NOTICE: H.J. McFarland Memorial Home implements new COVID-19 precautions
H.J. McFarland Memorial Home is implementing new measures introduced by the Province to keep long-term care residents and staff safe against the COVID-19 Omicron variant.
The following measures will go into effect at 12:01 a.m. on Friday December 17, 2021:
For visitors:
Requiring a negative test upon entry to a long-term care home for all visitors and support workers who provide essential services to a resident or to the facility, unless they had a negative test the day before.
Requiring caregivers to be fully vaccinated, unless they have a valid medical exemption or are attending to a resident in a palliative end-of-life situation. Caregivers will be required to have a first dose by December 20, 2021 and all required doses to be considered fully vaccinated by February 21, 2022. In the interim, designated caregivers who are not fully vaccinated would need to restrict their visit to the resident’s room.
Limiting indoor visits to a maximum of two people per resident at a time and outdoor visits, where feasible, to a maximum total of four people per resident at a time.
For residents:
Cohorting of residents for higher-risk activities, such as singing and dancing, and discouraging large social activities. This is in addition to the cohorting of residents during meal times, which is currently occurring.
Limiting social day trips to only residents who are fully vaccinated and requiring those residents who leave the home for social reasons to be actively screened upon their return to the home and if they had a known exposure to a case, isolated and tested using a PCR test. All residents, regardless of vaccination status, can continue to leave the home for essential reasons, such as medical appointments.
Suspending overnight absences for social purposes regardless of residents’ vaccination status. Residents who wish to leave the home overnight for social purposes or due to COVID-19 may be temporarily discharged and need to follow the re-admission protocol to return at a later date.
For staff and other workers:
Testing of all staff, students, volunteers, and caregivers on each non-consecutive work day, regardless of vaccination status, prior to entry into the home as part of enhanced active screening practices.
For more information about visiting H.J. McFarland Memorial Home, contact 613.476.2138 ext. 238
