COVID-19 Family & Visitor Bulletin: Entry Restriction & Important Information

ENTRY RESTRICTIONS AT OUR SITES EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY AND UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE:

All visitors to our Manors who have travelled from outside of Canada in the past 14 days (from ANYWHERE in the world, including as a passenger on ANY CRUISE SHIP) are RESTRICTED FROM ENTERING OUR SITES FOR 14 DAYS upon their return/entry to Canada.

For the purpose of this restriction, a ‘Visitor’ to our Manor includes, but is not limited to:

• Family, friends and acquaintances of our residents and Adult Day Program clients
• Non-essential services contractors
• Volunteers (including non-practicum-related students)

All Adult Day Program clients from the community who participate in programs within our Manors and have travelled:

1.  To/from/through any of the identified high-risk affected countries (China; Hong Kong; Iran; Italy; Japan; Singapore; and South Korea) are RESTRICTED FROM ENTERING OUR SITES FOR 14 DAYS upon their return/entry to Canada. (Travel restrictions apply to all travel including stopovers in-transit through these countries. BSF will continue to monitor the high-risk areas and update this list as it applies. It is the responsibility of all individuals to monitor the status of any countries or areas you may be visiting, and to be aware of the potential risks when visiting areas affected by a COVID-19 outbreak.)
2. As a passenger on any cruise ship, from anywhere in the world, are RESTRICTED FROM ENTERING OUR SITES FOR 14 DAYS upon their return/entry to Canada.
3. From any other destination outside of Canada, are required to call Health Link 811 upon their return for guidance and clearance of any self-isolation, restrictions and testing precautions before entering our sites (regardless of any symptoms or not.

If you are unsure about your visitation access to our Manor, please contact your primary point of contact or the Administrator at your Manor.

Be assured that all BSF EMPLOYEES (including on-site essential services contractors and practicum students working in our Manors) who have returned from travel in the past 14 days are also subject to restrictions on entry to our sites when they are returning to work.

In additional to BSF’s visitation restrictions at our Manors, all returning travellers should visit www.ahs.ca/covid or phone Health Link 811 for guidance on the recommended monitoring, self-isolation, and testing guidelines related to COVID-19.

Further to any travel-related precautions, all VISITORS and EMPLOYEES are RESTRICTED FROM ENTERING OUR SITES if they are feeling unwell and are showing signs of illness including cold-like symptoms, fever, cough, and difficulty breathing.

OTHER IMPORTANT NOTICES AND CONSIDERATIONS:

Resident outings and external appointments in the community

• BSF strongly encourages all residents and families to consider whether any resident outings in the community are necessary, and to limit any non-essential outings to reduce residents’ potential for exposure to illness.
• We encourage residents and families to consult with their physician and their care team to determine any medically-necessary appointments, and to discuss the appropriate precautions residents and families should be taking when residents are exiting and re-entering our Manors for necessary appointments and outings.
• BSF is cancelling any recreation outings for the time being until further notice. We apologize for the inconvenience, but are confident that you will understand we have made this decision based on the best interests of our residents’ health and safety.

What else is BSF doing to prevent and prepare for a potential COVID-19 outbreak?

• We are continuing to review our internal Pandemic Response Plan, completing regular stock-takes of our supplies, and ensuring our supplies are well-stocked in preparation for the potential threat of an outbreak.
• All Manors have increased our staffing levels in the housekeeping departments to support increased cleaning for enhanced IPC practices.
• Significantly enhanced education on hand-hygiene and other IPC practices is being increased throughout our sites.
• Movement of staff assignments across various floors and neighbourhoods is being minimized as much as possible to reduce the risk for potential transmission of infections and viruses.
• Our sites will continue to accept new resident move-ins and will facilitate tours for the placement of new residents (taking appropriate screening measures). However, we will be reducing the frequency of unscheduled drop-in tours or open house events to limit movement of unessential visitors throughout our Manors.
• Our teams will be closely monitoring all residents, visitors and each other for any symptoms of illness.
• The Foundation is paying close attention to information from the Ministry of Health, Alberta Health, Alberta Health Services, and other government and health authorities.
• In the event of an outbreak or threat of an outbreak of an unusual infectious disease, direction on best practices for outbreak management will be provided by the Ministry of Health and may extend beyond The Foundation’s internal IPC Policy.
• The Managers of Therapeutic Recreation and Volunteer Services at our Manors will be reviewing and monitoring all recreation activities involving visitors to our sites: All individuals or small groups of volunteers and/or service providers for therapeutic recreation or entertainment programming will be screened in line with BSF’s enhanced visitor restrictions and precautionary travel directives; All large group visits (i.e. clubs or other organizations) will be cancelled within our Manors; All intergenerational group programming with daycares, school and youth groups will be cancelled within our Manors.

BSF strongly encourages all visitors who meet the requirements for visitation to our Manors to exercise the following precautions:

• Do not enter our Manors if you are feeling unwell and showing symptoms of illness
• Limit your visits to our Manors only when considered necessary
• Limit your visits only to residents in their rooms, avoid interactions with other residents, avoid visiting in common areas, and avoid touching people, equipment, and things as much as reasonably possible
• Practice good hand-hygiene, such as frequent handwashing and use of hand sanitizers, especially before and after contact with other people and things
• Cover coughs and sneezes into your elbow (not your hands)
• Avoid touching eyes, nose and mouth with unwashed hands

What communication related to the Corona Virus can you expect from BSF?

• We will ensure regular, up-to-date information is provided to everyone at our sites, through a variety of channels, to help us all stay informed and equipped to navigate through the changing situation related to the spread of COVID-19.
• Dedicated communication boards specific to sharing information related to COVID-19 will be established in our sites, and important current notices will be posted prominently at all site entrances.
• As per our usual practice, our teams will continue to contact the designated primary point of contact for changes related to the health status of our residents.
• BSF will provide transparent and timely information related to the status of any suspected or confirmed cases of COVID-19 related to our residents, employees, or visitors associated with our Manors.

Who can you contact if you have any questions or concerns about the situation or precautions at BSF Manors?

Should you have any questions or concerns, please continue to contact your regular primary point of contact within BSF. We also welcome you to contact the Director of Nursing or the Administrator at your Manor for any questions or concerns you might have.

How else can you keep up to date or get more information about COVID-19?

Contact your primary health provider or Health Link 811 if you have questions or concerns about your health. For the latest COVID-19 information relevant to Albertans, please visit the following websites: www.alberta.ca/coronavirus or www.ahs.ca/covid

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation

Thank you for your understanding and cooperation to help us all keep as healthy and safe as possible during this time of potential threat for the novel coronavirus.

Once again, please be assured that The Brenda Strafford Foundation is closely monitoring the situation, and we are taking all necessary precautions for the protection of our residents and everyone at our Manors.

We understand that these directives and precautions have implications for us all. We will continue to make our best efforts to support enhancing the quality of life for our residents and families, while also supporting these necessary and heightened measures for infection prevention and control at this time.

Regards,

Mike Conroy
President and CEO