MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR

Resident Programs: We are making some modifications to the set up of some of our programs moving forward. We will now post signage to indicate when a program has reached maximum capacity so that physical distancing can be maintained. Please be mindful of this signage prior to entering the program. Also, it is important, and is required by the Ministry, that everyone wear masks when with a resident on JMPC property. 

Care Conferences: For those who have care conferences coming up, we would like to offer you the opportunity to come into the Home for the care conference in-person. In addition, if you would like a hybrid model of the meeting, we can also offer this option. If this is of interest to you, please reach out to Colleen York at reception to arrange the adjustment that works best for your family.

Essential Caregivers – If you are coming once a week only, and are not fully vaccinated, you can have a Rapid Antigen Test only on the day of your visit. You are not required to wait the 15 min for the results of the test. If you are coming more than once per week, you will continue to require one PCR test from the assessment centre and one rapid antigen test here at JMPC each week. If you are fully vaccinated, there is no testing required and you are able to visit with the resident anywhere in the Home including the residents room. Resident main dining rooms remain off limits during mealtimes.

General Visitors: These visits can now occur seven days a week. Please remember that Rapid Antigen testing is required on each day of your visit (inclusive of a 15 min wait time) if you are not fully vaccinated.  If you are fully vaccinated, there is no testing required and you are able to visit with the resident anywhere in the Home including the residents room. Resident main dining rooms remain off limits during mealtimes.

Pre-Booking Visits: You are no longer required to pre-book your visits into the Home. The only individuals that will continue to need to use this online picktime booking feature is those who are not fully vaccinated AND are not getting a Rapid Antigen test and therefore visiting only outside. In this circumstance, we need the visit pre-booked so that we can arrange a staff person to bring the resident outdoors to you.

Perishable Items and Items Coming into the Home: We are removing the requirement to wipe down food storage items and the 24 hour holding time for items being brought into the Home effective today.

Dining In at JMPC (must be fully vaccinated): Please check out the information later on in this newsletter that you will need, should you wish to purchase a meal ticket here at the Home. There is also information included as to how to book the library should you wish to do this. If you wish to book the 2^nd Floor Library, the maximum capacity of that room is 8 people. If you are booking the Library for a meal, you will need to bring in your own food for this purpose. If you are booking a Gibbard Family Dining Room on the resident Home area you can choose to purchase a meal ticket and eat with your loved one together in there, or bring your own food to share together. Unfortunately, at this time, children under 12, can’t be vaccinated therefore can’t participate in this dining experience.  

Sign up for Newsletter: There have been a number of questions as to current COVID practices/restrictions/visiting times etc. from those who are not aware of the presence of our weekly family newsletter. If you have family / friends who will be coming into the Home who this may apply to, I would encourage you to reach out to them and advise them that this forum does exist and they should sign up for this in order to keep themselves up to date on the current practices in place at the Home. This will ensure that they are able to anticipate/prepare accordingly for each visit. 

Local Vaccination Clinics: The local clinics are currently offering drop in availability as well as booked appointments. Please note below that these mass vaccination clinics will be closing very soon:

There will still be plenty of clinic options in our area to book a COVID-19 vaccine appointment by visiting KFL&A Public Health’s website (local booking system, not provincial booking system) or calling the booking centre at 343-477-0172. Do not delay getting fully vaccinated.

Capacity Limits: Just a reminder that the capacity limits in a residents room is 3 people plus the resident.

If this is your first time reading our newsletter, I would encourage you to go to this link where you will find the previous newsletters should you wish to view them. Should you ever not want to receive these newsletters, please follow the prompts on the newsletter at the bottom to unsubscribe. Also, if you ever feel that you would prefer to not have a picture of your loved one included in our Family Newsletter, please reach out to Bobbie-Joe at bblackburn@lennox-addington.on.ca or by calling at ext 7224.

General visitors can enter the Home between 10am – 7pm.

If the resident requires assistance to get outside and you are not able to enter the building to pick them up, the visit will need to be pre-booked using our online booking tool - picktime here. 

Given the increase in screening that will be required as we continue to re-open our doors, we do need to initiate no entrance/exit daily between the hours of 12:15 – 12:45pm and 5:15pm- 5:45 pm. This will allow staff to take breaks and complete required tasks associated with the screening and infection control processes. 

General Visitor Visiting – General visitors will be permitted into the Home between 10am – 7:00pm seven days a week. Please ensure to allow yourself enough time to have your rapid antigen testing completed prior to 5:45pm on the day of your visit if you are not fully vaccinated.

KFLA Public Health website.

Provincial Vaccine Booking (for 1^st or 2^nd dose)

Eligible groups can use Ontario’s vaccine booking system to find out how to schedule an appointment, or can call the Provincial Vaccine Booking Line number at 1-833-943-3900. For general inquiries, individuals can call the Provincial Vaccine Information Line number at 1-888-999-6488 or TTY service is also available by calling 1-866-797-0007. Appointments can also be scheduled directly through public health units that use their own booking system, and through participating pharmacies. Select primary care providers are also reaching out to book appointments

Everyone 12+ years old are now entitled to receive their 2^nd dose now without the extended wait time in between doses!

Vaccine clinic at Kingston Health Sciences Centre Burr Gym 

Vaccine clinics at INVISTA Centre and Strathcona Paper Centre 

Vaccine clinic at Kingston Community Health Centre 

You will need your regular COVID swab that you have at a COVID Assessment Centre which you will need to have at some point between Wednesday and Sunday each week. (please do not have your tests on back to back days)  

The second swab is the Rapid Antigen Test which will be done at JMPC in our tea room. We will be offering this test on Monday’s, Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s at the times listed below:

Exception: If you visit only once per week then you only require the one weekly rapid antigen swab from JMPC on the day of your visit

Short Term Outings – Leaving the property for social or other reason but not overnight. This does not need to be booked or approved. However, it is important to note that if the resident is going out with a non-essential caregiver, we will require you to reach out to the charge nurse on the residents floor to arrange a pick up time.  Anyone picking up the resident must come into the vestibule and go through the active screening process but do not require COVID testing. Residents who are able to complete these short term outings independently need to ensure they complete the Sign Out Book located just outside the nursing station on the counter.

Temporary Outing – Leaving the property and includes overnight of one or more nights. For these overnight outings, the ministry requires an advanced approval process for these absences. All temporary outings must go through the Manager assigned to the Resident Home Area. This is the form to utilize.  Please note that upon residents return from an overnight outing, they must be isolated, have a PCR test and await the results. Upon receiving a negative result they can come out of isolation.

I have worked with the County of Lennox and Addington now for 14 years and came over to help at the John M Parrott Centre in March of 2020 when COVID hit. This has been a year of adapting to changes and challenges. I am very lucky to be working with a kind and supportive group of people.

How to put on PPE - https://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/videos/ipac-fullppe-on

How to Handwash - https://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/videos/ipac-handwash

You can pre-book your weekly appointment online here.

The link to access your results for this testing is here.

Here is a 5 minute video from the World Health Organization about the Delta Variant and vaccines. (episode 44)

Essential Caregivers must submit this form to be approved as an essential caregiver prior to their visit in order to be permitted into the Home. 

The booking site doesn’t have that feature to cancel yourself online unfortunately. So to cancel an appointment: Please contact Colleen. Please email her at cyork@lennox-addington.on.ca or call her at reception during business hours(main line) 

gbabcock@mycando.ca  

Step by step video on “How to book a window, zoom and garden visit online”: https://1drv.ms/v/s!ApuSaYTZPHmmgVPq1RIryBmiSoC2

You will require an appointment. You can pre-book your appointment online here.

The link to access your results for this testing is here.