July 24, 2020 – From the Office of the Chief Operating Officer

I am not sure where the year has gone. Time seems to fly by so quickly, yet some days feel long with the rain and overcast days of late.

On July 23, 2020 we launched the new safe access visitation process at the Centre under the direction of the Chief Medical Officer of Health and Alberta Health Services. At the time of writing this addition for the newsletter we are still currently collecting information from all our stakeholders (residents, family, love ones, staff, etc) by phone, email, direct conversation and our online survey. Completing these consultations will help us to develop a formal policy that aligns with the directives from the health agencies and the people who live, work and visit our Centre. I thank all those who have provided feedback already, please note that we will run the online survey until August 4th, 2020 to ensure there is enough time to collect information. A draft policy is in place until the final copy is completed.

Change can be frightening. Although the last few months under a restrictive access visitation policy was difficult for many it soon became the “new normal” and we have all grown accustom to this process. Many of you have expressed concerns about the new process allowing so many visitors into our community. I ask everyone to be respectful of each other’s personal choice whether you have decided to have visitation or not at this time.

Our number one priority continues to be the health and well-being of our residents and staff. I believe that everyone, including visitors who enter our building have a shared responsibility to meet the demand to keep our facility safe. The screening tool we use for everyone entering our building is comprehensive and covers all requirements under the Public Health orders however each individual must assess their own personal exposure risk prior to entry into our Centre.

Residents- I encourage you to have these conversations with your designated support visitors. When deciding who will be the individuals to have the privilege of entering our building and your suite to visit, you must first think of your tolerance for risk prior to making your selections.

As always, the entire staff of St. Andrew’s is here to support you! We will regularly evaluate our communities’ risk and support individual needs as required. Please look for more specific information regarding indoor/outdoor visits in this Newsletter, on our St. Andrew’s Centre website and our Facebook page.

Alberta Health Services has created a video for residents and their loved ones to provide information on safe access to congregate living facilities. We encourage all residents and their visitors to watch this video for more information on the new policy.

Wishing you all the very best. Stay safe and joyful,

Wanda Beaudoin
Chief Operating Officer