(File photo/paNOW Staff)

By Teena Monteleone

COVID in long-term care

CEO hopes care home will be out of COVID-19 outbreak by mid January

Dec 31, 2020 | 4:13 PM

Mont St. Joseph Home in Prince Albert is on day 24 of a confirmed COVID-19 outbreak.

At the height of its outbreak, 85 residents within the long-term care facility had to be isolated.

“Over the course of the last 24-day period, we had a dozen residents and six staff that tested positive,” Chief Executive Officer Wayne Nogier said.

Currently, six residents are still testing positive along with two staff and a third employee named as a close contact is self-isolating at home.

“We continue to have more than that isolated in our building because we’re looking at any type of symptomology that is unusual for that particular resident. So, we call it COVID until we can rule it out and that’s how we’ve been able to get ahead of this virus,” he said.

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Nogier said it has been particularly difficult to control the spread of the virus in specialized units of the building that house residents in advanced stages of dementia.

“In these specialized units, it’s difficult because the residents wander around and don’t receive getting isolated very well, so we need to be creative,” he said.

It’s meant further enhanced cleaning protocols and more staffing in those units.

Nogier said although the staff are doing well, they’re exhausted and looking forward to the delivery of the Pfizer vaccine next week. He expects all of Mont. St. Joseph Home residents and staff will receive their dose around Jan. 7. He said the emergence of the vaccine is a game changer in the way they can provide care.

“The biggest thing we have to look forward to coming in January is the reintroduction of families back into our building. It is key to doing proper care in specialized long-term care to have family integration,” Nogier said.

Only one other long-term or personal care home from Prince Albert is listed on the government’s website as having positive cases of COVID-19, but the numbers reflect the previous two weeks. For the period of Dec. 15 to Dec. 29, Green Hill Lodge is reporting one active case in a resident or staff member.

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Teena.Monteleone@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @MonteleoneTeena