Effective Saturday October 17, we are updating our Absence Policy.
Non-Medical Absence UpdateFairview Lodge, Hillsdale Estates, Hillsdale Terraces:
Given the local community transmissions and outbreaks effective Saturday, October 17, resident absences from the Home will not be permitted except for medical or compassionate reasons. This includes both day outings off the property as well as overnight absences. Essential caregiver visits as well as indoor and outdoor visits are still permitted at this time as well as zoom calls.
Lakeview Manor:
Effective Saturday October 17, all non-medical absences need to be approved by the Home. This includes both day outings off the property as well as overnight absences. The resident or substitute decision maker must make an absence request to the Home at least 48 hours in advance. The Home will review and approve the request on a case by case basis. If the request is denied, the reason for denial will be provided to the resident or SDM in writing. We are strongly discouraging non-medical absences for both resident and staff safety, but at this time, they are still permitted if approved by the Home.
September 28, 2020 - Letter to Families from Laura MacDermaid - Regarding: Absences and Visits
As of September 8, we have updated our visitor policy in accordance with the guidance from the Ministry of Long-Term Care.
Each Resident and/or substitute decision maker may designate a maximum of two caregivers or “Essential Caregiver”. These designated caregivers must register with the home. Essential caregiver must pass screening protocols including attestation of a negative COVID-19 test in the last 14 days and can visit without time limits. If the home is not in outbreak and/or the resident not is self-isolating or symptomatic, essential visitors can visit together. If a home is in outbreak, or the resident is self-isolating or symptomatic, they may be permitted to visit one at a time, following the directions outlined by the home and Durham Public Health.
If you wish to be an “essential caregiver”, please call the home further information and to be registered.
Scheduled outside and inside visits will also continue to be booked according to the home process.
Visitor Policy
Prior to visiting any resident for the first time and at least once every month thereafter, the home will ask caregivers to verbally attest to the home that they have read/re-read the home’s visitor policy.
Visitor Training
Prior to visiting any resident for the first time, the home is providing access to training for caregivers that addresses how to safely provide direct care, including putting on and taking off required PPE, and hand hygiene. Please take time to review. You will be asked to verbally attest to the training when you visit.
Please review visiting requirements under the specific home section.
| Hillsdale Terraces, Oshawa |
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Hillsdale Terraces is happy to welcome the following Visitors: 1. Essential Caregiver 2. General Visitor 3. Virtual Visits 1. Essential Caregiver Every resident can designate a maximum of two individuals as essential caregivers. Caregivers are friends and family who visit in- person in the resident room and within the home, to provide direct care to the resident (e.g. supporting feeding, mobility, cognitive stimulation, communication and assistance in decision-making). Registration Procedures: for Essential Caregivers
Visiting Procedures: for Essential Caregivers
When the home is not in outbreak:
When the home is in outbreak:
2. General Visitor A general visitor is a friend/family of the resident other than the two designated essential caregivers. General visitors can visit either inside or outside the home dependent on specific criteria. Indoor scheduled visits: These visits require a negative COVID-19 test within 14 days of the visit and will take place in a common area of the Auditorium. Outside scheduled visits: These visits are held in the front of the home outside—face coverings and practicing social distancing of six feet is required at all times. These visits do not require a negative COVID-19 test within 14 days of the visit. Visiting Procedures for General Visitors
3. Virtual Visits Are available via Zoom technology. Zoom visits are scheduled through the recreation department. Please call 905-579-3313 ext. 5010 to book a virtual visit. 4. Home Tours Please note, that the home is currently not conducting tours. If you wish to view the home please go to the virtual tour online. |
| Hillsdale Estates, Oshawa |
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Hillsdale Estates is happy to welcome the following visitors: 1. Essential Caregiver 2. General Visitor 3. Virtual Visits 1. Essential Caregiver Every resident can designate a maximum of two individuals as essential caregivers. Caregivers are friends and family who visit in-person in the resident room and within the home, to provide direct care to the resident (e.g. supporting feeding, mobility, cognitive stimulation, communication and assistance in decision-making). Registration Procedures: for Essential Caregivers
Visiting Procedures: for Essential Caregivers
When the home is not in outbreak:
When the home is in outbreak:
2. General Visitor A general visitor is a friend/family of the resident other than the two designated essential caregivers. General visitors can visit either inside or outside the home dependent on specific criteria. Indoor scheduled visits: These visits require a negative COVID-19 test within 14 days of the visit and will take place in a common area of the Auditorium. Outside scheduled visits: These visits are held in the front of the home outside—face coverings and practicing social distancing of six feet is required at all times. These visits do not require a negative COVID-19 test within 14 days of the visit. Visiting Procedures for General Visitors
3. Virtual Visits Are available via Zoom technology. Zoom visits are scheduled through our online booking service. 4. Home Tours Please note, that the home is currently not conducting tours. If you wish to view the home please go to the virtual tour online. |
| Fairview Lodge, Whitby |
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Fairview Lodge is happy to welcome the following Visitors: 1. Essential Caregiver 2. General Visitor 3. Virtual Visits 1. Essential Caregiver Every resident can designate a maximum of two individuals as essential caregivers. Caregivers are friends and family who visit in-person in the resident room and within the home, to provide direct care to the resident (e.g. supporting feeding, mobility, cognitive stimulation, communication and assistance in decision-making). Registration Procedures: for Essential Caregivers
Visiting Procedures: for Essential Caregivers
When the home is not in outbreak:
When the home is in outbreak:
2. General Visitor A general visitor is a friend/family of the resident other than the two designated essential caregivers. General visitors can visit either inside or outside the home dependent on specific criteria. Indoor scheduled visits: These visits require a negative COVID-19 test within 14 days of the visit and will take place in a common area of the Auditorium. Outside scheduled visits: These visits are held in the front of the home outside—face coverings and practicing social distancing of six feet is required at all times. These visits do not require a negative COVID-19 test within 14 days of the visit. Visiting Procedures for General Visitors
Ashburn Way – Elizabeth.Carvalho@durham.ca Cullen Gardens – Lucia.Kalmeyer@durham.ca Whitby Juction – Jaeden.English@durham.ca Trafalgar Square – Stacey.Smith@durham.ca Yorkshire Place – Alanna.Rouette@durham.ca Heritage Harbour – Shannon.Cox@durham.ca Marigold Lane – Jessica.Murley@durham.ca
3. Virtual Visits Are available via Skype or Facetime technology. Virtual visits are scheduled through the recreation department. 4. Home Tours Please note, that the home is currently not conducting tours. If you wish to view the home please go to the virtual tour online. |
| Lakeview Manor, Beaverton |
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Lakeview Manor is happy to welcome the following visitors: 1. Essential Caregiver 1. Essential Caregiver Every resident can designate a maximum of two individuals as essential caregivers. Caregivers are friends and family who visit in- person in the resident room and within the home, to provide direct care to the resident (e.g. supporting feeding, mobility, cognitive stimulation, communication and assistance in decision-making). Registration Procedures: for Essential Caregivers Every essential caregiver must be registered with the home, to register please call to book at appointment. Please call Rob Clayton at ext. 5320.
Visiting Procedures: for Essential Caregivers
When the home is not in outbreak:
2. General Visitor A general visitor is a friend/family of the resident other than the two designated essential caregivers. General visitors can visit either inside or outside the home dependent on specific criteria.
Outside scheduled visits: These visits are held in the front of the home outside—face coverings and practicing social distancing of six feet is required at all times. These visits do not require a negative COVID-19 test within 14 days of the visit. Visiting Procedures for General Visitors
3. Virtual Visits Are available via Zoom technology. Zoom visits are scheduled through the recreation department. Please call Recreation at ext. 5322. 4. Home Tours Please note, that the home is currently not conducting tours. If you wish to view the home please go to the virtual tour online. |
The health and safety of our residents—and the team members who care for them—remains our highest priority. We continue to monitor the situation closely. Please see below for measures we are taking to help prevent outbreak in our home
For the most up-to-date information about COVID-19 in Durham Region, visit durham.ca/NovelCoronavirus.
FAQ's - I'm a family member and would like more information |
My loved one is currently a resident in a Regional long-term care home, am I able to visit them? Following the guidance of the Ministry of Long Term Care, effective June 18, there has been be a gradual reopening of long-term care homes to visitors provided the home is not in an outbreak. We currently offer the following types of visiting to our homes:
Please look under each home section (above) to review the booking and visiting requirements. The health and well-being of all Ontarians, including long-term care residents, their families, and staff, is our government’s number one priority. Can my loved one leave the property for any reason? Please note the following guideline for absences:
Types of Absences:
Short Stay Absence: Residents who leave the home's property for health care related, social, or other reasons. A short stay absence does not include an overnight stay, with the exception of single-night emergency room visits. If the visit is not taking place off the property, it is considered an outdoor visit and subject to the guidelines within the visitor policy. (PAN-09-03 Visitation to Long-Term Care).
Temporary Absence: Residents may leave the home’s property for a temporary absence of one or more days for personal reasons. Homes must review and approve the temporary absence based on a case-by-case risk assessment . Residents who return from a temporary visit must self isolate for 14 days and will also be tested for COVID-19. Are all residents screened for COVID-19? We are conducting active screening of all residents, at least twice daily (at the beginning and end of the day) to identify if any resident has fever, cough or other symptoms of COVID-19. Residents with symptoms (including mild respiratory and/or atypical symptoms) will be isolated and tested for COVID-19. What preventative measures are being taken to keep my loved one safe? All Regional Long-Term Care homes are actively screening anyone coming into their homes. We continue to monitor the situation closely. We have enhanced sanitation measures and continue to encourage those in our homes to practise good hygiene. We are limiting close interactions among those within our homes. Plus, we are isolating residents who show symptoms, to help prevent the spread of this virus; and employees are wearing personal protective equipment (includes a surgical mask with a shield, a gown and gloves) when caring for symptomatic residents. As of March 19, staff employed at a Regional long-term care home are not permitted to work at more than one facility, as a further precaution to help reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. We have been following direction from the Ministry of Health since the pandemic began. This includes actively screening all employees and visitors, social distancing, reinforcing hand hygiene and ensuring staff do not report to work if ill. These practices have been put into place to help ensure the continued health and safety of our residents, and the individuals who provide a high level of care in our homes. My loved one lives in a unit where someone tested positive. What are you doing to limit the spread? When a resident tests positive for COVID-19, residents living in adjacent rooms to that person will also be tested. Further testing will be assessed, in collaboration with Public Health, using a risk-based approach based on exposures. Regional long-term care homes are committed to providing exceptional care, following all Ministry regulations. The health, safety and well-being of those within our care are the highest priority. Personal protective equipment (PPE) must be changed between residents so if the employee gives care to the resident who tested positive, the employee will need to change their PPE before caring for your loved one. Should your loved one test positive for COVID-19, in addition to maintaining our regular high level of care, employees are required to wear personal protective equipment (includes a surgical mask with a shield, a gown and gloves) when entering the rooms of any symptomatic residents. This gear is changed before and after any interaction with symptomatic residents. Employees are diligent in the monitoring of these patients. Plus, employees who work in a unit where someone tested positive will be asked to work isolate. This means that staff working in the impacted unit work only on that unit and then are required to self-isolate at home. They are also required to take their temperature twice daily and continue to self-monitor. How are staff screened for COVID-19? All staff are to self-screen at home and not to report to work if they are ill. Upon entering the building, they are actively screened using a screening tool developed by the Ministry of Health. This includes having their temperature taken at the start and end of every shift. In addition, all employees who have worked in units where residents have tested positive, will also be tested, regardless of if they are showing symptoms. Surveillance testing took place in began in May. Following Ontario Public Health Guidance, staff are swabbed twice each month until further notice. What criteria is used to determine if a resident is showing symptoms of COVID-19? Residents are being monitored for symptoms fever, unusual respiratory symptoms such as cough, runny nose, nasal congestion, sore throat. If symptoms develop, they are immediately placed in isolation and monitored closely. How are staff members managing social distancing for the residents? Group activities have been suspended throughout the homes since the COVID-19 measures were put in place. While the layouts of long-term care homes vary, staff are encouraging social distancing in group areas such as dining rooms. If residents are symptomatic, they are isolated in their room. For residents in isolation who are not compliant, staff monitor closely and redirect. Are activities for residents ongoing in all the units? In place of group activities, more one-on-one activities are taking place with social distancing in mind. During an outbreak, are residents in the infected unit free to visit common areas of the home, such as the dining room? When there is an outbreak of any sort in the home, whether it is rhino, influenza or COVID-19, affected residents are isolated to their room, including for meals, and the home area is closed. Residents who are not affected are able to move freely through the home area, but are restricted from leaving. Are staff wearing personal protective equipment in all areas of the homes? We are following infection control protocols; staff are wearing personal protective equipment, including a surgical mask with a shield, a gown and gloves when providing care to residents in isolation. In addition, all staff are required to wear surgical masks at all times for the duration of their shift whether the home is in outbreak or not. Based on guidance from public health experts, we ask that you not drop off homemade food, gifts or other non-essential items. Cut flowers and plants are being accepted at the homes for residents. Items are to be dropped off at the front entrance and will be held for 72 hours and/or wiped down with disinfectant wipes prior to being given to the resident. Can I discharge my loved one from one of the Regions’ long-term care homes, due to concerns about COVID-19? On March 26, the Region of Durham received notification that the Long-Term Care Homes Act had been amended, specifically the section pertaining to Admissions and Discharges. The amendments allow residents to leave a long-term care home if they wish to do so due to COVID-19; and expedite their return to the long-term care home when they need to come back. Before the resident leaves the home, we are required to provide specific information, including information on care requirements and that the resident (or their substitute decision maker) assumes full responsibility for the care, safety and wellbeing of the resident. This would be done via phone. During the time the person is away, the bed will be available for occupancy by another person. The process for returning to the home differs according to the time the resident was away. For absences that are three months or less, the resident would be deemed eligible and accepted for admission by the home, and simply placed into the “re-admission” category (this category is the highest-ranking category for vacant beds; it ranks higher than the “crisis” category). For absences greater than three months an assessment by the placement coordinator is required and the home can refuse the admission if the circumstances for refusing an admission in the LTCHA exist. If accepted, the person would be placed into the “re-admission” category for that long-term care home. This amendment is intended to free up valuable resources and bed space as the health care system continues to respond to COVID-19. Please speak to your Resident Care Co-ordinator, the Director of Care or the Administrator should you have any questions on this matter. Are new admissions and re-admissions to the home tested for COVID-19? All new residents will be isolated and tested for COVID-19. All new residents must remain in isolation for 14 days from arrival, even if asymptomatic. Patients transferred from hospital to a long-term care home must be tested prior to the transfer. |
FAQ - I’m a community member and would like to thank staff |
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Your support and encouragement means the world to our team. A simple thank you goes a long way. You can send us a note electronically, and we will share it with the team. For the health and safety of our residents and staff, we are not accepting donations of homemade food or other gifts. |
FAQs - I'm an employee and would like more information |
What is the notification process if a resident tests positive for COVID-19? Following confirmation from Durham Region Health Department of a positive test result, home staff will immediately notify family members and employees. When are employees required to wear personal protective equipment (includes a surgical mask with a shield, a gown and masks)? All staff are required to wear surgical masks at all times for the duration of their shift whether the home is in outbreak or not. Employees are required to wear personal protective equipment (includes a surgical mask with a shield, a gown and gloves) when entering the rooms of any symptomatic resident. This PPE must be changed before and after any interaction with symptomatic resident. Hand hygiene must be performed before donning and after doffing. If a resident tests positive on a unit, will everyone be tested? All employees working in the unit will be tested. Residents living in adjacent rooms to someone who has tested positive will also be tested. Further testing will be assessed, in collaboration with Health, using a risk-based approach based on exposures. If a resident tests positive on my unit, how long will I be in work isolation? Employees who work in a unit where someone tested positive will be asked to work isolate. This means that staff working in the impacted unit would only work on that unit and cannot leave the unit to provide care in another home area. You will be required to self-isolate at home outside of work hours. This includes taking your temperature twice daily. All employees working in the unit will be tested. If you become ill outside of work, you will need to call Durham Region Health Department to coordinate assessment and testing. If you test positive, you will need two negative swabs before you will be allowed to return to work. I am displaying symptoms, should I return to work? Please follow the advice of Durham Region Health Department. If you show symptoms at work, you will be swabbed before you go home. If you become ill outside of work, you will need to call Durham Region Health Department to coordinate assessment and testing. If you test positive, you will need two negative swabs before allowed to return to work. You will be given further instructions from your manager. I returned from a trip outside of Canada, should I come back to work? You will be required to monitor yourself for symptoms and self isolate at home for 14 days. Please follow the advice of Durham Region Health Department. What procedures should I follow if I have been in contact with someone who has tested positive for COVID-19? Please follow the advice of Durham Region Health Department. Employees who work in a unit where someone tested positive will be tested. Staff working in the impacted unit would only work on that unit and cannot leave the unit to provide care in another home area. You will be required to self-isolate at home outside of work hours. This includes taking your temperature twice daily. If you show symptoms at work, you will be swabbed before you go home. If you become ill outside of work, you will need to call Durham Region Health Department to coordinate assessment and testing. If you test positive, you will need two negative swabs before you will be allowed to return to work. I live with someone who is high risk, how do I protect them? To help reduce the spread of this illness within our homes and the community, please follow the advice of Durham Region Health Department and home officials about preventative measures and proper precautions. You may also consider bringing a clean change of clothes with you to work and changing into them once your shift is complete. Will all employees and residents in the home be tested? All employees working in affected units will be tested. In addition, as of May 15, 2020, all staff and residents have been swabbed as part of the province’s surveillance testing for long-term care homes. All employees are being swabbed twice monthly as part of the province’s surveillance testing. Are employees who work at Regional long-term care homes allowed to work at other facilities in the community? As of March 19, staff employed at a Regional long-term care home are not permitted to work at more than one facility, as a further precaution to help reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19. |
Ontario Enhancing COVID-19 Protections for Long-Term Care Residents, Families and Staff - Q&As
Send a greeting card to your loved one in long-term care
The Region of Durham is taking every precaution to mitigate this situation.
All Regional long-term care homes are actively screening anyone coming into their homes. We continue to monitor the situation closely.
We have enhanced sanitation measures and continue to encourage those in our homes to practise good hygiene. We are limiting close interactions among those within our homes. Plus, we are isolating residents who show symptoms, to help prevent the spread of this virus; and employees are wearing personal protective equipment (includes a surgical mask with a shield, a gown and gloves) when caring for symptomatic residents.
As of March 19, staff employed at a Regional long-term care home are not permitted to work at more than one facility, as a further precaution to help reduce the risk of spreading COVID-19.
We have been following direction from the Ministry of Health since the pandemic began. This includes actively screening all employees and visitors.
These practices have been put into place to help ensure the continued health and safety of our residents, and the individuals who provide a high level of care in our homes.
We know that this is an uncertain and challenging time. Please be assured that the Region of Durham remains vigilant in its efforts to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and to care for your loved ones.
We are doing everything we can to protect the health and safety of those within our homes and the community at large.
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- Public Health Ontario
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