On June 30, 2020, Dr. Bonnie Henry announced that visits to residents in long term care and assisted living will resume. We sent out a survey to 1448 subscribers to the Family and Friends Newsletter asking them for their input on the upcoming visits. Here are some comments that they made for you, our staff. Families are grateful for your sacrifices, cautious about visits and excited to see their loved ones. A safety plan will be developed, a booking system put into place and additional staff will be assigned to support these visits.

Here is what families and friends of residents are saying to you in the survey – they thank you for your sacrifices and love. BE PROUD of your work – you have brought confidence and peace to families. Thank you.

Thank you for your cautious approach to this Pandemic.

I am looking to you to decide what is best because you have helped keep them all safe so far. My grandma is my best friend and my best person. I can hardly wait to see her…but not if there is too much risk to her or anyone else. I am on board with whatever you come up with. I was so scared when my grandma was going to be put into a home. Hearing the horror stories that one does. But I have found such faith in you all at Menno Home for doing the right thing and being wonderful amazing caregivers to our seniors. My grandma always has nice things to say about it all. Thank you for your dedication.

Thanks for everything you have done to keep the patients at Menno safe during these difficult times!

Thank you for all you do.

I have total faith as to how you decide to open for visits. Thank you all for everything you have done.

I am heartily happy for all health personnel of Menno Home that they are taking care and supporting my wife.

I trust this opening up will be positive and safe for all. If rules can be followed and we all can cooperate it shouldn’t be any more risky than workers coming and going. I do appreciate what Menno has done to keep residents safe in this crazy time. Our thanks to all of you. THANK YOU from all of Dorothy’s family.

We really appreciate the caution that Menno staff have, and are, taking, to ensure that our loved ones remain healthy. It must be so hard to see all these seniors who are longing to be with their families and especially those whose cognitive abilities don’t allow them to understand very much about the current reality of the world we live in.

We really appreciate the caution that Menno staff have, and are, taking, to ensure that our loved ones remain healthy. It must be so hard to see all these seniors who are longing to be with their families and especially those whose cognitive abilities don’t allow them to understand very much about the current reality of the world we live in. I do want to see my Dad but more because I know he wants/needs to see us – in my mind, I just want to do my part to keep him and everyone else including staff, safe and if that would mean staying away longer, I would. That being said, the Zoom calls have been an absolutely HUGE blessing for all of us. To see his face and talk about what we are up to and to see him in his room where he lives, has been what has kept me feeling like I know how he is and how he is doing. If we did not have that option of connecting I would have totally lost my mind, so thank you for the “above and beyond” that all staff at Menno have demonstrated to make that possible. I have not had ONE moment of fear during this lock down because I know that he is living in the best place possible. And if despite all the hard work, COVID would have entered (or may still but hoping not!) I would still feel the same. Because I would know that everything humanly possible was done to prevent it. Thank you from the bottom of my heart!!!

We are very grateful for everything that Menno has done for my mum and the residents there…staff have been prompt, courteous and compassionate throughout and always trying to maintain safety.

I very much appreciate the thoughtfulness and perception which is threaded through this survey. It causes families to examine underlying fears, not only in regards to our own loved ones, but also by extension, the community of which they are a part… which adds a significant degree of complexity to answering the survey questions!… Some of the Q are difficult in ethical ways … does the importance of our visit outweigh the safety risk? The risk is not only to our loved one, but again, by extension, to the community as a whole. That is a responsibility I am uncomfortable with. I would not want to visit if my presence at Menno brought risk to my mother or the other residents… though I agree that visits always bring some risk, even in non-covid times. My initial assumption was that opening visits to Menno meant that there was no longer risk due to current information and careful practice … but the survey reminds me that there will always be some degree of risk with contact. Again, I thank you for the care that you take of our mother. This survey underlines how thoughtfully and systematically you undertake to proceed to the next step. Our prayers are with you.

I thank you all for your hard work, in keeping everyone safe and healthy through these difficult times. God’s strength to you all as you manage and try to figure this all out!

Excited to see Mom again. Thank you for all you do to take care of my Mom!! God Bless

Thank you for working towards visits AND for continuing with protective measures.

I am confident you Menno will take the necessary precautions to ensure Menno residents safety when visitors are permitted.

I am very worried about things opening up. Obviously, i want to see my mom every day but I also don’t want to be selfish if it could affect the health of anyone, staff or resident. My mom is pretty far gone in her own world so I am not even sure a visit with social distancing would be plausible. I miss her more than words but also want everyone safe. My bubble is very small and I have purposely kept it that way.

You have done a terrific job so far keeping everyone safe. I’m sure the visiting protocols you put in place for visiting will ensure the safety of everyone involved.

I am willing to be tested, have my temperature taken and be tracked. I have kept my circle and social contacts limited; I will continue to do that…seeing my loved one is my priority. How fortunate we are to have summer upon us…the gardens at Menno are wonderful for social distancing and for our visits.

Menno Place has been so successful in keeping Covid out, I would not want to jeopardize any residents by having visitors, if it poses any risk. You are all wonderful.

I truly appreciate the careful consideration that the Menno Group have used as we have gone through this pandemic.

As tough as it has been, I feel Menno has done the right thing by locking down early, and remaining locked down. I look forward to seeing wife after such a long time, but as I indicated above, I am concerned that there is definitely a risk involved.

I’m happy to know I will be able to visit my Mom, but with opening everything I feel very concerned about my Mom contract covid 19 if we open too soon it just take one person not to follow the rules

Current restrictions have been successful in preventing spread of this virus of which I have been most impressed & satisfied to comply with. For this I am grateful.

Thank you to all the staff who have taken care of my parents during this challenging time. I felt confident that they were in good hands! Appreciate all the sacrifices and work they’ve done!

Thank you for taking such good care of all the residents during this time!

I understand the risk and am very grateful for all you have done to keep my loved one and all others safe during this lock down. I am willing to abide to your plan as it unfolds so long as if my loved ones is close to passing that we can come to be with him.

June 30, 2020 – DR. BONNIE HENRY ANNOUNCEMENT THAT VISITS IN LONG TERM CARE AND ASSISTED LIVING WILL OPEN IN THE NEAR FUTURE

Today, Dr. Bonnie Henry announced that, in the near future, one designated visitor will be allowed to visit safely with residents in long term care homes and assisted living apartments. She asked long term care homes to exercise caution and thoughtfulness to minimize risk to the residents and staff as they develop a safety plan for visits in the coming weeks.

Menno Home, Menno Hospital and Terrace East Assisted Living currently operate under the orders of Mark Lavoie, Fraser Health Medical Health Officer. The orders for essential visitors have not, yet, been changed. At this time, there are no changes to visiting at Menno Home, Menno Hospital or Terrace East Assisted Living as we await specific instructions and information from the Public Health Officer to guide us in the plans to open up visiting in long-term care and assisted living.

In today’s media update, Adrian Dix, BC’s Minister of Health announced funding for up to three full-time staff per care home/assisted living apartment to assist with the logistics of booking, cleaning and transporting residents to a safe space for visits. This will be essential for Menno Place as we anticipate 443 designated visitors booking visits with their loved ones once we open.

As it has been 100 days since the visitor lockdown began, we understand how difficult it has been for family members to be separated during this time. Visitors will prepare themselves for a different way of visiting when these visits are opened up. There will be active screening questions prior to visiting, along with donning personal protective equipment as well as social distancing. Visits will take place in a cleaned and safe location.

FAQ:

1. When will visits start? We do not have a start date. We are waiting for information from the Public Health Officer and new orders from the Fraser Health Medical Health officer
2. Who will arrange the visits? We are waiting to hear the details of the media announcement that we may receive funding for up to three full-time staff in Menno Home, Menno Hospital and Terrace East Assisted Living. This will make the visits for 443 residents logistically possible.

How will staff be kept safe? There will be one designated visitor per resident. This visitor will comply with all infection prevention protocols. They will visit in a specific room (not yet determined) with plexiglass separating them from the resident. They will don PPE. They will not be allowed to touch each other. The visitation room will be disinfected between visits. All visits will be pre-booked

Our CEO, Karen L. Baillie (now Biggs) was married to Peter Biggs on Saturday, June 13th in a riverside socially distanced wedding. We wish her well in her marriage!

Here’s to Karen and Peter Biggs! May they enjoy many happy years of love and joy together!

This is a one day performance to celebrate Seniors’ Week and our “Everyday Heroes”