on droplet precautions. This means that you must remain in your apartment suite. Anyone who enters must wear full personal protective equipment (gown, goggles, mask). This does not mean that you are COVID positive. It is a precaution to help keep you safe. Your meals will be delivered to your apartment suite. All residents will be COVID swabbed on September 13th.

Residents on floors 1 to 4:

For residents living on floors 1-4, you will continue to go to the dining room for your meals. Masks are now mandatory anytime you are with someone in your apartment suite or if you are outside of your apartment suite (hallway, elevator). Keep your social distance and wash hands/sanitize frequently, especially when you return to your apartment.

For all residents in Terrace East:

There are no social visits during this time. You may not let anyone into the building using the enterphone. This includes family, housekeepers, friends or other personal service providers. You may not exit the apartment building to go on any outings, including going to church. No outside walks or visits, including going to the Gazebo or walking the Menno Place pathways. No entering others apartment suites. If you have an urgent medical appointment, please call Cheryl Dawes to make arrangements: 604.851.4020

All Recreation and Chaplain activities are temporarily suspended.

Essential deliveries must be arranged with Reception. Examples of essential items are: incontinence products, hearing aids, medications. There will not be someone at the door at all times, so delivery of these items must be approved through Reception: 604.851.4004.

Essential visitors are people whose visits have been assessed by nursing as essential, primarily those who are visiting a palliative resident. Only essential visitors are permitted to enter and they must arrange every visit with the nurse who will assist them with donning (putting on) and doffing (taking off) their Personal Protective Equipment (PPE).

We do not know when these orders will be lifted. It will be when Public Health is confident that COVID has not spread and that there are no contagious individuals. This is usually a 14-day period, but will be re-evaluated daily. It will be extended if there are any new COVID positive cases.

All residents on floors 5 & 6 as well as all staff who worked from September 8-12 will be COVID swabbed in the first point-prevalence testing. This test provides a baseline so that Public Health can know if or how widely COVID has spread within Terrace East.

We are pleased to remind you that we have a very high percentage of fully vaccinated residents and staff. We are finding in the Menno Home outbreak that the severity of the symptoms is significantly less for those who contract COVID than for the unvaccinated. This is very good news. It reminds us, however, that it is essential to report even the mildest of symptoms to the nursing team or to Reception. See below for list of symptoms.

COVID vaccination is not 100% protection from COVID, but it is the best protection we have against symptoms, hospitalization and death. We are very grateful that so many of you are vaccinated.

If you have any questions, please call me,

Cheryl Dawes, Manager, Community Enrichment – 604.851.4020

Do you have any of these COVID symptoms – even mildly? Tell the nurse.

Fever or chills? Cough? Unproductive cough?
Sore throat? Extreme fatigue or tiredness?
Body aches? Muscle aches? Diarrhea?
Difficulty breathing? Loss of sense of smell or taste?
Loss of appetite? Headache?
Nausea or vomiting?  

 

September 12, 2021 – TERRACE EAST – New COVID positive = 2 (T=2)

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COVID UPDATE – September 12, 2021 – Terrace East

NEW COVID POSITIVE CASES = 2 residents

TOTAL COVID POSITIVE CASES = 2 (2 residents)

We are sad to report that there are two COVID positive residents in Terrace East. The first COVID positive resident returned from a visit to Abbotsford Regional Hospital having had a COVID swab but without receiving the result of that swab. The resident was discharged and returned by family to Terrace East. Unfortunately, the result came back positive and additional residents and staff were exposed to COVID. Consequently, a second resident has tested positive. Families have been informed.

Residents of the 5th and 6th floor of Terrace East are now on droplet precautions.
This means that they are to remain in their apartment suites. All who enter their suites must wear full PPE.
All meals for 5th and 6th floor residents delivered to their suites.

No social visits for any Terrace East residents. No outings or exiting the TE building.
Essential visitors permitted – call Cheryl: 604.851.4020 if you are designated as an Essential Visitor.

Recreation activities temporarily suspended. A memo for residents will be handed out today and published on this site as well.

As we are in a time of high COVID prevalence, it is essential that everyone returning from Hospital (ER or admitted) receives a COVID test and obtains the results PRIOR to returning to Menno Apartments. Cheryl Dawes, Manager, Community Enrichment and her team are able to help residents and families navigate steps that keep residents and staff safe, including communication with Fraser Health.

MANDATORY MASKS FOR RESIDENTS: As a result of this situation, we require all Apartment residents to wear masks (mandatory) when they leave their apartment or when a visitor (IL) is in the apartment with them. It has been several weeks since we announced mandatory masks for all visitors. Medical grade masks are the preferred mask to be worn and are available at the foyer in every apartment for both residents and visitors.

WHAT TO DO IF YOUR LOVED ONE IS IN HOSPITAL AND THEN RETURNING HOME: We will be putting a poster on every apartment door that outlines what family should do if their loved one needs to go or return from hospital. As the apartment resident lives in communal living, their return from ARH puts at risk many others if they are COVID positive.

  1. INFORM MENNO PLACE OF HOSPITAL VISIT TO ER OR HOSPITAL ADMISSION – If your loved one goes to Hospital for any length of time (ER or Admitted), you must call our nursing team to inform them – Nursing Team: 604.615.7652.
  2. INFORM MENNO PLACE OF REQUESTED RETURN FROM HOSPITAL: Additionally, Cheryl and her team will provide the support you need to ensure that your loved one does not return to Menno Apartments with a COVID positive result. Do not discharge them or return from ER without the results of the COVID test. If they are COVID positive, Cheryl Dawes, Manager, Community Enrichment and her team will provide the support you need to navigate this situation while keeping others safe.
  3. KEEPING OTHERS SAFE: The protocols for a COVID positive resident include isolation in their room and full PPE (personal protective equipment) for the staff. It also includes enhanced cleaning of any objects touched by a COVID positive individual (railings, door handles, elevator buttons). If we don’t know about your loved one’s test result or pending test result, we can’t do everything required to keep other residents and staff safe.

ASK THE DAILY SCREENING QUESTIONS: As COVID prevalence has become greater in our community, it is all the more important to have these daily questions asked to each resident. We are encouraging family members to include these questions in your conversations. Click here for Screening Questions.

AUGUST 9, 2021 – TERRACE EAST COVID-19 EXPOSURE

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COVID UPDATE – August 9, 2021 – Terrace East (TE)

NEW COVID POSITIVE CASES  = 1(0 residents / 1 staff)

TOTAL COVID POSITIVE CASES = 1 (0 residents/ 1 staff)

TOTAL NEW SYMPTOMATIC = 0 (0 resident / 0 staff)

Dear Tenants and Families of Menno Terrace,

We are writing to notify you that someone at Menno Terrace was diagnosed with COVID-19. The Fraser Health COVID-19 Public Health team is working with the staff at the home to identify anyone who may have been exposed and to take steps to protect the health of all tenants and staff. Our Medical Health Officer has not declared a COVID-19 outbreak at this time.

This exposure does not mean you/your famly member is sick with COVID-19. Tenants and staff will be screened twice-daily for any signs of illness. Those who develop symptoms will be isolated, tested for COVID-19 and provided the care they need.

The health and safety of tenants and staff is our first priority and a responsibility we take very seriously. To date, as part of our proactive management, Fraser Health has worked to ensure enhanced measures are in place to prevent the spread of COVID-19 at this home.

Your loved one may be required to isolate based on their exposure and COVID-19 vaccination status. We know that staying away from your loved one is very difficult and we appreciate your cooperation with the goal of keeping residents, staff and medical staff healthy. At this time there are no residents in isolation. Visits continue with screening by the Visitation Hosts.

Staff at this home will continue to provide care and services to you to enhance your safety and well-being while maintaining routines where it is safe to do so. We will also keep you up-to-date if there are any changes related to your family member’s health status.

For general information about COVID-19, call 8-1-1, or visit HealthLinkBC:

https://www.healthlinkbc.ca/health-feature/coronavirus-covid-19.

If you have further questions, please contact Cheryl Dawes, Manager, Community Enrichment, Tel. No. 604-851-4020

MAY 27, 2021 – INDEPENDENT LIVING APARTMENTS: PAVILION, TERRACE WEST, PRIMROSE GARDENS

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COVID UPDATE – INDEPENDENT LIVING – PAVILION, TERRACE WEST, PRIMROSE GARDENS – MAY 27, 2021

Effective immediately, we have ended the Registered Visitor program at Pavilion, Terrace West and Primrose Gardens.

Since March 2020, the Registered Visitor program has successfully provided support to the 250 residents of these apartments during a global pandemic. There have been NO instances of COVID exposure by visitors through this program. This effective program has kept our residents safe from this deadly virus that is most dangerous for those over 80 years old, particularly those with multiple health issues. It is with incredible gratitude that we retire this effective safety support program.

The Independent Living Apartments residents and their visitors will now be expected to follow the BC Restart Plan:
https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/info/restartRecreation, spiritual and social activities for Independent Living residents will follow this plan as well. As you know, the plan will move forward in four steps under the direction of BC’s public health officer, Dr. Bonnie Henry. These steps are dependent on: the percentage of vaccinated individuals over 18 years of age, number of COVID cases, number of hospitalizations.

Residents in these three apartment buildings will be receiving a memo today notifying them of this change.

  • The primary change today is that up to 5 people from different households can visit their loved one in their apartment.
  • Also, one household at a time (up to 7 people living at the same address) can come to celebrate a birthday.

We expect visitors to continue their vigilance in Infection Control Protocols, including mask-wearing in the building, hand-hygiene and social distancing. Please go directly to and from your loved one’s apartment suite and do not move around the apartment building. At this time, we have not opened the guest suites or guests to join in meals.

We anticipate that the 2nd dose vaccination clinic for Primrose Gardens and Pavilion residents will take place the last week of June. We will keep you posted on this. Terrace West has already had the 2nd dose vaccination clinic as they are in physical proximity to our Assisted Living apartment, Terrace East. If you wish to register your loved one through the BC Vaccination Registration, you may do that as well: https://www2.gov.bc.ca/gov/content/covid-19/vaccine/register

It is with gratitude that we thank the individuals who are responsible for the effective Registered Visitor program – thank you to Nik Van Egdom, Brenda Mertke and Leonard Klassen for implementing this plan to keep our residents safe. Thank you to Cheryl Dawes and Sharon Simpson for creating and implementing this program early into the pandemic. We know that there have been many sleepless nights, particularly at the beginning of the pandemic and recently as community prevalence / variants became a concern. We have prayed that COVID would not enter nor spread in our apartment buildings. With the layers of protection, including social distancing, mask-wearing and vaccination practiced throughout our community, we are grateful that we can end this program.

Thank you to God for His protection, to the residents for their endurance and vigilance during this time, to the families for your care and diligence, to the staff for your faithful practices of infection prevention and to the team who made this amazing safety program possible.

We have been waiting for a change that moves us back to “normal” and this is the first step in that direction. It’s a good day for us all! Please continue to be safe!

Please send any words of encouragement or gratitude to the Menno Place team to Sharon.Simpson@Mennoplace.ca. They will be passed along to these amazing staff!

What about Terrace East Assisted Living Apartments? We have not, yet, heard any update in protocols from Fraser Health. We will post them when we are made aware. Until then, we continue with social visits for families.

MAY 5, 2021 – TERRACE EAST – OFF ISOLATION

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COVID UPDATE – May 5, 2021 – Terrace East (TE)

OFF ISOLATION!

NEW COVID POSITIVE CASES  = 0 (0 residents / 0 staff)

TOTAL COVID POSITIVE CASES = 2 (0 residents/ 2 staff)

TOTAL NEW SYMPTOMATIC = 0 (0 resident / 0 staff)

SWABBED FOR COVID – All resident and staff COVID swabs returned negative – Terrace East is OFF isolation!

APRIL 28 – TERRACE EAST – Total COVID positive T= 2 NO NEW CASES OF COVID

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COVID UPDATE – April 28, 2021 – Terrace East (TE)

NO NEW CASES OF COVID!

NEW COVID POSITIVE CASES  = 0 (0 residents / 0 staff)

TOTAL COVID POSITIVE CASES = 2 (0 residents/ 2 staff)

TOTAL NEW SYMPTOMATIC = 0 (0 resident / 0 staff)

SWABBED FOR COVID – 24 residents swabbed for COVID-19 and ALL are negative

We are waiting for staff swab test results to be reported.

APRIL 26 – TERRACE EAST – Total COVID positive = 2

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COVID UPDATE – April 26, 2021 – Terrace East (TE)

NEW COVID POSITIVE CASES  = 0 (0 residents / 0 staff)

TOTAL COVID POSITIVE CASES = 2 (0 residents/ 2 staff)

TOTAL NEW SYMPTOMATIC = 0 (0 resident / 0 staff)

SWABBED FOR COVID – 24 residents swabbed for COVID-19 today (2nd swab test)

APRIL 22 – TERRACE EAST – Total COVID positive = 2

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COVID UPDATE – April 22, 2021 – Terrace East (TE)

NEW COVID POSITIVE CASES  = 0 (0 residents / 0 staff)

TOTAL COVID POSITIVE CASES = 2 (0 residents/ 2 staff)

TOTAL NEW SYMPTOMATIC = 0 (0 resident / 0 staff)

SWABBED FOR COVID – 24  residents – all results are NEGATIVE – YAY!  |  27 staff swabbed – 27/27 NEGATIVE!

We continue to communicate with Public Health. There is expectation that all staff and residents who were originally swabbed for COVID will be re-swabbed on April 25th.

 

APRIL 21 – TERRACE EAST AND TERRACE WEST – Total COVID positive = 2

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COVID UPDATE – April 21, 2021 – Terrace East (TE)

NEW COVID POSITIVE CASES  = 0 (0 residents / 0 staff)

TOTAL COVID POSITIVE CASES = 2 (0 residents/ 2 staff)

TOTAL NEW SYMPTOMATIC = 0 (1 resident / 0 staff)

SWABBED FOR COVID – 2  residents (1 pending + 1 negative) | 2 staff (1 pending + 1 negative)

All residents and all staff who were swabbed with be swabbed again on April 25

Why are the Terrace West residents off isolation and the Terrace East residents still on isolation?

Terrace West residents were not directly in contact with either COVID positive staff member. The Medical Health Officer determined that they were not at risk and would not need to isolate.

 

APRIL 20 – TERRACE EAST AND TERRACE WEST – Total COVID positive = 2

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COVID UPDATE – April 20, 2021 – Terrace East (TE) and Terrace West (TW)

NEW COVID POSITIVE CASES  = 0 (0 residents / 2 staff)

TOTAL COVID POSITIVE CASES = 2 (0 residents/ 2 staff)

TOTAL NEW SYMPTOMATIC = 1 (1 resident / 0 staff)

SWABBED FOR COVID – 24  residents – all results are NEGATIVE – YAY!  |  27 staff swabbed – 23/27 negative awaiting 4 more results

Terrace East remains on isolation and all who require full PPE continue to require full PPE for staff to enter their apartment suite. We are so grateful to our chaplain, Scott McKenzie for his ministry in Terrace East. He will be spending time with residents encouraging them as they go through this 14 day isolation. If you would like Scott to pay a visit to a resident, please email him: Scott.McKenzie@MennoPlace.ca

ISOLATION ORDERS LIFTED FOR TERRACE WEST

The Medical Health Officer has assessed the situation and Terrace West is NO LONGER ON ISOLATION!

Registered Visitors may resume visits and support.

Today was an audit by Fraser Health to ensure that all of our practices support the safety of residents and staff. They were very pleased with the way that our staff team is managing the protocols and safety. Thank you to Cheryl Dawes and the amazing staff of Terrace East & West!