This statement is being released to our Residents, their families, our Team Members, Board Members, Stakeholders including our Town Council and CAO.
Over the last few weeks there appear to be many changes that have been made with regards to the Government opening more of our economy and the Public Health Office or Government making visits as something that could happen a little more frequently.
As many of you know we have a Covid Action Committee that meets several times a week to discuss current matters and conditions for consideration in how the campus is maintained during this Pandemic.
Our consideration of relaxing or tightening conditions are not only based on our residents but also our Team Members (staff).
We also do not just operate a Personal Care Home or a Supportive Housing Unit or an Assisted Living Complex or Independent Living Complex we, operate all of those different levels of care and living on the Niverville Heritage Centre Campus(NHCC).
When the community looked at a model a fully integrated model was considered and decided on as it was the most efficient and one that created more opportunity for community and care. Of course at that time the concept of a Pandemic and its impact was not part of the discussions.
What may seem as a small request to allow a resident in an Assisted Living suite becomes more complicated when their services for meal preparation and service, housekeeping and laundry overlap. Same with maintenance and office staff. The plan for efficiency and cost savings determined the course of action in creating the overlap.
But now with the Pandemic that small request for a resident in an Assisted Living suite to be allowed to do something outside away from the NHC Campus means it could have a far reaching impact. If that resident were to become a carrier of the Coronavirus it would take 3 – 7 days (some medical professionals are stating up to 11 days) for us to know from symptoms if they are a carrier. In those 3 – 7 days that resident has
- Visited with other people in the NCU Manor 2 to 5 times.
- Gone for 9 to 21 meals and met the Team Members that prepared and served
their meals as well as met and chatted with other residents. - Chatted at least once with the staff that are cleaning their suite and
- With those who are doing their laundry.
- Possibly participated in some recreational activities and met more of our staff and
volunteers.
So, now we have a possibility of not only 1 person but potentially 2, 3, 4 or more that could now be carriers who now met more people in the complex who work in the kitchen or in maintenance.
Those additional staff now go and overlap with Team Members who work in another area like the PCH and again the opportunity comes for passing on the virus.
Our volunteers and staff went home and possibly passed that on to their loved ones.
Our crossover for staff and services is immense. Or risk of transferring the coronavirus throughout the campus is significant.
Then as noted with the earlier example we are short staff to help with taking care of your loved ones as they could be home or in the hospital sick. Our commitment to care of our residents does not change but with one staff to one site in play it limits the pool of Team Members that we have available if Team Members become sick.
Our Team Members play a vital role in the day to day connections with our residents. Many have also assisted in supervising visits, helping to plan 100th birthday parties so that all can be kept safe. Working with families to try and find alternatives to some requests. All of this takes a toll on the Team Members and Team Leaders mental health day after day.
All this because one resident who may not get the virus caught the virus away from the campus and came home to the NCU Manor.
Now this may be argued as a slim possibility. How slim of a possibility is a reasonable risk? We have 199 residents living on our campus. So many possible points of contact and so many more families and friends that would love nothing more than to request just one small thing for their loved one or special trip for a special event.
We also have varied opinions from families. Some are all for keeping their loved ones safe and another says it is all a hoax and their loved one should be free to come and go and have any visitors whenever they feel. Now it comes to balancing these two different positions and many in-between.
Our points of entry for the virus surround us every day. We chat with our residents daily and see the strain that all this is having on them. But in all that we meet regularly always considering what is best for all the residents who live on the NHC Campus. We know it is their home which adds more responsibilities.
As noted before things are changing so very quickly across Canada and within the Province of Manitoba. We will keep you as informed as we can on our Website but again ask for patience if these changes happen too quickly or for changes you personally feel we should have implemented already.
If you have any questions please contact the undersigned.
Wes Hildebrand
Chief Executive Officer
Chief Officer of Finance and HR
Niverville Heritage Centre Campus
P: 204.388.5000 ext. 211
F: 204.388.6431
E: wes@heritagecentre.ca
