A message to visitors of Macassa and Wentworth Lodges
April 27, 2020
As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to evolve, we continue to do everything we can to adhere to Public Health and the Ministry of Health guidelines to ensure the health and safety of our residents, staff and community. Here’s what we are doing to keep people safe:
No Visitor Policy
On the direction of the Chief Medical Officer of Health, all non-essential visiting was stopped on March 14, 2020. This includes no visiting on the premise. Exceptions will only be made for residents who are extremely ill or receiving palliative care. Any “essential” visitors must be actively screened before entering. Those who fail screening cannot enter. All other visitors will be denied entry. To help loved ones stay connected during this challenging time, we are keeping residents connected to their families via phone, Facetime, Skype and/or other technologies as available.
Mandatory Screening
Residents are screened twice daily for any symptoms. Any residents with COVID-19 symptoms are immediately isolated in their rooms according to longstanding infection prevention and control practices. All staff must be actively screened for symptoms before, during and at the end of their shift, including taking temperatures. ANYONE that fails any part of the screening process will be asked to leave work and to contact public health and/or their health care provider.
Enhanced Testing and COVID Surveillance
Currently, swabbing has been done on all symptomatic residents and new admissions. The recently announced enhanced COVID testing in LTC Homes means a single positive swab in either a resident or a staff person will:
- Immediately put the Lodge into a declared COVID Outbreak, and;
- Require all residents and staff in the Lodge to have a nasal swab completed.
The Ministry is mandating proactive surveillance testing in all LTC Homes, meaning all staff and residents will have a swab completed for COVID. Public Health Units are working on an implementation plan that will be rolled out in the near future. In the meantime, we will contact substitute decision makers to get informed consent for those nasal swabs.
Residents Restricted from Leaving Lodges
The Chief Medical Officer of Health has advised that residents should remain in the Lodge and not leave the premises except under medically warranted circumstances. We are strictly adhering to this direction. Medically necessary treatment will be authorized by attending medical staff in conjunction with our management team. This is a difficult but necessary decision to help ensure our residents are as safe as possible.
Group Programs Postponed
Our group programs continue to be postponed. Our Homes initiated this prior to the closure of visitors on March 14, 2020 to help prevent further spread of any type of cold symptoms. As we rearrange the dining rooms to achieve physical distancing, we plan to trial new programming ideas after each meal and during one-to-one visits.
Non-Essential Appointments Cancelled
All appointments – unless deemed essential – continue to be cancelled until further notice. We are working with St. Joseph’s Hospital and Hamilton Health Sciences to explore Virtual Care to keep our residents in their Homes and not in doctor’s offices or hospitals, including the emergency room, when possible. We are working around the clock to initiate this as soon as possible. As information is available, we will certainly share with residents, families and staff.
Physical Distancing Enforced
Physical distancing efforts for staff and residents have quickly become the new normal. In the days ahead we will implement more strategies to provide greater physical distancing for residents, particularly during meal times.
Pandemic Committee Activated
Our Leadership teams including our Medical Directors activated our Pandemic Committee on March 9, 2020. The Committee meets daily to implement Ministry of Health and Public Health directives, ensuring we can respond quickly and effectively to the changing environment.
Personal Protective Equipment
Staff are provided with mask, eye protection, gloves and gowns for resident care for anyone in isolation and others based on a thorough assessment by our nurses, in consultation with the doctors. Additionally, hand sanitizer stations are placed in every resident room and throughout the Lodges in all common areas and hallways.
Universal Masking
As of April 8, 2020, all staff must wear a mask at all times in the Lodges to protect residents and co-workers from potentially being infected by an asymptomatic staff person. This practice is different than wearing a mask while caring for a resident in isolation due to illness.
Staffing Adjustments
As of April 15, 2020, staff were mandated to only work for a single health employer for the duration of the pandemic. As an early adopter of this recommendation on March 26, 2020, we strengthened our defences perhaps more quickly than other Homes could. Scheduling adjustments have also been made to limit the number of resident home areas staff can work in. Under an emergency order, all staff vacations and stat holidays have been cancelled for the foreseeable future to help stabilize staffing resources.
Outbreak Management
We continue to follow all Public Health recommendations relating to Outbreak Management, including early identification of residents with symptoms that could be contagious, providing in-room isolation care to residents with symptoms, prompt testing for COVID-19 and other viruses, and ongoing consultation with our assigned Public Health Inspector. An Infection Control Practitioner (ICP) also works to direct and evaluate the Infection Prevention and Control Program between both Lodges.
COVID Care Options
Any resident who has typical or atypical symptoms of COVID-19 is immediately isolated from other residents and in-room isolation care is initiated. A nasal swab is completed and sent to Public Health for testing. All in-room isolation care is completed by staff trained in using full PPE (gowns, gloves, mask, face shield).
If a resident is confirmed to be COVID-19 positive, we will provide care and treatment to the resident in the Lodge in collaboration with the primary care physician and with all the necessary isolation and protective measures in place. Experts believe this will be the safest and most comfortable place for a resident to be.
Care Conferences Cancelled
All scheduled care conferences, tours, meetings, etc. have been cancelled until further notice.
Communicate Regularly
We will continue to share updates and new information when available with staff, residents, visitors and the community. If you are a family member of a resident at Macassa or Wentworth Lodge and would like to receive email updates during the closure, email [email protected] OR [email protected] and include in the email your full name and the name of your family member.
Thank you for your understanding and cooperation during this challenging time. Let’s all do what we can to stay healthy and safe!
Holly Odoardi
Senior Administrator
Macassa & Wentworth Lodges
Karen Allcroft
Administrator
Wentworth Lodge
Previous updates
March 24 Update
The health and safety of our residents, staff, family, volunteers, students and other visitors remains our main priority. As part of the coordinated response to COVID-19 and to ensure a safe and secure environment for residents, Macassa and Wentworth Lodges will have a no-visitor policy until further notice.
These added precautionary measures follow the direction of Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health, Ministry of Health and are effective immediately.
Exceptions will only be made for residents who are extremely ill or receiving palliative care. We will continue to have a staff member at the main entrance with an up-to-date list of residents who are actively palliative – these visitors must continue to be actively screened before entering. Those who fail screening cannot enter. All other visitors will be denied entry.
We are looking for other opportunities to keep residents connected to their families during this time. We ask that you use the phone, Facetime, Skype, and/or other technologies as available to stay in touch with your loved one.
We will continue to monitor and reevaluate these measures in the coming weeks as the situation evolves. This is a difficult time that we recognize will be challenging for you and your loved ones. We appreciate your understanding and thank you for your cooperation. If you would like to receive email updates from us during this closure, please email [email protected] OR [email protected] and include in the email your full name and the name of your family member.
The City of Hamilton is actively monitoring COVID-19 and taking steps to protect the health and safety of the community.
For more City of Hamilton COVID-19 information and regular updates:
- Visit www.hamilton.ca/coronavirus and www.hamilton.ca/covidclosures
- Call Public Health Services’ COVID-19 Hotline 905-974-9848
- Email [email protected]
Once again, thank you for your patience and understanding as we work through this challenging time. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to connect with us.Let’s all do what we can to stay healthy and safe!
March 14 Update
The health and safety of our residents, staff, family, volunteers, students and other visitors remains our main priority. As part of the coordinated response to COVID-19 and to ensure a safe and secure environment for residents, Macassa and Wentworth Lodges will have a no-visitor policy until further notice.
These added precautionary measures follow the direction of Dr. David Williams, Chief Medical Officer of Health, Ministry of Health and are effective immediately.
Exceptions will only be made for residents who are extremely ill or receiving palliative care. We will continue to have a staff member at the main entrance with an up-to-date list of residents who are actively palliative – these visitors must continue to be actively screened before entering. Those who fail screening cannot enter. All other visitors will be denied entry.
We are looking for other opportunities to keep residents connected to their families during this time. We ask that you use the phone, Facetime, Skype, and/or other technologies as available to stay in touch with your loved one.
We will continue to monitor and reevaluate these measures in the coming weeks as the situation evolves. This is a difficult time that we recognize will be challenging for you and your loved ones. We appreciate your understanding and thank you for your cooperation. If you would like to receive email updates from us during this closure, please email [email protected] OR [email protected] and include in the email your full name and the name of your family member.