Long-term care homes gaining knowledge as pandemic presses on

Some long-term care homes on P.E.I. say they're continuing to gain valuable COVID-19 knowledge as the year draws to a close.

P.E.I. has been implementing and lifting restrictions on care homes as needed since the beginning of the pandemic in March. Restrictions were added Sunday when the province announced its "circuit breaker" measures to stop the spread of coronavirus.

"There havebeen significant changes since March," said Lindsay Dickieson, administrator of the Mount Continuing Care Community.

"We didn't know a lot about COVID-19 at that time. It was a full lockdown. There were no visitors, no partners in care allowed. The term partner in care really hadn't even been coined yet."

Today, Dickieson said the facility has operational plans and close points of contact at the Chief Public Health Office.

"We have a lot more knowledge about COVID-19," she said.

"We know what PPE we need to wear. We know that we need to do our screening every day. And we have testing sites set up that have very quick turnaround times."

'Quite a challenge'

Currently, residents in P.E.I.'s facilities can only have one partner in care, which is a person close to them, like a family member, who helps to care for their basic needs. Before the "circuit breaker," residents had three partners in care, but could only visit one at a time.

Visitation restrictions had eased in November, and werealmost immediately tightened with cases climbing across the Atlantic region, leading to the suspension of the bubble.

"This whole pandemic has been quite a challenge and quite a difference from, kind of, our old normal," said Krystin Mann, the resident care co-ordinator at Whisperwood Villa.

"People have kind of gotten used to and are expecting these increased restrictions, but I mean, that doesn't really make it any easier they're losing out on that social interaction that they were able to have before."

It is very upsetting because it's the time of year where we tend to see an increase in the number of visitors for the residents. Lindsay Dickieson, The Mount

Some rules, like the limitation on partners in care, are laid out in the public health order or in documents provided to the homes from the Chief Public Health Office. Others restrictions are left to the discretion of the facilities.

At Whisperwood, staff are also asking that no takeout food come into the home after cases were linked to fast food restaurants.

"Before we were having a dining room with residents that were socially distanced, the same thing with activities," Mann said. "Residents are getting tray service to their rooms and activities right now are one-on-one on the units."

Residents at Whisperwood also cannot leave the facility under the new restrictions, unless it's for a scheduled appointment.

Dickieson said the changes have also been challenging for residents at the Mount.

"Some are able to accept this information and they understand that it is for everybody's safety, including their own," she said.

"For others, it is very upsetting because it's the time of year where we tend to see an increase in the number of visitors for the residents and something to look forward to around the holidays. That has changed."

Vaccine as a beacon

Both Dickieson and Mann said the promise of a vaccine offers a glimmer of hope.

On Tuesday, P.E.I. Chief Public Health Officer Dr. Heather Morrison said initial doses of the Pfizer vaccine could arrive as soon as next week with priority going to four groups, including adults over 70 and residents and staff in congregate living settings that provide care for seniors.

"We are on the final homestretch, even though it is still going to be some time yet before everybody gets vaccinated,"Dickieson said.

"That is one thing for us to all look forward to."

Reminder of symptoms

The symptoms of COVID-19 include:

• Fever.
• Cough or worsening of a previous cough.
• Possible loss of taste and/or smell.
• Sore throat.
• Headache.
• Shortness of breath.
• Runny nose.

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