Hello Everyone,
This is a special update to share with you regarding how things are going in our secure unit – Lilac Knoll while they are in COVID Outbreak.
On Tuesday March 22 and again on March 25 all high and low risk contacts were swabbed. This resulted in 4 more residents identified as positive on March 22 and one more resident on March 25. We have also had one additional staff member test positive related to this outbreak resulting in a total of 2 positive staff.
We have added 2 HEPA filters into the Lilac Knoll area to enhance the infection control measures along with an additional full cleaning shift in this area. The Clorox machine goes in to this home area daily and additional disinfection of high touch areas are also completed.
Extra RSA and Activation staff have also been added to this area to help support the residents during this isolation period.
Staff who are close contacts, along with all residents on Lilac Knoll are being tested every three days with a PCR as per the direction of Public Health, as well as staff having daily rapid antigen testing.
Whenever possible, residents are isolated however, this can be very difficult and often simply not possible.
Lilac Knoll residents are still not permitted to leave the Home area, or go for ANY social / overnight absences.
General Visitors visiting Lilac Knoll residents have been cancelled until the outbreak is over.
Only essential caregivers are permitted in the Home area.
Essential caregivers can continue to enter as usual, but may not leave the Home area while here. It is important that essential caregivers visit in the residents room and not be going around the Home area. I would encourage essential caregivers to at least wear the masks with shields but would highly recommend you wear the N95 masks that are available at the screening table for you.
We did receive a helpful suggestion from a family member, which we appreciate, to help facilitate an easier entry/exit as you put on and remove your PPE. The PPE cart is now just outside of the Lilac Knoll doors which improves traffic flow and reduces congestion between the double doors.
Once you arrive onto the Home area, locate your person and then go directly to their room. Please do not mingle with other residents.
Programming is confined to the Home area.
Residents who are COVID+ are to be isolated as best as possible in their room for 10 days. Close contacts are isolated as best as possible in their room for 5 days.
The Home area remains in COVID Outbreak for 10 days from the most recent positive case. Each case is discussed daily during the weekdays with KFLA Public Health regarding symptom management, ending isolation, any additional precautions to initiate etc. If necessary, we are able to connect with a KFLA infection control expert on the weekend as well.
So, at this point, April 5 (very tentative) will be the earliest that Lilac will be out of outbreak.
We have collected PCR swabs again this morning.
We appreciate the cooperation that we have had from families during this challenging outbreak.
Thank you for all of your support,
Angela Malcolm
Director
