We have great news for you – news you have been waiting to hear, and that we have been advocating for, for some time. Provincial Health Officer Dr. Bonnie Henry and Minister of Health Adrian Dix have announced that the province is easing visitor restrictions for long term care homes, saying, “Immunizing the people who live and work in our Care Homes gives us an added layer of protection, so we can support safe connections again.”
What you need to know
The changes will be effective Thursday, April 1, 2021. We anticipate we may have a higher-than-usual volume of calls and requests for bookings. We will do our very best to support everyone’s requests, and appreciate your patience while we implement these changes.
Changes to visitation effective April 1, 2021
- The ‘single designated visitor’ requirement has been removed. Now, up to two adults and one child (18 years or younger) at a time may visit with their loved one.
- Social visits will still need to be booked in advance.
- We support the important connection of physical touch – and we still need to maintain Infection Prevention and Control measures, including hand washing and wearing face masks. Yes, visitors may hug your loved one, so long as visitors have medical-grade masks on.
- Residents may go on outings, with no requirement for isolation upon return.
- Public health guidelines for COVID-19 should be followed. These include frequent hand hygiene, respiratory etiquette, maintaining physical distance from people where possible. Your loved one will be given a medical-grade face mask as they leave the Home.
- Please keep in mind that there are still provincial COVID-19 restrictions for the general public, such as limits on the number of people who can attend outdoor and indoor social gatherings.
- Please speak with the nurse well in advance to ensure adequate time to prepare, including providing any required medications.
- Essential visits remain in place, and any resident who requires an essential visitor will be supported.
Changes within the Care Home
- The requirement for residents to maintain physical distancing has been removed. This means residents may sit closer together in the dining room, and may participate in small group activities together.
- There is no requirement for a 14-day isolation period when a resident moves in to one of our Care Homes.
- Residents who move in will be vaccinated, if they wish. A COVID-19 test will not be administered upon move in.
Continuing safety practices
Almost all Broadmead Care residents and staff have been vaccinated. As Dr. Henry observed, this allows us to support more visits. To ensure we can continue to keep everyone safe, it is important to maintain our current safety protocols, including:
- wearing face masks;
- diligent hand washing;
- being screened upon entry; and,
- staying away if you feel unwell.
What you need to do
- Please continue to book visits through the Care Home as usual. If you have any questions, please call your Care Home. Should there be any changes to any of these guidelines, we will let you know immediately.
- If you haven’t been in our Care Homes lately, here’s what you can expect:
- You will be screened by our Home Assistant at the front door.
- The Home Assistant will ask you to use the provided hand sanitizer, take your temperature, and ask COVID-19 screening questions.
- When you are approved for entry, you will be provided a medical-grade face mask to be worn for the duration of the visit.
- Please wash your hands before leaving, or use the hand sanitizer on the way out.
- Please leave by the main doors.
This is an incredibly important step forward to reuniting loved ones. We continue to be committed to protecting the people who live and work with Broadmead Care, and we will continue to remain vigilant. We know that your presence will make an extraordinary difference to your loved one, bringing happiness and wellbeing to those in our care.
Thank you for your generous and steady support during the past year, as together we worked to keep everyone in our Care Homes safe.
