Dear Family and Friends,
Today we are providing additional clarification and information about visits to our Care Homes, information about hand hygiene and flu shots, sharing information about Remembrance Day and Veterans’ Week activities, and an announcement about the Adult Day Programs at Veterans Memorial Lodge and Veterans Health Centre.
Essential and Social Visits
How many times per week may I visit?
Each of our Care Homes has spaces available for daily visits by designated social visitors. In addition to a weekly social visit, there are vacant spaces available every day that provide an opportunity to see your loved one more than once per week. To arrange an extra visit, please call the Care Home and ask about any openings for the next day. If any are available, staff will schedule you for an additional visit.
What is the difference between an Essential Visit and a Social Visit?
| Essential Visits | Social Visits |
|---|---|
| Visits for compassionate care, such as critical illness, hospice care, end of life, and medical assistance in dying. | Visits made by a family member, or friend of a resident. |
| Visits essential to resident care and wellbeing, including: – Assistance with feeding, mobility, and personal care. – Communication assistance and supported decision-making for people with disabilities or cognitive impairment. | Only one designated family member or friend may visit. |
| Existing registered volunteers providing services as described. | Each visitor must: – Schedule their visit in advance (see contact information below). – Socialize in the designated visiting areas or in the resident’s room. |
| Essential visits can be arranged by speaking with the Care Manager, Social Worker, or Nurse on duty. In many cases, we are phoning families to let them know when there is a change in condition. Visits occur in the resident’s room. | Social visits are only allowed if there is no COVID-19 outbreak at the Care Home. |
Flu Shots and Hand Hygiene
As we move further in to flu and cold season, we continue to do our best to keep everyone who lives and works in our Care Homes safe. Keeping hands clean is the best defense in preventing the spread of infection and disease. This is especially important during this COVID-19. Hands may look clean but invisible microorganisms (germs) are always present.
It is best to wash hands with soap and clean running water for 20 seconds. However, if soap and clean water are not available, use an alcohol-based product to clean hands. Alcohol-based hand rubs significantly reduce the number of germs on skin, and are fast acting.
Along with good hand hygiene, the influenza vaccination is a good way of protecting yourself from the flu. We encourage you to receive your flu shot this year. Here is a link that will give you more information on locations of public flu shot clinics in Island Health. https://www.islandhealth.ca/our-locations/where-can-i-get-flu-shot.
Veterans’ Week and Remembrance Day
Broadmead Care takes to heart our commitment to care for the veterans who live with us. To us, the words ‘Lest We Forget’ have daily impact and meaning, as we are privileged to care for and spend time with the selfless men and women who served our great Nation.
‘Lest We Forget’ means we remember and honour their sacrifices. ‘Lest We Forget’ means we remember with gratitude those who are currently dedicating their lives to Canada and her people, and it means we do everything we can to support Canada’s veterans to live as fully as possible, with purpose and joy. ‘Lest We Forget’ means we will never take the gift of freedom for granted.
In earlier communications we shared with you the many and varied activities that will be happening in our Care Homes to commemorate Veterans’ Week and Remembrance Day, including taking portraits of the veterans who live with us at Veterans Memorial Lodge, sharing their stories on our Veterans Remember page, and activities such as safely distanced gatherings for movies, Afternoon Tea, and unique crafting sessions. As well, during Veterans’ Week there will be a large ‘Lest We Forget’ wreath in front of Veterans Memorial Lodge near the granite memorial and totem pole. You are invited to pin a poppy to the wreath in remembrance, and there will also be a wreath on each lodge for residents and staff do to the same.
To view the ways in which we will honour Canada’s veterans this year, please visit the Veterans Remember page on our website. You can also support the Royal Canadian Legion’s poppy campaign by purchasing a poppy, or purchasing poppy-themed merchandise.
Veterans Health Centre and Veterans Memorial Lodge Adult Day Program
We are happy to announce that we are able to open Adult Day Programs at Veterans Memorial Lodge and Veterans Health Centre, under guidelines released by the Ministry of Health in late August. These guidelines included the possibility to open adult day programs in long term care homes, provided there is a separate entrance, and no shared space, staff, activities, or equipment.
The Adult Day Programs at Veterans Memorial Lodge and Veterans Health Centre both fit within these guidelines, so in late September, we submitted a full operational plan to resume these Programs. We successfully completed a Health Inspection of Veterans Health Centre, and on November 2, we were delighted to welcome a limited number of clients back into the Adult Day Program and Veterans Health Centre at Veterans Memorial Lodge.
We are pleased and excited to be able to reopen this valuable program to help support people in our communities. As we enter Veterans’ Week, we ask that you join us in taking time to reflect on the great sacrifices made by the men and women who served Canada and her people, and to remember, honour, and thank the veterans who live in Broadmead Care homes. Thank you for helping us keep them safe, and for helping bring wellbeing and happiness to the lives of the people we are privileged to care for.
