Letter to Families

27 08, 2020

Letter to Families – August 27 Update

2020-08-26T16:52:44-04:00

Over the past several weeks, it has been our great joy to welcome families back to our home, and to share stories of the activities and celebrations that have been organized for our residents. And as we continue to work towards supporting our families and keeping them connected with their loved ones, I would like to take this opportunity today to share with you a brief update about our communications going forward.

As of Monday, families will only receive COVID-19 related updates by letter in the following circumstances:

  • Updates or changes are made to government or public health orders;
  • Our outbreak status changes; or
  • Our home IPAC protocols change.

These updates will also be posted to our website here: https://shelburneltc.ca/letters-to-families/

In the event that you ever have any questions, we can be reached at 519-925-3476, and a staff member will be happy to assist you. If there are urgent updates about your loved one, a member of our care team will contact you by phone.

We know that families have also greatly enjoyed following the activities of their loved ones, and we will continue to post videos and photos of our events to our Facebook page, which can be found at https://www.facebook.com/ShelburneLTCRC. We encourage everyone to check back frequently for updates, and follow us to receive notifications when new photos are posted.

Letter to Families – August 27 Update2020-08-26T16:52:44-04:00
7 08, 2020

Letter to Families – August 7 Update

2020-08-06T15:29:06-04:00

We are very excited to introduce you to a new member of our team, Dr. James “Jim” Ayukekbong, who has joined the Shelburne LTC family as our new Director of Infection Prevention and Control.

Jim joins us from St. Joseph’s Hospital in Elliott Lake, where he served as the Infection Prevention and Control, Quality and Risk Lead, providing technical support and guidance on a number of infection prevention and control (IPAC) initiatives, including the development of a brand-new emergency preparedness plan for COVID-19 at the hospital.

Jim holds a PhD in medical science from the University of Gothenburg in Sweden, and is certified with the Certification Board of Infection Control and Epidemiology (CBIC).

We are exceptionally grateful to have Dr. Ayukekbong bring his knowledge and experience to our home, and we look forward to working with him to monitor and adapt our IPAC practices to meet the highest standards possible.

We would also like to let families know that we are re-implementing our Care Conferences, and members of our nursing staff will be reaching out to you over the next two to four weeks to make arrangements for those meetings.

If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact us at 519-925-3746 and a member of our team will be happy to assist you.

Letter to Families – August 7 Update2020-08-06T15:29:06-04:00
31 07, 2020

Letter to Families – July 31 Update

2020-07-31T13:23:41-04:00

In the 14 days since we launched the Pen Pal Program, our residents have received more than 40 letters, and our staff have taken great joy in spending time with them, reading the stories and words of kindness together.

Letters have come from not only our local community, but as far away as Quebec and Nova Scotia! We’ve even received letters from friends as young as six.

We are inspired by and grateful to everyone who has reached out through the written word, and we hope you will be patient as we work to respond to this tremendous outpouring of love.

We are also very excited to share with our families that we have relaunched our lunch club, and residents have greatly enjoyed the opportunity to enjoy a meal in a safe, physically distanced setting with their friends within the home.

Our first meal, held on July 10th, was catered by Champ Burger, and last Friday’s meal was supplied by Guest Wok in Orangeville.

We are planning to host our next luncheon the week of August 10th, and we look forward to another wonderful afternoon with good food, good friends and good conversation.

Letter to Families – July 31 Update2020-07-31T13:23:41-04:00
24 07, 2020

Letter to Families – July 22 Update

2020-07-24T10:44:23-04:00

We are pleased to inform you that the Government of Ontario has now revised its directive on visitation at long-term care homes. The first phase involved allowing outside visits to occur between residents and family members at homes across the province. As of July 22, 2020, the province will allow indoor visits to resume, subject to certain conditions outlined below. We know you are eager to be reunited with your loved one after several weeks of separation due to the COVID-19 virus. At the same time, we will be requesting that all visitors follow these protocols to limit the potential for exposure to the virus:

  • Visitations must be pre-scheduled with the home outside of mealtimes, be limited to 30 minutes in length and will be allowed if the home is not be in a current COVID-19 outbreak. The exception is for visits to a resident who is at end-of-life.
  • In order to promote equitable access, residents will be limited to one visit per week in either an indoor or outdoor setting, up to 2 people at a time.
  • For indoor visits, visitors must verbally attest to staff that the visitor has tested negative for COVID-19 within the previous two weeks and subsequently not tested positive. Please note that the home is not responsible for providing the testing.
  • For outdoor visits, visitors will no longer be required to attest to negative COVID-19 test as previously directed. Visitors will still be required to wear a face covering and must maintain the appropriate physical distance (2 metres).
  • Visitors must complete the attached screening questionnaire, which will be given to home staff upon each visit. Failure to complete the questionnaire or to pass the screening criteria will mean the visit must be rescheduled.
  • Visitors must comply with long-term care home infection, prevention and control protocols, including proper use of face or surgical/procedural masks and use of hand sanitizer before and after the visit. While hand sanitizer will be provided at the home, visitors will be expected to provide their own face coverings for outdoor visits.
  • With the exception of service animals, animals may not accompany a visit.

Please contact the home at 519-925-3746 to discuss details of arranging a visit with your loved one or to get answers to any additional questions you may have. We thank you for your continued patience and support for our staff and residents during this difficult time.

Letter to Families – July 22 Update2020-07-24T10:44:23-04:00
2 07, 2020

Letter to Families – July 2 Update

2020-07-16T08:42:40-04:00

Dear families of Shelburne Long-Term Care,

We are happy to share with our community that our home continues to remain free of the COVID-19 virus, and our residents and staff are all doing well.

Our Canada Day celebrations on Wednesday were an immense amount of fun, and we are so happy to have had the ability to arrange another special day for everyone in our home community.

As we continue to settle into our new routines, we will continue to provide families with the support and communication they rely on.

And as always, we are here to answer any questions you may have about your loved one, and we are also happy to hear from our family partners if you have any comments or feedback for us, please don’t hesitate to get in touch by calling us at 519-925-3746.

Sincerely,

Stacey Rooyakkers
Executive Director

Letter to Families – July 2 Update2020-07-16T08:42:40-04:00
30 06, 2020

Letter to Families – June 30 Update

2020-07-16T08:42:40-04:00

Dear families of Shelburne Long-Term Care,

This Wednesday is Canada Day, and we are extremely excited to be celebrating the country we love and call home. While this year’s Canada Day may not be marked by the fireworks and festivities that we are normally treated to, we are continuing to find unique and innovative ways to celebrate holidays like this.

As part of the festivities that day, our residents will be given a special t-shirt, and we are arranging an ice-cream social. Lunch that day will also feature a very special Canada Day-themed dessert item.

As always, our care staff will ensure that physical distancing and health and safety measures are being followed at all times during the celebrations, and we look forward to inviting families to join us on the special day for a window-side visit if they wish.

We would also like to remind our family partners that if they have any questions about our activities, the health of a loved one, or the outbreak prevention protocols we have in place, to reach out to us at 519-925-3746 and a member of our team will be happy to answers any questions you may have.

Sincerely,

Stacey Rooyakkers
Executive Director

Letter to Families – June 30 Update2020-07-16T08:42:40-04:00
26 06, 2020

Letter to Families – June 26 Update

2020-07-16T08:42:40-04:00

Dear families of Shelburne Long-Term Care,

We have very much enjoyed welcoming families back to our home over the past few days, and the smiles and joy we have seen during these visits has been a powerful reminder that love and family play an important role not only in our physical health, but in our emotional and mental well-being as well.

Our care staff have also enjoyed spending time with residents outdoors, hearing about their visits and sharing stories about their loved ones.

One family member travelled all the way from Kingston for a visit with his loved one, and even though the weather didn’t fully cooperate, the visit was enjoyed by all.

As we continue to move forward, we want to remind our family partners that we are here to support them in visiting and staying connected with their loved ones. Each family’s needs, schedules and experiences are unique, and we are committed to working with everyone to find what works best for themselves and their loved ones. Whether that’s an in-person visit, a visit at the window, a FaceTime visit, or a phone call—we are always happy to help make these arrangements.

Sincerely,

Stacey Rooyakkers
Executive Director

Letter to Families – June 26 Update2020-07-16T08:42:40-04:00
23 06, 2020

Letter to Families – June 22 Update

2020-07-16T08:42:40-04:00

Dear families of Shelburne Long-Term Care,

This past weekend, many families across the province celebrated Father’s Day with their fathers and grandfathers, and while COVID-19 continues to present challenges to how we interact with friends and family, for the first time in months, many families had the opportunity to come together in-person and visit their loved ones in long-term care.

Our community at Shelburne LTC is thankfully one of the homes that can accommodate these visits beginning June 23rd, and it has brought us great joy to know that families will be reunited very soon, without barriers to their interactions.

While we continue to work to ensure that our home remains free of this terrible virus, we would like to remind everyone of some of the requirements that the provincial government has put in place when allowing visitors into long-term care homes. These conditions include:

  • A home must not be experiencing an outbreak of the virus;
  • Only one family at a time may visit, and interactions can be no more than 30 minutes;
  • Visitors must complete and pass a screening questionnaire upon arrival at the home;
  • Physical distancing must be observed at all times during visits; and
  • Visitors must have had a negative COVID test within 14 days of their visit.
  • No food or drink is allowed during the visit

We know that families may have some questions about how to arrange and prepare for a visit. To help address some of your inquiries, we have enclosed an FAQ that we hope you will find useful.

We are extremely excited to welcome our family partners back into our home, and we are happy to support you in every way we can.

Sincerely,

Stacey Rooyakkers
Executive Director

Shelburne Family FAQ: Click here to download

Letter to Families – June 22 Update2020-07-16T08:42:40-04:00
18 06, 2020

Letter to Families – June 17 Update

2020-07-16T08:42:40-04:00

Dear Family Member/Substitute Decision Maker:

We are pleased to inform you that the Government of Ontario has now revised its directive on visitation at long-term care homes. The first phase involves allowing outside visits to occur between residents and family members at homes across the province. We know you are eager to be reunited with your loved one after several weeks of separation due to the COVID-19 virus. At the same time, we will be requesting that all visitors follow these protocols to limit the potential for exposure to the virus:

  • Visitations must be pre-scheduled with the home outside of mealtimes, be limited to 30 minutes in length and will be allowed if the home is not be in a current COVID-19 outbreak. The exception is for visits to a resident who is at end-of-life.
  • In order to promote equitable access, residents will be limited to one visit with a single visitor per week. Families should arrange amongst themselves who will visit the resident for the week.
  • Visitors must complete the attached screening questionnaire, which will be given to home staff upon each visit. Failure to complete the questionnaire or to pass the screening criteria will mean the visit must be rescheduled.
  • Visitors must be able to assure home staff that the visitor has tested negative for COVID-19 within the previous two weeks and subsequently not tested positive. Please note that the home is not responsible for providing the testing.
  • Visitors must comply with long-term care home infection, prevention and control protocols, including proper use of face or surgical/procedural masks and use of hand sanitizer before and after the visit. While hand sanitizer will be provided at the home, visitors will be expected to provide their own masks.
  • With the exception of service animals, animals may not accompany a visit.

We would appreciate it if you would take a moment to review the enclosed brochure, which provides further details on protocols for outdoor visits. Please contact the home at (519) 925-3746 to discuss details of arranging a visit with your loved one or to get answers to any additional questions you may have. We thank you for your continued patience and support for our staff and residents during this difficult time.

Sincerely,

Stacey Rooyakkers Executive Director

Letter to Families – June 17 Update2020-07-16T08:42:40-04:00
16 06, 2020

Letter to Families – June 16 Update

2020-07-16T08:42:40-04:00

Dear families of Shelburne Long-Term Care,

We are excited to share with our families a number of activities we are planning for our residents in the coming days and weeks.

Sunday June 21st is Father’s Day, we plan to celebrate the fathers and grandfathers by holding a barbecue for our residents on Friday June 19th. Since COVID-19 impacted our Mother’s Day celebrations this event will also celebrate mothers and grandmothers living in our home.

In line with our focus of encouraging active lifestyles, supporting mental and emotional wellbeing in our residents, we are undertaking a gardening project. This initiative will beautify the courtyard space and help our active seniors enjoy more time outdoors. Our residents will be included in the activity, and we will be sure to share photos and highlights with our families in future updates and on social media.

As we continue to implement activities that encourage active lifestyles and support mental and emotional well-being in our residents, we want to remind everyone that we are continuing with our precautions to protect the health and safety of our residents and staff. We will continue to follow the directives and guidance from the Ontario government and medical authorities at all times.

We would like to continue to encourage our family partners to reach out to us at 519-925-3746 if you ever have any questions about the health of your loved one, or our outbreak management protocols.

Sincerely,

Stacey Rooyakkers
Executive Director

Letter to Families – June 16 Update2020-07-16T08:42:40-04:00