June 17, 2020 – Outings/Outdoor Visits

Dear Cherished Residents and Loved Ones,

As things continue to evolve during this pandemic, I want to commend you for your dedication, understanding and for working in partnership with St. Andrews to help keep our community safe and well. We acknowledge that it has been a difficult 14 weeks not having many opportunities to visit with loved ones, missing holidays or birthdays, births and passing’s. In the past few weeks, we have seen some changes as they relate to outdoor visiting at the Centre and the relaunch of the communities/services we enjoy both inside and outside the Centre. I know that this has raised many questions for you, and I hope to provide some direction in regard to this below.

Some of you have reached out and asked if residents can go home with family for short periods without them having to self-isolate on return. At this time, if a resident leaves our Centre overnight, they will have to isolate for 14 days upon their return. While residents can leave, we continue to encourage that they do not do so unless considered a necessity. According to the Chief Medical Officer of Health (CMOH), when an outing is solely for the purposes of maintaining physical or psychological health, safety/security, or wellbeing, it is considered a necessity. Some examples could include going to a medical appointment or spending time outside. If a resident does want to leave for a short period of time, they are encouraged to wear a mask, have anyone they are with wear a mask, physically distance themselves, use hand sanitizer, and avoid visiting locations that have large groups of people. It should also be noted that residents are not required to isolate following medical appointments or hospital trips if they are not admitted.

Everyone who comes into the Centre will continue to be screened upon entry – including residents who have chosen to leave for an essential outing, staff, designated essential visitors, contractors, etc. If a resident does not pass the screening upon return, they will be required to immediately self-isolate and be encouraged to have testing arranged.

We know that visiting and being outdoors is important for everyone’s mental health, but it is also vital that we continue to follow the public health directives concerning outdoor visits.
• Visits can only be arranged with residents who are NOT on isolation.
• Visitors and residents must wash or sanitize their hands before and after visits.
• Avoid touching your face.
• Visitors must bring and wear a mask at all times. This means that a visitor(s) cannot eat or drink while visiting. Residents are encouraged to wear a mask as well.
• Visitors and residents must remain at least two meters apart for physical distancing.
• No pets are allowed.
• Employees will screen residents when they re-enter St. Andrews.
• No more than two people can visit a resident at one time (maximum group size of 3).

Thank you for your patience and kindness as employees try to ensure everyone has the chance to visit. If an outdoor visit is not possible for you, please speak to the main office about the different ways you can connect, including virtual visits. I want to reassure you that the wellbeing of our residents and their happiness is of the utmost importance to us.

If you have any concerns at all, please reach out to the leadership team at the Centre so we can work through them together. While this is a challenging time for everyone, it is especially perplexing for you and your loved ones. My commitment to you is that we will continue to provide quality of life and service to our residents while also following the public health orders to keep everyone safe. We know that not being able to visit in the Centre is difficult and frustrating, and we want to do whatever we can to ensure you or your loved ones have the information needed to feel comfortable with the precautions taken within the Centre at all times.

I ask that we maintain our strong and committed partnership to keep our community well and safe by weighing all options prior to making personal choices regarding essential outings.

Warm Regards,

Wanda Beaudoin
Chief Operating Officer