March 24, 2020.
SJP Residence State of Emergency Rules
The Ontario Government has announced the closure of non-essential businesses because people have not been adhering consistently to the requirements to stay home and distance themselves from others.
Here too, we see that some people are not always making good choices, by failing to abide by the recommendations from the national Minister of Health. Home Hardware has reached out to ask that our SJP Residents please do not enter Home Hardware. Please stop going out and stop going to places other than here. Please see others as a potentially contagious person – not everyone who is infected shows symptoms.
There is much that the public health community does not know about COVID-19, but what is known is that seniors, especially those living in group settings like ours, are at high risk for both contracting the virus and for poor prognosis. Please know that we are coming in to work each day in support each other, and by doing so, are risking our own well being and that of our family with whom we live. In these Emergency times every person is morally and ethically responsible for making choices and temporary sacrifices to their own comfort or routine to ensure the well being of all. We all know this is awful, it is awful for everyone in different ways. We need to be compassionate, patient, and consistent in making the right choices to ensure public health.
• No visitors. None within SJP and no visits outside of SJP.
• Telephone visits only.
• Wash hands frequently with soap and water.
• Stay at least 2 meters apart from others
• Cover sneezes and coughs with your arm or elbow.
• While at this time the government still permits going outside to walk, you are required to stay at least 2 meters apart from others, and you are not to enter shops or homes or any place else.
• Residents need to stay in their suite.
• Residents need to leave the dining room to return to their suite as soon as possible so that reduced time around others. And to permit us to sanitize properly.
• No more than 3 people in an elevator. Please wait by standing at least 2 meters apart for the next elevator.
• Keep Up the Great KINDNESS we have been sharing with each other. We are all in this together.
Beginning today, Activities staff are working from their homes, in order to comply with the government mandate of non-essential workers to work from home. Each of them will be spending time from home putting together the activities packages delivered to your doors daily, and they will be taking time each day to speak to each of you over the telephone.
Pastoral visits will be over the telephone as well.
The management team is taking shifts to ensure management presence in the building seven days a week, 12 hours a day. This is to support the staff in their roles and to be here to respond to ever changing circumstances.
With all the events of the present situation, please know that our attention is necessarily focused on our residents and our staff. We are not as readily available to respond to family inquiries as our circumstances require that we reorganize our operations and duties almost daily as new recommendations come from public health. Our focus needs to be here on the ground and in the moment. So please accept these communications as our way to stay connected.
The information we receive comes from all the publicly available sources, and we are taking the best precautions necessary and anticipating solutions to potential future scenarios as we learn from the experiences we read about in other communities and countries. We are working to keep our team and our residents happy and healthy and we encourage you to telephone your loved ones often. Residents are encouraged to telephone one another. It is important that we all keep in touch and support one another positively. Thank you for everyone’s support, prayers and cooperation. We are working together happily to ensure we are prepared for positive outcomes from this viral attack.