May 7, 2020

FAIRVERN FARING WELL AS LTC RESIDENTS, STAFF TESTED

HUNTSVILLE — COVID-19 testing for the 102 residents here at the Fairvern long-term care (LTC) home continues today.

Executive director Carolyn Zacharuk told MuskokaTODAY.com this morning that testing went well yesterday for the 75 staff.

The testing is all being done in-house by staff and the nasal swabs are being couriered to the province’s public health lab in Toronto and results should be back in a week’s time.

Wednesday’s first day of testing was fast and simple and completed by 5:30 p.m., May 6.

This as new news reports now say the vast majority of coronavirus cases are in LTCs.

Ontario’s Minister of Long-Term Care Merrilee Fullerton says the province will review the LTC home system after the pandemic.

She said on Twitter “the system is broken” and has “endured years of neglect.”

At Fairvern Nursing Home, just off Main Street overlooking the river downtown, it’s a different story.

Zacharuk, who has been at Fairvern since last Augusts, says legislation makes long-term care homes and retirement residences “very different.”

LTCs are “more than assisted living,” where they get help eating, dressing and personal care.

There’s more “freedom” at retirement homes, she said.

The town’s former hospital is still owned by a private corporation (Huntsville District Nursing Home Inc.), says Zacharuk, as it awaits provincial acceptance of its application for takeover by the District of Muskoka that approved the move in February.

But she said that won’t likely happen until the ministry deals with COVID-19.

In the meantime, it’s business as usual — or at least as close as it can.

With the help of the Friends of Fairvern they’re coping best they can.

“We’re fortunate to have community support and families,” Zacharuk said over the phone.

With the help of four new iPads — provided by the community — staff have been able to use Facetime and Skype to connect restricted families with their loved ones.

And something they call “Window Talk,” which is not a Microsoft program, she said.

It’s the two getting together, talking and waving through a real window.

“It works great,” said Zacharuk — adding they had to tweak it a little when screen time was taken a little too literally by some who reached out to touch one another.

So they had to “supervise,” because it “defeats the purpose.”

But they can still each talk and hear and keep their distance at the same time.

She says they can have about 10 of each kind of online and personal outreaches each day.

It’s so wonderful, she says. It helps everyone.

And last week a drive-by parade of family and friends in 30 cars circling the home was a highlight of the day for everyone.

“The residents were thrilled and the staff was in tears.

“It was all sorts of fun.”

A special moment was when OPP officers in a couple of cruisers stopped outside the window of a former sergeant and gave him a salute.

Those who can are getting outside for fresh air and sunshine.

Zacharuk says “as the weather gets nice” she hopes for “fence visits” when families can get together apart outdoors.

“The goal is to be safe and healthy.”

Meanwhile, she says they have an “adequate” supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) for staff and resident care, as they’ve been stockpiling it since February.

And, she adds, the province’s PPE procurement centre can provide addition supplies within “24 hours.”

As well, staff have their temperatures taken when they arrive.

All staff and admin staff, including herself, wear “scrubs,” which they change into when they arrive. After their shift they are left for the service that provides the institutional laundry.

A washer and dryer is used for resident clothing.

“That keeps anything from going out and anything from coming in,” says Zacharuk.

And it’s part of the reason she believes Muskoka has “done better” relative “to other places.”