Ontario eased restrictions in long-term care homes Monday after health care indicators showed signs of improvement.
After over a month of tightened restrictions to curb the spread of the Omicron variant, the province announced on Friday that restrictions would begin to ease Feb. 7.
Pam Boudreau’s parents are both at a long-term care facility in Brantford, Ont. Her father is a WWII veteran who just turned 102, and her mother is 98. She said that the rules to visit her parents are still very strict, but important to keep them safe.
“I have to show them my proof of three vaccines. And then I go and I sign in and have to do a rapid COVID test, wait for 15 minutes and then I have to put full PPE on, mask, shield, gown and gloves. Then I go visit my mom. And then when I’m finished my visit with her I have to de-robe all that stuff and then I have to go back and redo it all to go up and visit my dad so that I don’t cross-contaminate,” she said
Starting on Monday the number of designated caregivers per resident increased from two to four, with only two being allowed to visit at a time. Residents who have had at least three doses of a COVID-19 vaccine are now allowed to resume social day trips.
“Family and friends play a critical role in the lives of residents in long-term care. That’s why it was so important to, in line with broader public health measures, cautiously lift some of the temporary measures that were put in place,” a spokesperson for the long-term care ministry told Humber News.
Despite the improvement in health care indicators, the province is reporting 107 news cases of COVID-19 in long-term care homes, and 290 homes are in active outbreaks as of Tuesday.
Due to outbreaks, Boudreau said that different floors and wings in the long-term care homes had different restrictions. She was able to visit her mother this past weekend but not her father, as the home recommended to not visit due to a COVID-19 breakout on her father’s floor. This also means residents cannot visit other floors, so her parents haven’t been able to see each other since the lockdown a month ago.
“They both are still really missing each other, there’s not one time I go there that my dad doesn’t ask me where my mom is or how she is, and my mom’s the same way. [she says] ‘I hope your dad understands why I’m not visiting him right now.’ You know, it’s hard. It’s hard on them for sure,” said Boudreau.
She said the lockdown has been very difficult on both of them, not being able to see each other, and that they have trouble understanding the restrictions due to their diminished mental state.
Even though lockdowns have been difficult on residents and staff, Boudreau says the staff is trying very hard to keep residents entertained, especially when they have been restricted to their rooms.
“Right now the recreation and social aspect is just kind of one on one because they’re isolated to their rooms, they try to attempt to tend to each individual resident as best they can,”
Further restrictions could be lifted
As long as COVID indicators continue to improve, the ministry hopes to continue to ease long-term care home restrictions as follows:
Feb. 21: General visitors five years and older with two doses of vaccines will be able to visit residents. The number of visitors per resident at a time increases from two to three, including caregivers. Day programs and trips will also resume regardless of residents’ vaccination status, with entertainers and external personal care services resuming. Residents who have had at least three vaccine doses can take overnight social trips.
March 14: General visitation limits will increase to four people at a time, and residents of all vaccination statuses will be able to enjoy social overnight trips.
“The measures the government has put in place are working and we will continue to closely monitor the situation in long-term care homes and adjust measures as necessary to keep homes safe for residents and staff,” the ministry spokesperson said.