Praying for Tabor – Keep Up the Good Work at Menno

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Our work with seniors is a relatively small world here in Abbotsford and many of us have lives that intersect with those who serve at Tabor Home. Our hearts and prayers go out to them as they put into place their COVID-19 Emergency Response Plan (click here to see Menno Place’s COVID-19 Emergency Response Plan).

Our colleagues, friends and family members are working very hard at Tabor Home to beat the COVID-19 outbreak that was learned about on Wednesday, November 6th. On November 9th, they had a total of 22 staff members and 19 residents who tested positive for COVID-19.Tabor Home has 118 long-term care beds which is smaller than either Menno Hospital (151 residents) or Menno Home (196 residents) and slightly more than Terrace East Assisted Living (96).

Scroll down to read the communication that Tabor Village sent to the churches who form the membership of their non-profit society. They are asking for prayer for their residents recovery, for health and protection of their staff and residents, for wisdom and guidance for the leadership and staff. If you are the praying type, please join them in their prayers for protection.

Staff and Resident Prayer

Every Tuesday, a group of staff gather to pray for Menno Place. Led by our chaplains, Ingrid Schultz, Ingrid Stahl and John Dyck, we pray for the safety and protection of our residents and staff during this pandemic. We pray for individual staff members who request prayer and we pray for God’s guidance. The introduction to the prayer time is livestreamed on the Menno Place TV channel at 9am each Tuesday as we invite residents and staff to join along in this time of prayer. (Prayers are confidential to the group). If you would like this prayer team to pray for you, fill out a prayer form here. These prayers are confidential, can be anonymous and go directly to the chaplains.

We thank God and our vigilant staff – 8 months of COVID-free safety for residents and staff! WELL DONE!

COVID-19 Response Team

The Menno Place Covid-Response Team has put into place the protocols for safety that you follow each day – as mandated by the Medical Health Officer. These protocols change from time to time. The most recent change was to require medical masks be worn in all places of all the buildings. This team, led by Karen Biggs, CEO and Kim Scott, Director of Care (Menno Home), Infection Control Lead is ensuring that we are ready should we have a COVID-19 positive here at Menno Place. Kathrin McMath, Executive Director, Finance and Operations – along with her Housekeeping and Maintenance team are ensuring the enhanced cleaning and supply of PPE should we have a COVID-19 positive case here. The Safe Visits program is working and safe. This week, with the protocol changes from Dr. Bonnie Henry, Public Health Officer (https://news.gov.bc.ca/releases/2020HLTH0059-001922) are, once again, making our circles smaller and reducing the possibility of the spread of COVID-19. Our family members are responsive to this with cancellations of their safe visits to ensure the safety of their loved one.

The Second Wave

Dr. Bonnie Henry called this the “Second Wave” on October 19th. Not even 3 weeks later, there are 33 long-term care facilities in BC (mostly in the Fraser Health Region) that have COVID-19 outbreaks. Several of our Menno Place staff have isolated at home as they have either been exposed to a COVID-19 positive individual or a person living in their home has been exposed. THANK YOU, VIGILANT STAFF! Although it is difficult to organize isolating separately in one household, these staff have done so for their own safety, the safety of their families and the safety of Menno Place. THANK YOU!

This second wave is impacting our communities with larger numbers and more care homes affected. This does not mean that we will see a COVID-19 outbreak at Menno Place. We continue to work vigilantly with our protocols and this has been working well!

Thank you

Thank you for your ongoing vigilance in practicing the infection control protocols that are keep us safe! Don’t be tempted to loosen these protocols – keep vigilant, even when others around you are encouraging you differently. You KNOW what is needed to keep everyone safe. TOGETHER, we are doing AMAZING!

With gratitude,
Your leaders and co-workers at Menno Place

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We continue to be COVID-19 free because we are ALL doing it right:

  • Hand sanitizing immediately upon entrance to the buildings
  • Clean clothing and shoes each shift for those working with residents
  • Active Screening at the beginning and middle of your shift
  • Masks on at all times except when eating or drinking during your break
  • Goggles on when in resident spaces
  • Maintaining a physical distancing of 6 feet from residents (when not providing care)
  • Physical distancing from other staff
  • Constant hand sanitizing, especially at the four points of care
  • Wearing full PPE when required for a resident
  • Active screening of essential visitors who don full PPE
  • Safe Visits taking place with vigilance in all protocols and Active Screening
  • Enhanced cleaning throughout all buildings
  • When not at work – Staying away from gatherings, visiting only with our household primary bubbles, wearing masks in the community, hand sanitizing and safely distancing from others
  • Not permitting units to mix and mingle (separate staff rooms, one unit per shift)

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Letter from Tabor Village to Abbotsford Churches

On November 4th, Tabor Home in Abbotsford learned that there is an outbreak due to confirmed positive cases of COVID-19. As of November 10th, Tabor Home has 22 staff and 19 residents who have tested positive for the virus. Tabor Home has completed swab testing for all staff and residents and are working closely with Fraser Health implementing enhanced cleaning and safety measures. This is a difficult time for many and as you can imagine, this is an ever-changing situation as we work to contain the outbreak and take every precaution necessary to keep residents and staff safe. We are hoping and praying for the best, but planning for the worst. There is a possibility of new cases arising throughout the coming weeks, but staff are doing everything they can to guard against that.

We are calling on the Church to pray. Pray for quick recovery for all those who tested positive with the virus. Pray for continued health and protection over those who have tested negative. Pray for wisdom and guidance for the leadership and staff of Tabor Home as we work to fight against this outbreak. Pray for the residents who are in isolation and their families who are hurting as visitation is temporarily on pause. Pray for Tabor Home and may this outbreak come to an end soon.

We have a unique opportunity to receive and practice the encouragement given in Philippians 4: “Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.”