Long-term care homes to increase visitations
Posted February 23, 2022 8:27 pm.
Last Updated March 7, 2022 5:44 pm.
Manitoba families can plan some long-awaited reunions with loved ones, as long-term care homes will be allowed more visitations starting this week.
Visitation to long-term care facilities will expand in phases beginning this week according to Shared Health.
“We’ve got some good protections in place so like I said it’s good to have people back, it’s been a very difficult time without visitors,” explained Laurie Chur-Qwetti, Simkin Centre CEO.
The first phase of expanded visitor access will allow fully vaccinated general visitors to both long-term care and acute care facilities, with proof of vaccination and photo identification still required.
Visitors who are not fully vaccinated or who do not wish to provide proof of their vaccination status may visit long-term care facilities in designated visitor shelters and spaces.
“There are other changes coming that we are not so sure about,” Chur-Qwetti added.
Chur-Qwetti says although expanded visitation is a win – the impending end to the proof of immunization and mask requirements is a concern, especially since they only declared a nearly two-month-long outbreak over just last Tuesday.
“We do have the frail elderly and children that we need to protect, so if wearing a mask protects them I encourage people to do that.”
Epidemiologist Cynthia Carr shares concerns about the speed at which measures are being removed as she says it creates an opportunity for the virus. Carr also believes visitation is key for not only the mental health of those in personal care homes but their overall health as well.
“Enhancing visitation opportunity is a very good idea, but it needs to be done safely. We need to have not just a social contract of people visiting being honest about symptoms, but additional layers within the setting for the next little while, particularly because of the cold weather making people visit mostly indoors,” explained Carr.
Carr says in Canada, 60 per cent of deaths from COVID-19 were aged 80 and older. She hopes Long-term care home staff continue to be supplied with proper PPE to keep residents safe.
