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Retirement Home - Windsor
(519) 254-1112
3140 Peter St, Windsor, Ontario, N9C 1H3

Cardinal Place Retirement Home COVID 19 Protocol

VISITOR SCREENING UPDATE

October 2022 Update

Hi Everyone,

We are all very tired of hearing about COVID and would very much like to confine it to history. However, COVID is not done with us. I have been receiving and monitoring significant warnings for several weeks. Without the Ontario Science Table on COVID the data has been hard to gather but other bodies are finding a way to bravely do the job and, with integrity, make the information public. The bottom line is that COVID is NOT gone and a new wave of infections has begun along with a harsh wave of influenza.

What is Cardinal Place doing about it?

We are continuing our policies of

- rapid testing at our door for members and guests,
- twice weekly rapid testing for all staff,
- allowing only vaccinated individuals in the building,

- fully vaccinating all of our Members,

- requiring masking of all staff and outside care providers

- facilitating vaccine boosters for our Team.

- introducing a new online risk assessment tool (see below)

- introducing a new tool for antibody immune testing for Members and Staff. (see below)

An exciting new tool was purchased and delivered today. It is a blood test for active COVID antibodies. It is Health Canada approved but is not paid for by OHIP yet. Cardinal Place has purchased these tests for all Members and Staff. It will be extremely valuable to know one's antibody immune status against the current developing wave of COVID. It will also give individuals an insight for the timing of a vaccine booster.

..."To help keep our loved ones safe this winter Cardinal Place and Audacia Bioscience are introducing the Test, Treat and Track initiative.

Audacia Bioscience developed a COVID-19 symptoms risk tool (www.CovidRiskTool.me) to help individuals conduct a personalized risk assessment to track their immune status level. The tool provides valuable information about risk for severe symptoms. The key benefit of utilizing the COVID-19 Risk Assessment tool is to help your and your loved one know where they are on the COVID-19 Symptoms Risk Index. The knowledge to distinguish between your high, moderate and low symptoms risk situations can help you make better decisions, and ultimately save a life.

We have reached a critical stage in the battle against COVID-19 and, as vaccination efforts continue, new virus variants emerge. This has us all wondering if we are sufficiently protected from this challenging virus. One of the best ways to determine if you have any protection against the COVID-19 virus is with an Antibody test. The new advanced Antibody test is Health Canada approved and is a quick home test that will give you results in just 1 minute from a drop of blood. For our seniors, taking a quick Antibody test should help avoid prolonged isolation. The tool can also assist with dose timing, ensuring we get them through the winter months with the highest level of protection possible and ensure your loved one has a good immune response to their most recent shot. There are now treatments for COVID-19. If you or a family member are at high or moderate risk and have no detectable antibodies, then it is important that you are aware of the treatment options to avoid severe symptoms." (Audacia Bioscience)

In the meantime, again, I encourage everyone to do their part in keeping each other safe. Use the new tool, use the online risk assessment, keep your vaccination status (and therefore your COVID antibodies) up to date. Do what you can to avoid being a vector of infection to others.
I am keenly aware of the sacrifices and weariness we are all experiencing, and I am deeply grateful for your ongoing professionalism and commitment of care.

In solidarity,

Mike

Thank you for your cooperation in these matters.

Check out our latest BLOG post:

Cardinal Place is 100% vaccinated against COVID-19. Why is this important?

We thank you for your understanding during the current pandemic.

COVID test team from the EMS and Health Unit

Cardinal Place COVID-19 Protocol

As a licensee of the RHRA, Cardinal Place is required to plan ahead for all kinds of catastrophic situations. This pandemic is no different.

Thanks to all our efforts, COVID-19 HAS NOT INFECTED Cardinal Place.

Currently, our Members enjoy meals and activities together and, in our bubble, wearing a mask is optional for a Member. Cardinal Place staff must wear a mask when in the building and must remain at least 2 metres apart when not wearing a mask like when eating on a break. Of course regular hand washing and hand disinfecting is an ongoing habit. Twice a day our staff disinfects all the hallway touch surfaces like door handles and elevator buttons. The staff also disinfects the salt, pepper, sugar and sweetener containers and tables and chair arms between meals.

By order of the Province, we staff the front door with a “Porter” seven days a week from 10 a.m. till 8 p.m. Visitors and returning Members are actively screened.
Visitors who fail screening will not be permitted to enter.
Members who fail screening will be carefully escorted to their rooms to be isolated and tested for COVID-19.

Please take this pandemic seriously and alter your personal habits toward safety and the protection of others.

IF COVID-19 were to break out, here this is what we would do:

All Members would be isolated in their rooms. We are fortunate that our ventilation system is not interlinked between rooms. Therefore, each room is infection safe as well as fire safe.
Meals would be served to Members in their rooms.
Smokers would not be allowed out of their room. Instead, we highly recommend that they make arrangements to have a nicotine patch prescription available.
All Members and Staff would be tested.
Activities would be offered in rooms, not in common. A supply of hobby and interest materials like crafts, books, games or puzzles is recommended.
Staff would be using all of the latest recommended Personal Protective Equipment. We currently have more than three weeks supply of PPE in our building and have ordered more. Our aim is to have 8 weeks of PPE in our building on an ongoing basis.
Staff would also be divided into cohorts serving only two floors each, not the entire building.

We ask for your understanding during this difficult time.

Additional Measures

Our staff work only at Cardinal Place and make personal sacrifices in their home lives to ensure they are not exposed to the coronavirus.

The Cardinal Place Care Team did all the extra work formerly done by government-funded outside agencies during the months of April through mid-July. We have now arranged with some of those agencies to supply dedicated workers who will work only at Cardinal Place. These measures are to prevent the spread of COVID-19 from one seniors' home to others.

We've added a cook, busboys, cleaners, Personal Support Workers (PSW) and Registered Practical Nurses (RPN) to our staff. Doubling up our staff ensures we are covered if someone gets sick.