91Ƶ

Skip to content

Extended quarantine 91Ƶvery grim91Ƶ for residents of B.C. retirement residence: daughter

Health authority procedures questioned after six-week COVID-19 outbreak at Westminster House
26959708_web1_210923-PAN-Covid-Westminster-House-seniors_1
Fraser Health in mid-September declared a COVID-19 outbreak at Westminster House in South Surrey. (Google Streetview photo)

A South Surrey woman whose mom is among nearly three dozen seniors who have been on lock-down since mid-September is questioning why 91Ƶ more than 18 months into the COVID-19 pandemic 91Ƶ a system hasn91Ƶt been devised to reduce the impact of quarantine measures on locked-down care-home residents who continue to test negative for the virus.

91ƵEven though my mom has tested negative week over week over week, she91Ƶs still in jail and will be until there are no more cases for two weeks,91Ƶ Leanne Thain said Friday (Oct. 22).

91ƵIt91Ƶs been very grim.91Ƶ

Thain said her mom, 81, hasn91Ƶt been able to leave her room in Westminster House91Ƶs complex-care unit (at 1653 140 St.) since a COVID-19 outbreak was declared on Sept. 13 after three staff members tested positive. As per established protocols, outside visits, occupational therapy, baths and social activities all were halted, as was even such simple basics as eating with regular dishware and cutlery.

She said she filed a complaint with Fraser Health regarding the continuing conditions not to target the facility 91Ƶ 91ƵI know they91Ƶre doing their best91Ƶ 91Ƶ but rather as a last resort to shed some light on the impacts and advocate for those affected.

She91Ƶs also hopeful that her mom91Ƶs story will help persuade people who may have been on the fence about getting the vaccine that it is in the best interest of all.

91ƵPeople need to understand what is going on on the inside when we have these outbreaks,91Ƶ Thain said. 91ƵMaybe it would help them get vaccinated or feel like, yeah, we don91Ƶt want to have people live like this.91Ƶ

Fraser Health officials said Monday (Oct. 25) that over the course of the past six weeks, there have been a total of 24 positive tests at the site 91Ƶ 16 residents and eight staff 91Ƶ and two deaths.

Facility owner Gord McNaughton said that every time the outbreak appeared to be ending, a new positive case would restart the two-week quarantine clock. He91Ƶs hoping for better news out of tests that were conducted Oct. 25.

If those results are all negative, 91Ƶthen we91Ƶre free,91Ƶ he said Monday.

Thain said she questioned for weeks why COVID-positive patients in the affected unit couldn91Ƶt be separated from those who were negative, to help contain the spread.

READ MORE:

McNaughton said he felt the idea had merit, but when he asked Fraser Health 91Ƶ whose guidelines all licenced facilities in this region must follow 91Ƶ if the most recent positive case could be moved to a hospital, the answer was a firm no.

91ƵOur hands are tied in terms of decisions we can and can91Ƶt make,91Ƶ McNaughton said. 91ƵThey91Ƶre totally against it.91Ƶ

He wonders if, had the last two positive cases been transferred, 91Ƶmaybe this thing would91Ƶve been over earlier.91Ƶ

Fraser Health has said that the protocols being followed for each outbreak in the region are 91Ƶbest practices91Ƶ that have been evolved over the course of the pandemic under the guidance of the provincial health officer, and are in place 91Ƶfor the greater good.91Ƶ

91ƵIt91Ƶs a pandemic, there91Ƶs people in the facility that have tested positive,91Ƶ a spokesperson for the health authority said. 91ƵWe91Ƶre trying to prevent the spread, this is the best way to do it until we91Ƶre certain it91Ƶs not spreading any more.91Ƶ

Measures implemented by the health authority at the outset to contain and curb spread of the virus, according to a Sept. 14 news release, included supporting staffing levels; restricting social visits; modifying staff and resident movement to minimize exposure; enhanced cleaning; notification of residents, families and staff; and twice-daily screening of staff and residents.

Thain said the support has fallen short of meeting the isolated residents91Ƶ needs, noting her mother went three weeks without a hair wash before a medical exemption that enabled her to have baths was granted.

McNaughton agreed the past six weeks have been difficult.

91ƵResidents in quarantine is not good,91Ƶ he said. 91ƵThe virus is one thing, but the boredom and loneliness is another.91Ƶ

He said the residents91Ƶ doors were left open and that staff in full PPE (personal protective equipment) were in and out of the rooms frequently. He noted that Thain91Ƶs mother had been taken for some short one-on-one walks, however, inclement weather of recent weeks has stymied that.

The Fraser Health staffing support was appreciated, McNaughton added, but not enough. Overtime at the residence has been four times what it normally is, and 91Ƶour staff are exhausted.91Ƶ He noted that no staff were displaced due to being unvaccinated, however, booster shots for the residents arrived later than expected 91Ƶ delivered in the midst of the outbreak, rather than in August.

Thain reiterated that her criticisms are not directed at the facility itself; that her main focus is to advocate for her mom and the other residents.

But so far, those efforts have been to no avail. In addition to Fraser Health and Westminster House officials, she91Ƶs connected with the office of the seniors91Ƶ advocate and Surrey-White Rock MLA Trevor Halford.

91ƵIt just doesn91Ƶt seem like anyone can help,91Ƶ she said.

91ƵIt91Ƶs heartbreaking that while the Canucks are going to have a full arena tonight (Oct. 26), and yet my mom who91Ƶs triple-vaccinated is not able to get out of her room in a nursing home.91Ƶ



tholmes@peacearchnews.com
Like us on Facebook and follow us on www.peacearchnews.com/newsletters


Tracy Holmes

About the Author: Tracy Holmes

Tracy Holmes has been a reporter with Peace Arch News since 1997.
Read more



(or

91Ƶ

) document.head.appendChild(flippScript); window.flippxp = window.flippxp || {run: []}; window.flippxp.run.push(function() { window.flippxp.registerSlot("#flipp-ux-slot-ssdaw212", "Black Press Media Standard", 1281409, [312035]); }); }