Balmoral Place - Important update and information on COVID-19

Important Updates and Information on COVID-19

We aim to provide you with regular updates as the COVID-19 situation unfolds. In the meantime, you can learn more about COVID-19 and other hygiene practices to stay safe by visiting the links below.

We are committed to keeping you informed as the situation evolves and have established this page as a means for that communication. We want to hear from you, so please share your ideas, questions, or stories of inspiration during what is a trying time.

We have set up a dedicated email for those conversations: COVID19@mtcoseniors.com. Please reach out.

Take a look at our Frequently Asked Questions.

Government of Ontario - COVID-19 Website

Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority - COVID-19 Updates and Resources for Retirement Home Operators

Public Health Ontario - Handwashing Guide

Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit - What is physical distancing?

October 17, 2020

Dear Residents, Families and Friends,

As cases of COVID-19 continue to rise, Ontario has developed a risk-based response system to continue to balance retirement home resident and staff safety with well-being. For the retirement home sector, this includes specific actions based on community transmission and infection spread within the retirement homes in a specific area. This means that MTCO can expect to receive an email from the Retirement Homes Regulatory Authority (RHRA) once each week to confirm the alert status of our homes, based on its location.

Please note that at this time, Allandale Station Retirement Residence, Balmoral Place Retirement Community and Bowmanville Creek Retirement Residence are all under designated Alert status, meaning new restrictions limiting visitors and activities within our residences will take effect immediately. We are writing to you today to share the key changes to our residences’ safety protocols to remain compliant with directives from ORCA.

We kindly ask that you familiarize yourselves with the following updates, and please do not hesitate to contact the General Manager if you have any questions or concerns.

Updated Directives for Alert Status Areas

General Visitors (Non-essential visits)

Residents who are not in self-isolation under 14-day Droplet and Contact Precautions or are not displaying symptoms of COVID-19 may designate one general visitor to visit their suite or a designated outside area.
Residents who are self-isolating for 14-days under Droplet and Contact Precautions may not receive non-essential visitors (i.e., general visitors).

Protocols for Essential Visitors

Support Workers (Essential visits)

Support workers providing essential services are not limited.
Any number of support workers may visit a resident in a home, including those who are self-isolating for 14-days under Droplet and Contact Precautions.

Caregivers (Essential visits)

A maximum of one caregiver per resident may visit to provide direct, essential care. A caregiver is a type of essential visitor who is designated by the resident and/or their substitute decision-maker and visits to provide direct care to the resident (e.g., supporting feeding, mobility, personal hygiene, cognitive stimulation, communication, meaningful connection, relational continuity and assistance in decision-making). Examples of caregivers include family members who provide direct care, a privately hired caregiver, paid companions and translators.
Residents who are self-isolating 14-days under Droplet and Contact Precautions may only have one of the two designated care providers visit at any time.

Personal Care Services (Non-essential)

Personal care service providers are not permitted in our residences under an Alert status and may not visit residents that are self-isolating or symptomatic.
This includes services such as hair stylists, nail care and other personal care services that not deemed medically essential.

Protocols for Absences

Non-overnight Short Absences

Residents who are not self-isolating for 14-days under Droplet and Contact Precautions are permitted to leave the residence for essentials (e.g., groceries, medical appointments, filling prescriptions).
Residents who are self-isolating for 14-days under Droplet and Contact Precautions are not permitted to leave for short absences.
Single-night emergency room visits are now classified as non-overnight absences.
Residents may still go outside to enjoy fresh air and go for a walk.

Overnight Absences

Overnight absences are not permitted under an Alert status.

Other Restrictions and Updates

Social Activities

Group social activities requiring residents to congregate are not permitted under an Alert status. Social activities, including group exercise classes, will be discontinued immediately.
Informal resident interactions are permitted within the residence with a maximum of ten (10) people, but residents must be able to physically distance. If residents are not able to physically distance, residents must wear face covering.

Retirement Residence Tours

All in-person tours of our retirement residences are being discontinued immediately.

Admissions / Readmissions

Please be aware that Residence admissions and readmissions are permitted under an Alert status and the process has not changed.
To move in, a resident requires a negative COVID-19 test result within 24 hours of moving in and must self-isolate for 14 days under Droplet and Contact Precautions. The resident must then re-test negative results after 14 days.
Please note that if a resident has been infected and then cleared of COVID-19 they do not need to self-isolate or be tested.

Please be advised that all visitors must continue to sign-in and provide their contact information for contact tracing purposes when entering our residences. For the health and safety of our residents and staff members, we reserve the right to amend our visitor policy and other protocols as necessary based on the conditions at that time and provincial, RHRA and public health directives and recommendations. Some services may be terminated, suspended, or adjusted depending.

We implore to please adhere to all public health recommendations and help support us by doing your part to slow the spread of COVID-19 in our communities, just as importantly, preventing the virus from entering into our residences. Please reach out to your General Manager if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you,

Steve Graham, President

October 9, 2020

Dear Residents, Families and Friends,

We hope you are all doing well and keeping safe ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. We know that this is often a time spent with family and friends, but we would like to issue a few personal safety reminders to all residents as the pandemic continues.

Personal Health and Safety Protocols
As cases of COVID-19 continue to rise across the province, we kindly ask all residents to continue observing the following health and safety protocols:

Please wear a mask or face covering over your nose and mouth when physical distancing may not be possible in hallways and other indoor communal areas.
Practice proper hand hygiene by washing and sanitizing your hands often.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, or mouth, and cough and sneeze into your elbow or a tissue.
Continue being diligent with physical distancing and maintain a minimum distance of six feet (two metres) between yourself and others.
Avoid groups larger than 10 people indoors or 25 people outdoors.
Get your flu shot as soon as you can this Fall.

As the weather begins to get colder, our residents and staff are spending more time indoors, so observing physical distancing and wearing a mask or face covering is more important than ever for keeping both yourself and other residents safe.

Finally, please remember that all regular visitors coming to see residents in our retirement residences must provide their own PPE, including a surgical/procedural mask, which must be worn for the entire visit. In an effort to manage our PPE inventory for our staff and residents, our retirement residences are not able to supply visitors with the required PPE necessary for their visit. Therefore, if visitors do not bring their own surgical/procedural mask, they not be permitted to visit and will need to reschedule their visit for another time.

Maintaining Social “Bubbles”
The provincial government is recommending that Ontarians keep their social bubble limited to individuals within their immediate household. We implore our residents to consider their retirement residence as their “bubble” and to please minimize exposure and contact with those outside this bubble as much as possible.

Our staff would be more than happy to assist you with connecting with your families virtually by helping to set up a video chat between you and your loved ones. Please do not hesitate to let us know if we can be of any assistance!

Limits on Recreation Programs
The return of our recreation programs, like group exercise classes, has been well received by residents and we’re so happy to see you all keeping active during this difficult time. As a reminder, the Chief Medical Officer of Health has issued a directive to keep indoor recreational programs limited to 10 individuals total, including the instructor.

Thanksgiving Dinner…Right at Home!
While attending a large Thanksgiving gathering may not be possible this year, why not spend it with your friends within the retirement residence? Our chefs will be preparing a delicious Thanksgiving dinner for our residents on Sunday evening, and we encourage our residents to stay home for their personal safety and enjoy dinner with their friends at the residence instead this year.

Thanksgiving is a time to reflect on all we are grateful for. This year, we at MTCO Holdings are exceptionally grateful for our community’s dedication to stopping the spread of COVID-19. You have all come together during this difficult time to care for one another, and we are so thankful for your understanding and cooperation throughout the pandemic.

If you have any questions or would like more information about anything mentioned above, please do not hesitate to reach out to your General Manager. We are pleased to assist you however we can.

Thank you for your continued trust in us, and we wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving!

Steve Graham, President

September 28, 2020

Dear Residents, Families and Friends,

We appreciate your continued adherence to our safety protocols – we know these past months have been difficult, and we would like to thank you for working with us to ensure the safety of our residents, our staff, and local communities throughout the pandemic.

We have remained committed to taking a safe and phased approach to the resumption of visits and services to our residences. As cases continue to rise across the province, we have revised our visitor and recreational policies to align with these new circumstances and with updated provincial directives from the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care. The safety of our residents and staff remains our top priority and we remain committed to ensuring our visiting practices limit the risk of spread of COVID-19.

Prior to booking a visit to one of our residences, we kindly ask that you familiarize yourselves with the following updates. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you would like a complete copy of the COVID-19 visitor policy, or with any questions or concerns. Your General Manager is here to support you and to help make your visits as enjoyable as possible.

Revision to Recreational Programming

We have reduced the number of residents per recreation program to no more than 10 people. Thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation regarding this change.

The following is a summary of key revisions to the visitor policy effective September15, 2020. Compliance with this policy supports the health and safety of our residents and staff.

Revised COVID-19 Visitor Policy

Screening

All visitors must be actively screened on entry for symptoms and exposure to COVID-19, including temperature checks. Any visitor who fails the screening will not be admitted.
All visitors must attest to be free of any typical and atypical symptoms of COVID-19 before entry.

COVID-19 Testing

All home care and personal care service providers should follow the same testing guidelines as retirement community staff. Retirement communities are not required to provide the testing.

Types of Visitors
Please note that retirement residence staff and volunteers are not considered visitors. As such, the visitor policy does not apply to them.

Essential Visitors
Essential visitors remain persons who perform essential support services (e.g. food delivery, inspections, maintenance, or health care services) or a person visiting a critically ill or palliative resident. Essential visitors are the only type of visitor allowed into a home when a resident is self-isolating, or the home is in an outbreak. There is no limit to the number of essential visitors allowed into a home at one time.

The new guidelines outline two categories for essential visitors:
1. Support Workers: An individual who is brought into the retirement community when there are gaps in services for the retirement community or for a resident.

Examples of support workers include: Regulated Health Care Professionals under the Regulated Health Care Professions Act, 1991 (e.g. physicians, nurse practitioners); contract workers hired by the home of LHIN care services including home care providers (e.g. nursing care, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, social workers); maintenance workers; private housekeepers; food delivery.

2. Caregivers: An individual who is designated by the resident and/or their substitute decision-maker who provides direct care to the resident (e.g. supporting feeding, mobility, personal hygiene, cognitive stimulation, communication, meaningful connection, relational continuity and assistance in decision-making).

A maximum of two (2) caregivers may be designated per resident. The designation should be made in writing to the home. A resident and/or their substitute decision-maker may change the designation in response to a change in the resident’s care needs that is reflected in the plan of care, or if there is a change in the availability of the designated caregiver.
A maximum of two caregivers per resident are permitted to visit a resident so long as the resident is not self-isolating or symptomatic. If the resident becomes symptomatic or must self-isolate, the maximum number of caregivers for the resident will be reduced to one (1). When a home is in an outbreak, there will be a maximum of one (1) caregiver per resident.
Examples of caregivers include: Family Members who provide direct care; a privately hired caregiver; paid companions; translators.

General Visitors
1.  An individual who is not an essential visitor, but visits to provide non-essential services, for social reasons (e.g. friends or family members), and/or prospective residents taking a tour of the home. A maximum of two (2) general visitors per resident, per visit are permitted provided the resident is not self-isolating or symptomatic and the home is not in an outbreak.

2.  Personal Care Service Providers: An individual who is not an essential visitor, but visits to provide personal services to the resident such as hair dressing and nail care. A maximum of one personal care service provider per resident is permitted at a time provided the resident is not self-isolating or symptomatic and the home is not in outbreak.

New Safety Training Requirements by Visitor Type
The residence will provide training to all caregivers prior to their visiting any resident home in a declared outbreak. In addition, visitors will be required to independently complete the following prior to visiting any resident and again at least once per month thereafter:

1.  Caregivers, General Visitors and Personal Service Care Providers

Reread the retirement community’s visitor policy and Public Health Ontario’s document entitled, Recommended Steps: Putting on Personal Protective Equipment.
Rewatch the following Public Health Ontario’s videos, Putting on Full Protective Equipment, Taking off Full Personal Protective Equipment, and How to Hand Wash.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Requirements
All visitors are required to bring their own PPE when visiting a retirement residence.

1. Essential Visitors: Are required to use a surgical/procedure mask while in the retirement residence including while visiting a resident that does not have COVID-19 in their suite. When encountering a resident who is suspected or confirmed with COVID-19, all appropriate PPE must be worn as outlined by Directive #1 and Directive #5.
2. General Visitors and Personal Care Service Providers: Are required to use a face covering/mask if the visit is outdoors. For indoor visits, a surgical/procedure mask must always be worn.

Accessibility Considerations
All homes are required to meet all applicable laws such as the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act, 2005.

For the health and safety of our residents and staff members, we reserve the right to amend our visitor policy as necessary based on the conditions at that time. Some services may be terminated, suspended, or adjusted depending on the circumstances.

Thank you for your continued understanding and patience as we update and refine our residences’ protocols. We know this has been a long and difficult period, but we all must continue doing our part to keep our residents safe and healthy. We hope you have a safe return to fall routines and as always, please reach out to your General Manager if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you,

Steve Graham, President

August 18, 2020

Dear Residents, Families and Friends,

We hope you are all keeping well and continuing to stay safe during these challenging times. We would like to take this opportunity to thank you for your cooperation as we have gradually reopened our Residences, and as we continue to navigate through Ontario’s third stage of reopening.

As we draw closer to the end of the summer, local and provincial health officials and experts are turning their focus to preparing for the possibility of a second COVID-19 wave this fall. Today, we are providing you with an update on how we’re preparing for this possibility across our Residences.

Working with Health Experts
As always, the health and safety of our residents and their families is paramount, and we continue to work closely with local public health units and monitor all new information from Public Health Ontario, the Ontario Ministry of Health, the Chief Medical Officer of Health and the Ministry of Seniors and Accessibility, to ensure our plans are responsive to the ever-changing COVID-19 situation. Protecting our residents, staff, and local communities will continue to guide our decision making, and while some of our measures may be inconvenient, we will not put anyone at unnecessary risk.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) and Staffing Requirements
We are monitoring our PPE inventory to make sure that our teams can continue to provide a high-quality of care to our residents, and we’re preparing a bulk personal protective equipment order ahead of a possible second wave. We are also reviewing our staffing contingency and scheduling plans to make sure there is adequate support across our Residences.

Personal Safety Reminders
As schools and businesses continue to reopen, we would like to remind everyone to be vigilant in their daily activities, by continuing to practice physical distancing, wearing a mask or face covering when out and when inside the Residence, and practicing proper hand hygiene. We need to all work together to continue to prevent the spread of COVID-19.

The health and safety of our residents, staff and their families remain our top priority. If you have any questions or concerns about our plans, please do not hesitate to reach out to the General Manager of your Residence.

Thank you for your continued trust in us.

Sincerely,

Steve Graham, President

July 31, 2020

Dear Residents, Families and Friends,

We are thrilled to hear that everyone has been enjoying visits at our residences. We know that it has been a long and challenging time to spend apart. We would like to thank you all, once again, for your continued cooperation with visits to our residences, and greatly appreciate your support as we continue to refine our visitor protocols to make sure that everyone has the opportunity to participate while staying safe and healthy.

Today, we are providing an update on our COVID-19 visitor policy. We continue to take a gradual, phased approach with the resumption of visits, and will reassess and revise as necessary as circumstances change in the community, within the residence, and with new provincial directives.

Prior to booking a visit to one of our residences, we kindly ask that you familiarize yourselves with the following updates. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you’d like a complete copy of the COVID-19 visitor policy, or with any questions or concerns. We are here to support you in any way we can and to help make your visits as enjoyable as possible.

The following is a summary of key revisions to the visitor policy as of July 31st, 2020. Compliance with the requirements in this policy support the health and safety of our residents and staff.

Revised COVID-19 Protocols for Visitors:

The best way to prevent COVID-19 is by washing your hands, wearing a surgical/procedural mask, and practicing physical distancing. We encourage all residents and their families to continue practicing hand hygiene and to wear a mask when physically distancing may not be possible for the safety of our residents and staff.

Management will review this policy and revise as appropriate based on circumstances in the community and within the residence.

Indoor / Outdoor Visits

As of August 4, 2020, visitors will only be permitted in the following areas:
1. Outdoor visits under the front canopy; and
2. Within resident suites if appropriate physical distancing can be maintained.

Outdoor Visits

Two (2) designated outdoor visiting spaces have been established – located under the front canopy. Reception will direct visitors to the appropriate locations. Signage, along with the furniture set up, will help identify the locations.
Visitors will be directed to the designated location by reception staff. Visiting stations will be sanitized between visits with a high-grade broad-spectrum disinfectant.
In the event of inclement weather, we will work to have the visit in the resident suite if it will not exceed the maximum number of visitors allowed in the building at one time (10). If we are unable to accommodate an outdoor or in-suite visit, we will help reschedule it.

Indoor Visits

For in-suite visits, reception will direct the visitor to the appropriate suite following their screening process.

If the visit is outdoors, visitors should always use a face covering. If the visit is in-suite, a surgical/procedural mask is required.

Visit Parameters

Please be advised that in compliance with current Chief Medical Officer of Health guidance on physical distancing, the residence will begin with two (2) family visitors at a time for a resident or a couple residing in the same suite.

The residence will allow a sixty (60) minute block of time per visit, for one (1) meaningful weekly visit per resident.

Scheduling Visits

Visiting hours are as follows: 10am – 11am; 2pm – 3pm; and 6:45pm – 7:45pm, seven (7) days per week. Please schedule your visit with reception by phone, 48 hours prior to the visit.

For the health and safety of our residents and staff members, we reserve the right, at all times, to amend our visitor policy as necessary based on the conditions at that time. Some services may be terminated, suspended, or adjusted depending on the circumstances.

Thank you for your continued understanding and patience as we continue to update and refine our Residence’s protocols. As always, please reach out to your General Manager if you have any questions or concerns.

We hope everyone has a restful and relaxing long weekend and look forward to continuing to safely welcome visitors back to our residences.

Thank you,

Steve Graham, President

July 24, 2020

COVID-19 Safety Protocol Update – Visitor Policy (Stage 3)

Dear Residents, Families and Friends,

Last month, we resumed visits in our Residences. While this was a welcomed change for residents and their families after a long time of uncertainty, we also appreciate the new way of visiting our Residences is a bit different than before. We appreciate your understanding and cooperation as we have refined our protocols to help ensure a smooth and measured reopening of our Residences.

Today, we are providing an update on the directives for visitors we received in June from the Ministry of Health (Directive #3 June 10, 2020) (“Directive 3”) from the Chief Medical Officer of Health (“CMOH”) and the Ministry of Seniors and Accessibility (“MSAA”) Reopening Retirement Homes (updated July 10, 2020). These directives have been revised to account for learnings in the first weeks of allowing visitors back into Retirement Residences. The provincial government requires all residents to have copies of the following protocols. We ask that you please review this information and let us know if you have any questions or concerns. As always, we are here to support you in any way we can and to help make your visits as enjoyable as possible.

The following is a summary of key revisions to the visitor policy. For the visitor policy to succeed, this document must be read in its entirety. Please remember that compliance with the requirements in this policy support the health and safety of our residents and staff.

Revised COVID-19 Protocols for Visitors

The complete COVID-19 Visitor Policy is included as part of this package. This policy is guided by current ministry requirements per Directive #3 and the MSAA Reopening Retirement Homes (updated July 10, 2020) policy document.

We’ve come to learn that the best prevention of COVID-19 includes washing your hands, wearing a mask and physical distancing. With this in mind, we have decided that for the health and safety of our residents and staff, we are not resuming in-suite visits until August 4. More information will follow by Friday, July 31.

Discontinuation of Visits While Waiting for Test Results: Previously, Residences had to discontinue all non-essential visits while waiting for test results of symptomatic staff or residents. This requirement has been removed and visits can continue while waiting for COVID-19 test results. If a Residence enters an outbreak, all non-essential visits must be discontinued until the outbreak is resolved.

Adequate Staffing: To facilitate visits, the Residence must not have staffing shortages that would affect resident or staff safety and is not under a contingency staffing plan. There must be sufficient staff to implement visitor protocols. Staffing levels are also sufficient to ensure safe visiting as determined by the Residence’s leadership. Staff are not required to supervise visits.

Non-Essential Visitor Requirements:

Testing Attestation: Non-essential visitors no longer need to attest to Residence staff that they have tested negative for COVID-19 within the previous two (2) weeks and subsequently not tested positive. This applies to all visits including outdoor and indoor visits. Non-essential visitors must continue to be screened. However, we consider it to be best practice to still receive a negative COVID-19 test result within fourteen (14) days of visiting any Retirement Residence.
Indoor and Outdoor Visits: If a visit is occurring outdoors, visitors should use a face covering at all times. If the visit is indoors, a surgical/procedure mask is required. If a visitor does not bring their own mask, they cannot visit.
Non-essential visitors are still required to make an appointment for a visit and are limited to one (1) visit per week for 30 minutes.

Essential Visitor Requirements:

Testing Attestation: Essential visitors no longer need to attest to Residence staff that they have tested negative for COVID-19 within the previous two (2) weeks and subsequently not tested positive.
Essential visitors are permitted to enter a Residence in outbreak, provided they pass active screening every time they are on the premises of or enter the Residence.
Essential visitors are required to follow CMOH guidance when visiting, including physical distancing and the use of face coverings at all times if the visit is outdoors, in a manner aligned with Directive #3. If the visit is indoors, a surgical procedural mask is required, and physical distancing should be practiced.
Essential visitors are responsible for bringing their own masks. Essential visitors must only visit the designated indoor or outdoor area they are intending to visit.

For the health and safety of our residents and staff members, we reserve the right, at all times, to amend this policy as necessary based on the conditions at that time. Some services may be terminated, suspended, or adjusted depending on the circumstances.

Finally, if you begin to present symptoms of COVID-19 following a visit to one of our retirement residences, please notify the retirement residence General Manager immediately.

Thank you for your continued understanding and patience as we navigate these new changes together. As always, please reach out to your General Manager if you have any questions or concerns.

We are looking forward to continuing to safely welcome visitors back to our residences.

Thank you,

Steve Graham, President

July 24, 2020

COVID-19 Safety Protocol Update – Short-Stay Absences (Stage 3)

Dear Residents, Families and Friends,

We would like to thank you for your patience, understanding and cooperation as we continue with the measured reopening of our residences. We know that it has been a difficult road, but we are pleased to continue moving forward and steadily resuming more of our normal operations.

Last month, we shared information with you about the new protocols at our residences for resuming short-stay absences. We hope that you have been able to take advantage of short-stay absences in recent weeks. Today, we are providing an update on those directives received from the Ministry of Health Directive #3 (updated June 10, 2020) (“Directive 3”) from the Chief Medical Officer of Health (“CMOH”) and the Ministry of Seniors and Accessibility (“MSAA”) Reopening Retirement Homes (updated July 10, 2020). The revised protocol has been informed by lessons learned in the first weeks of resuming visits. They have been refined to make the process as seamless and inclusive as possible.

The directives from the provincial government for reopening retirement homes require all residents to have copies of the following revised protocols. We ask that you please review the following information and let us know if you have any questions. As always, we are here to help you in any way we can.

Key Short-Stay Absence Safety Protocols

Short-stay absences will not be permitted if there is an outbreak underway at the residence.
A resident returning from an absence that includes an overnight stay must, upon return to the home, follow 14-days of enhanced precautions, including:
- Passing active screening;
- Not receiving indoor visitors during the 14 days;
- Monitoring for typical or atypical symptoms of COVID-19;
- Avoiding using common areas; however, if a common area cannot be avoided, wearing a face covering / mask (if tolerated);
- Limiting contact with other residents;
- Not participating in group activities;
- Washing hands often (soap and water, or an alcohol-based sanitizer);
- Adhering to respiratory etiquette; and
- Following appropriate physical distancing guidelines.
Residents who are following the 14-day period of enhanced precautions may leave the residence for non-overnight absences (e.g., to buy groceries or other essentials); doing so will not reset the 14-day time period.
An overnight stay during the 14-day period will reset the 14-day time period.
Residents must advise the residence in advance of the overnight stay, the length of the time of the stay and contact information in the event the residence must inform them of an outbreak.

A full list of directives and further details are provided in this package. Please review them all thoroughly and do not hesitate to reach out to your General Manager if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you for your continued understanding and patience as we navigate these new changes together.

Steve Graham, President

July 24, 2020

Residents of the Seniors Apartments at Balmoral Place

Dear Residents,

We hope you are all enjoying the warm summer weather and continuing to stay safe as the province slowly continues to reopen. We are sharing an update with you today as a reminder of the measures still in place to protect our Balmoral Place community from the spread of COVID-19, and to advise of some changes to the visitor and short-stay absence policies at our Retirement Residence.

We understand everyone’s excitement to return to a new normal, and we are keen to get there too. We remain cautious as we proceed with reopening measures to protect the safety of our residents, staff, and all visitors at our Residence. We ask that you please review the updates below and let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

For Residents of the Seniors Apartments at Balmoral Place

Protecting the safety of all residents, staff and visitors at Balmoral Place Retirement Community is our top priority. Please continue to respect the closure of the Retirement Residence to apartment residents, including the recreation centre.

Here are some measures that we recommend continuing to follow, as outlined by Public Health authorities:

Limit mail room use to one (1) person at a time and elevator use to two (2) people at a time.
Maintain physical distancing while outside the building and on the property’s grounds.
If you are displaying any symptoms of COVID-19, please contact your primary health provider or any one of the following for more information:

o Telehealth Ontario: 1-866-797-0000
o Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit: 1-877-721-7520

Continued COVID-19 Precautions at Balmoral Place Retirement Residence

As members of the Balmoral Place community, we would like to share the following updates about our Balmoral Place Retirement Residence:

All directives for retirement homes from Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health remain in effect, and the Balmoral Place Retirement Residence remains closed to apartment residents. At this time, visitors are allowed in the Retirement Residence if they are visiting a resident, and the visit has been booked the week of the visit and forty-eight (48) hours in advance of the visit.
Most amenities in the Retirement Residence are open to the residents for groups of up to twenty (20) people with adequate space to properly physical distance.
We have enhanced disinfecting procedures in all common areas, but the surfaces in these rooms may not be disinfected.
Short-stay absences (overnight and non-overnight) and scheduled visits for residents and their families continue in adherence with provincial government protocols.

o At this time, non-essential and essential visitors are permitted into the building for these scheduled visits, and must follow all requirements including entrance screening, physical distancing, and proper masking (face covering outdoors and surgical procedure mask indoors).

We continue to screen all residents, staff and visitors twice daily for COVID-19, including temperature checks.
The Dining Room and Multi-Purpose Activity Room have been reopened for Retirement Residents for scheduled meals and socially distanced activity programs for groups of up to twenty (20) people with adequate space to properly physical distance.

Use of Face Coverings / Masks in Enclosed Public Spaces

Various public health units throughout Ontario have begun mandating the use of non-medical face coverings and masks in enclosed public spaces where physical distancing may not be possible.

As of Monday, July 13, 2020, the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit is requiring all members of the public to wear a face covering (i.e. non-medical mask) when entering the indoor premises of businesses, organizations and on public transit systems. We encourage all residents to adhere to this measure and continue wearing a face covering / mask when you are not in your apartment and in other areas where physical distancing may not be possible.

Staying Connected

We understand that these health and safety precautions are constantly evolving, but we are here to support you and provide any additional clarity wherever possible. Please reach out to us at 705-444-9898 if you have any questions or concerns and thank you for your continued trust in us.

Sincerely,

Steve Graham, President

June 26, 2020

Dear Residents, Families and Friends,

We hope you are all staying safe and are finding some time to enjoy the warm summer weather. Over the past few weeks, we have shared a lot of information with you about our protocols for safely resuming visits and short-stay absences at our residences. We want to thank you for your continued patience and understanding as we move forward with our measured reopening, and for your vigilance in following these protocols.

We wanted to take the opportunity to share a reminder of the key points from our visits and short-stay absence protocols. As always, our priority remains to keep all our residents, staff, and communities safe.

Key Short-Stay Absence Safety Protocols*

Screening Upon Re-entry: All residents must pass active screening each time they re-enter the residence and must wear a non-medical face mask for 14 days following their outing.
12 Hour Maximum: Each absence cannot exceed 12 hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week and cannot be overnight.
Official Sign Out: All residents leaving the property must sign out and provide the name and contact number for the person they are with.
Proof of Testing: All visitors picking up a resident from the property, and those a resident will be visiting while away, must provide proof of testing with a negative result in the past 14 days.

Key Safety Protocols for Visitors*

Visitor Screening: Each visitor must pass a symptom screening test and temperature check prior to every visit. Please arrive 10 minutes before your scheduled visit time to accommodate the screening.
Visit Bookings: Visits must be booked by the visitor 48 hours in advance by calling reception.
Visit Protocols: Visits are limited to 30 minutes with one visit per week to allow the residence to accommodate all requests for visits.
Physical Distancing: Visitors must not touch the resident and must always maintain physical distancing requirements throughout the visit.
Proof of Testing: Each visitor must attest and provide proof to residence staff that they have been tested negative for COVID-19 within the previous 14 days and subsequently have not tested positive.

We know this time apart has been difficult, and we are excited to continue supporting you as you schedule visits with your families. If you have any questions about the safety measures listed above, please refer to the detailed memos circulated last week or contact your General Manager or Reception.

Thank you,

Steve Graham, President

*please refer to the full visitor and short-stay absence policy document for essential details

June 20, 2020

Dear Residents, Families and Friends,

We would like to thank you for your continued patience and understanding as we continue to reopen our residence and on-site facilities in a safe, phased manner. We know it has been a long, and sometimes difficult road, but this would not be possible without your support and cooperation.

It has brought us such joy to see our residents enjoying the return of our programs, including the Dining Room meal service for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and small group activities in the Multi-Purpose Activity Room. We will continue to look at ways to safely reintroduce more programming for our residents that is fun, engaging, and above all, safe for everyone to enjoy.

Yesterday, you received some detailed information from us about directives from the Chief Medical Officer of Health and policies from the Ministry for Seniors and Accessibility explaining our measured approach to both short stay absences and resuming visits at our residence. We look forward to working together with residents and their family members to coordinate physically distanced visits that follow these requirements.

When you have a moment, please review the packages distributed and do not hesitate to let us know if you have any questions or concerns. As always, our General Manager and Reception are more than happy to help.

Happy Father’s Day!
Father’s Day is a time-honored tradition of recognizing the men who play an important role in each of our lives. We recognize that this Father’s Day will be different from those in the past, but the staff at our residence are here to help make Father’s Day special in any way that we can.

There are many ways to stay connected and share messages of love and gratitude this Father’s Day, while also remaining safe and practicing physical distancing. Although our homes are slowly reopening, it is important that we all continue to practice physical distancing in order to keep ourselves and our loved ones safe, while also continuing to prevent the spread of COVID-19 in our homes and local communities.

We are happy to assist you in connecting with your family by video chat, or by coordinating any special deliveries. Please reach out to your General Manager or Reception if you require assistance with either of the above.

To all the amazing fathers, grandfathers, great-grandfathers, and great-great-grandfathers who live and work at our homes, we wish you all continued safety and health during this time.

As always, thank you for your continued trust in us.

Steve Graham, President

June 19, 2020
Safety Protocol Update - Visitor Policy

Dear Residents, Families and Friends,

Today, we are sharing information from the Ministry of Health Directive #3 (updated June 10, 2020) (“Directive 3”) from the Chief Medical Officer of Health (“CMOH”) and the Ministry of Seniors and Accessibility (“MSAA”) Reopening Retirement Homes (June 11,2020) policy document that we will be implementing regarding resuming visits at the residence as of June 20, 2020. The directives from the provincial government for reopening retirement homes to visitors require all residents to have copies of the following protocols. We ask that you please review the following information and let us know if you have any questions or concerns.

This cover letter is just a summary of the policy’s highlights. In order for the family visitor policy to succeed, this document must be read in its entirety in order for you to fully understand and comply with the requirements for the health and safety of our residents and staff.

As always, thank you for your patience, understanding and cooperation as we continue moving forward with the measured reopening of our residences.

New COVID-19 Protocols for Visitors
Below, we have outlined the key aspects of the new visitor policy for our residences that we ask that you review. As part of this package, we have also included the complete COVID-19 Visitor Policy. This policy is guided by current ministry requirements per Directive #3 and the MSAA Reopening Retirement Homes (June 11, 2020) policy document.

Prior to Visits

Beginning June 20th, 2020, residences will begin a gradual, phased approach to resuming visits.
Designated indoor and outdoor visiting spaces have been established in the Multi-Purpose Activity Room with Demonstration Kitchen (“Activity Room”) or Lounge area (three visiting stations) and under the front canopy (one visiting station).
Any residence experiencing an outbreak of COVID-19 will not allow non-essential visits.
If a residence experiences an outbreak after visits have begun, all non-essential visits will end, and the residence will follow all CMOH and public health directives.
If there are any residents or staff members who are required to be tested

What to Remember About Visits

Visits will begin with one (1) family visitor per resident.
Visits will be booked by the visitor calling reception 48 hours prior to the visit.
Visits can only be arranged with residents who are NOT on isolation.
Visits will be time-limited to thirty (30) minutes, with one (1) visit per week to allow the residence to accommodate all requests for visits.
Each visitor must pass a symptom screening test and temperature check prior to every visit and must arrive 10 minutes prior to their appointments to complete the screening test.
Each visitor must attest to residence staff that they have been tested for COVID-19 within the previous 14 days and received a negative result and subsequently have not tested positive for COVID-19.
Each visitor is required to provide a copy of the negative COVID-19 test result.
Visitors must not touch the resident and must always maintain physical distancing requirements.
All visitors must follow the residence’s established infection and prevention control protocols (IPAC).
Visitors are responsible for bringing their own masks and must wear it at all times.
Failing to comply with the residence’s policies could result in the discontinuation of visits for the visitor

For the health and safety of our residents and staff members, we reserve the right, at all times, to amend this policy as necessary based on the conditions at that time. Some services may be terminated, suspended, or adjusted depending on the circumstances.
Thank you for your continued understanding and patience as we navigate these new changes together. As always, please reach out to your General Manager or Reception if you have any questions or concerns.

We are looking forward to safely welcoming visitors back to our residences.

Thank you,

Steve Graham, President

June 19, 2020
Short Stay Absences

Dear Residents, Families and Friends,

We would like to thank you for your patience, understanding and cooperation as we continue moving forward with the measured reopening of our residences. We know that it has been a difficult road, but we are pleased to continue moving forward and steadily resuming some of our normal operations.

Today, we are sharing information from the Ministry of Health Directive #3 (updated June 10, 2020) (“Directive 3”) from the Chief Medical Officer of Health (“CMOH”) and the Ministry of Seniors and Accessibility (“MSAA”) Reopening Retirement Homes (June 11, 2020) policy document that we will be implementing at the residence as of June 20, 2020 regarding resident short-stay absences. The directives from the provincial government for reopening retirement homes require all residents to have copies of the following protocols. We ask that you please review the following information and let us know if you have any questions.

Key Short-Stay Absence Safety Protocols

Short-stay absences will not be permitted if there is an outbreak underway at the residence, there are pending COVID-19 test results for residents or staff, or there is an imminent threat of outbreak.
Residents must pass active screening each time they re-enter the residence. They must also attest that they are not experiencing typical or atypical symptoms of COVID-19.
Upon their return, residents must wear a non-medical face mask for 14 days following their outing while in the building and on the property.

o It may only be removed to eat or while alone in their suite.

Each absence must be limited to a maximum duration of 12 hours from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m., seven days a week, and cannot be overnight.
While temporarily outside of the residence, residents must comply with all usual safety protocols including wearing a mask, physical distancing and frequent handwashing.

o No hugging, kissing, hand holding, or shaking hands; this increases the risk for transmission.

All residents leaving the property must sign out and provide the name and contact number for the person they are with.
All visitors coming to the property to pick up a resident will be screened and must pass the screening and provide proof of COVID-19 testing with a negative result in the past 14 days. Additionally, they must be wearing a non-medical face mask.

A full list of directives and further details are provided in this package. Please review them all thoroughly and do not hesitate to reach out to your General Manager or Reception if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you for your continued understanding and patience as we navigate these new changes together.

Steve Graham, President

June 13, 2020

Dear Residents, Families and Friends,

We would like to thank you for your patience, understanding and cooperation as we continue moving forward with the measured reopening of our residence. We know that it has been a difficult road, but we are pleased to continue moving forward and steadily resuming some of our normal operations.

The past week has brought us great joy to see our residents enjoying the newly reintroduced dinner service in the Dining Room,
and we hope it has been a source of comfort and happiness during these challenging times. Thank you for your continued diligence with respecting physical distancing guidelines, washing your hands frequently, and practicing proper cough etiquette. It is because
of your cooperation that we can move forward and continue introducing new programs and services.

Provincial Reopening Update

This week, the provincial government released directives regarding the gradual reopening of retirement homes to visitors beginning as early as June 18, 2020. While we are keen to return to a new normal, COVID-19 remains a real and dangerous threat to our residents. We want to proceed with caution to ensure the safety of our residents, staff, and broader community, and we encourage you to do the same.

Everyone’s health and safety remain our top priority. We are currently reviewing the directives from the province and will provide
y0u with additional information as we finalize our own procedures for safely resuming on-site visits.

Exciting Programming Updates

As we continue to reopen our service offerings, we are thrilled to be launching scheduled programs for our residents in designated areas of the building. We will hand out an activity calendar detailing the schedule for the week ahead of time, along with instructions on how to sign-up. Please note that programming will continue to comply with physical distancing measures and will be limited to 10 or fewer participants.

The main floor lounge, café and library will also be reopened as of Monday, June 15th, 2020. We are currently looking at ways to
safely offer a snack service for residents, but there will be no self-serve food and beverages available at this time.

Other amenities areas not listed above, including the pool, changing rooms, fitness centre, and the pub and games area currently
remain closed. We will open these facilities in a staged approach when it is safe to do so.

Family Visits

We will be introducing scheduled family visits for residents in designated areas on our property, and inside the building, beginning on Thursday, June 18th, 2020, as directed. We are in the process of preparing our policies, as directed by pubic health, in order to introduce and execute this program safely. Our guidelines on this process will be provided in the coming days, including the booking process and other steps required to comply with the directives. As of now, visits by family on the property are still prohibited.

Update to Dining Room Service

Due to the overwhelmingly positive feedback and your excellent cooperation with our Dining Room dinner service, we will be
reintroducing breakfast and lunch service beginning on Sunday, June 14th, 2020. To continue protecting the health and safety of our staff and residents, the same physical distancing and other health and safety procedures will apply for breakfast and lunch
service.

Although breakfast and lunch will now be available in the Dining Room, all residents will still have the option to continue receiving
meals in their suites. Please note that when choosing whether to receive meals in your suite or the Dining Room, you will have to
indicate your preference on a week-by-week basis for the whole week on the weekly menu selection.

The following measures remain in place to ensure the Dining Room operates safely:

Please continue to wear non-surgical face masks in situations where practicing physical distancing may be difficult. Our staff will continue to wear face masks in the approved PPE fashion and practice proper hand hygiene and cough etiquette.
We also ask that our residents continue to practice physical distancing in the hallways when waiting for the elevator and travelling to and from their suites.

We remain committed to providing you with an exceptional, and of course safe, experience. We understand that this has been a long and challenging time for our residents, their families, and our staff, however we look forward to continuing to provide you with quality programming that connects us all as a community in a safe and inclusive way.

Thank you for your continued support.

Steve Graham, President

June 13, 2020

Dear Residents of Balmoral Place Apartments,

We hope that you are all continuing to stay safe and keeping well during these challenging times. As regions throughout Ontario prepare for Phase 2 of the reopening, we would like to share an update with you today about the steps we are taking to continue to protect the Balmoral Village community from the spread of COVID-19. We understand everyone’s excitement to return to a new normal, and we are also keen to do so. However, we must cautiously proceed with reopening measures in a way that protects the safety of our residents, staff, and all visitors.

We are currently reviewing the newly released directives from the province about resuming family visits to retirement homes as of June 18, 2020 and will be sure to share updates with you on our plans as we finalize them. We understand that along with the relief that reopening brings, it may also bring a lot of confusion, uncertainty, and questions. As always, we are here to support you, and encourage you to reach out to us if you have any questions or concerns.

Continued COVID-19 Precautions at Balmoral Place Retirement Residence

As members of the Balmoral Place community, we would like to share the following updates about our Retirement Residence:

Currently, all directives for retirement homes from Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health remain in effect, and Balmoral Place Retirement Residence remains closed to non-essential visitors.
Starting on Thursday, June 18th, 2020, in addition to essential visitors, family members will be permitted into the building for scheduled visits under very specific requirements.
We continue to screen all residents, staff, and visitors twice daily, including temperature checks.
Select areas in the Retirement Residence where physical distancing can be achieved and monitored have been reopened for scheduled meals (all meals starting on Sunday) and activity programs (for groups of 10 or fewer) only.

For Residents of the Seniors Apartments at Balmoral Place

Protecting the safety of all residents, staff, and visitors at Balmoral Place Retirement Community is our top priority. We ask that you please continue practicing physical distancing, cough etiquette, and frequent hand washing to help limit the spread of the virus both on our property (especially in the mail room and elevators where it may be more difficult) and when outside in the community.
As part of our phased reopening, the Fireplace Lounge and Party Rooms are now open for groups of up to 10 people with proper physical distancing in place. However, please note that while we have enhanced disinfecting procedures in all common areas, the surfaces in these rooms may not be disinfected.

Here are some additional measures that we recommend continuing to follow, as outlined by Public Health authorities:

As non-essential visitors (as defined by the directives), please continue to respect the closure of the retirement residence, including the recreation centre.
Consider wearing a non-surgical mask when not in your apartment and in other areas where physical distancing may not be possible.
Limit mail room use to 1 person at a time and elevator use to 2 people at a time.
Maintain physical distancing while outside the building and on the property’s grounds.
For the safety of all residents during their scheduled outdoor time, family visits and gatherings of 10 people on the property are still prohibited, including in the parking lot.
If you are displaying any symptoms of COVID-19, please contact your primary health provider or any one of the following for more information:

o Telehealth Ontario: 1-866-797-0000.
o Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit: 1-877-721-7520

Staying Connected

We understand that these health and safety precautions are difficult to adjust to, but we appreciate your support. The health and safety of our community, including all our residents, staff, volunteers, and service providers remains our highest priority.
Please reach out to us at 705-444-9898 if you have any questions or concerns and thank you for your continued trust in us.

Thank you for your continued support.

Steve Graham, President

June 5, 2020

Dear Residents, Families and Friends,

We understand that this prolonged period of self-isolation has been difficult. We have been working diligently to safely introduce new programming to help ease some of this discomfort and provide a new sense of normal for our residents. While we are sharing some exciting first steps today, it is incredibly important that we continue following all provincially mandated safety measures to protect the health of our residents, staff, and communities. We deeply appreciate your continued commitment to these measures as we begin the reopening process.

Incremental Reopening Plan
We will be incrementally reopening our facilities across all homes in accordance with public health guidelines. Our team will be closely monitoring all provincial cases and directives to protect the safety of our residents and staff as we progress through our reopening plan. These reopening measures are subject to change if any risk to residents or staff becomes apparent including the formation of a regional hotspot or COVID-19 outbreak.

We are sharing details on the first steps of our reopening plan below which includes new programming to support physical activity, mental stimulation, and socialization.

These measures include:

• Pets Welcome Back: Effective immediately, all pets can return to their homes. For pet walking, please follow the guidelines of the Walking Program including coordination of walk times with reception staff to avoid congestion in hallways and elevators. Staff are there to help and will make accommodations in the event of an emergency.

• Dining Room Reopening: The dining room will be open daily for dinner service as of Sunday, June 7, 2020. The room service program will remain in place so residents can continue to eat dinner in their suites if they prefer.

The following new measures are in-place to ensure the dining room operates safely:
o Multiple seatings with a limit of two people per table to accommodate physical distancing rules.
o Scheduled travel to and from the dining room to avoid congestion in hallways and elevators.
o Proper hygiene including cough/sneeze etiquette, handwashing/hand-sanitizing and physical distancing rules will be monitored by staff.
o Increased disinfecting of the dining room will take place before and after each seating.

Residents will receive a memo with more detailed instructions ahead of Sunday’s dining room reopening.

• Outside Seating: Designated outdoor seating areas will be created for resident use only. All seating will be appropriately spaced to accommodate physical distancing guidelines. Please be mindful that this will result in a reduced number of available seats. As the weather warms, it is important that all residents have an equal opportunity to enjoy some important time outdoors.

Next Steps
We plan to introduce the second phase of our reopening plan next week. This phase will include daily activities for groups of ten residents or less and a program for scheduled family visits in a designated area on the property. We will provide you with more details as we move forward and will continue monitoring provincial updates and directives to ensure each phase is implemented safely.

We understand that this has been a long and challenging time for our residents, their families, and our staff. We are looking forward to welcoming our residents back to the dining room on Sunday and reopening other areas our homes in a safe and measured manner over the coming weeks.

As always, if you have any questions or concerns, please contact your General Manager or Reception.

Thank you for your continued support,

Steve Graham, President

June 3, 2020

Dear Team Members,

We would like to extend our most sincere thank you for your continued dedication to upholding resident safety and respecting physical distancing restrictions during this time.

A Thank You to Our Staff
Your commitment to resident safety and hard work has not gone unnoticed. You have gone above and beyond for not just our residents, but each other, by picking up extra shifts and working together diligently throughout this pandemic. Everything you do makes a positive difference in the lives of our residents and their families, and we continue to receive wonderful, heartfelt messages of gratitude for all that you do. You have all stepped up to the plate during these difficult times and that deserves nothing but praise and respect, which is exactly what we have been hearing from everyone.

“Special thanks to all the staff for keeping us healthy, safe, fed, and our rooms clean and tidy. But most of all, thank you for being there in this time of need. – residents, Allandale Station Retirement Residence

“We wish to thank the entire staff for looking after us in such a devoted, caring, and loving manner.” – residents, Bowmanville Creek Retirement Community

“I love that there is always real caring and laughter when you come to my door. It is amazing the hard work and long days you are all doing. I can’t help but be content and glad to be here.” – a resident, Balmoral Place Retirement Community

Continued COVID-19 Precautions
As businesses and services begin to reopen, your continued support and cooperation with our safety measures is crucial. While we understand everyone’s excitement to start returning to a normal way of life, we ask that you continue to exercise caution and use your best judgment both inside and outside our homes. It is through your efforts to stay vigilant that we can continue to prevent the entry of COVID-19 into our homes and prevent spreading it within our communities.

Please continue to follow all physical distancing and health guidelines mandated by both provincial and national public health authorities. To help you stay well, we ask that you refresh yourselves on the following information:

Personal Protection

Please continue to use a non-medical face mask when you are out in public and physical distancing may not be possible.
Practice frequent, proper handwashing (15-20 seconds), especially when returning to your home from outside.
Practice proper cough and sneeze etiquette and use hand sanitizer frequently after coughing or sneezing.

Physical Distancing

Continue to stay at home unless you have to go to work or other essential places like the pharmacy, grocery store and bank.

Avoid all non-essential trips into the community.
Use delivery services or curb-side pickup whenever possible.
Do not gather in groups of more than five people and avoid crowded places and non-essential gatherings.
Avoid common greetings, such as handshakes.
Travel by car, bike or walk, where possible. If you need to take public transit, try to travel during non-peak hours and take shorter trips.
If you go outside to exercise, stay close to home.
If you do leave your home, maintain approximately two arms lengths (approximately 2 metres or 6 feet) distance away from others.

Disinfect Surfaces in Your Home

Continue to disinfect and clean high-touch surfaces throughout your home often, using either regular household cleaners or diluted bleach according to the label directions. These surfaces include toilets, mobile phones, electronics, door handles, bedside tables, faucets, and remote controls.

We also encourage you to please review the Health Canada and Public Health Ontario guidelines linked below to ensure you are familiar with recommended infection prevention measures and restrictions at this time:

Health Canada: https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/services/diseases/2019-novel-coronavirus-infection/prevention-risks.html?topic=tilelink

Public Health Ontario: https://www.publichealthontario.ca/en/diseases-and-conditions/infectious-diseases/respiratory-diseases/novel-coronavirus/public-resources

We will continue to follow all infection prevention and control policies and remain vigilant in actively screening everyone who comes into our homes.

As always, we are here to support you and work with you through these challenging times. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your department head or supervisor.

Thank you for bringing peace and comfort to our residents and for looking after each other. We could not do it without you.

Steve Graham, President

May 22, 2020
Dear Residents, Families and Friends,

Thank you for your continued patience during these challenging times. We know it has been difficult but your commitment to following our safety measures has kept residents safe and prevented the spread of COVID-19 within our community.

Update on Provincial Announcements
We are monitoring the gradual re-opening of the province closely and will continue to provide you with updates as they are available. Retirement homes have not yet been given the green light to re-open safely so we must continue to follow the instructions from Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, the Retirement Home Regulatory Authority, Public Health Ontario and Health Canada until it is safe to relax safety measures.

This means all our COVID-19 safety precautions will remain in place including:

Visitor Limitations: only essential visitors are permitted on the premises, so visits with family members are still restricted.
Resident Offsite Travel Limitations: residents are only permitted to travel off property to essential medical appointments.

Exploring New Programming
We understand that these precautions have been in place for longer than expected and that adjusting to them has been tough. We have begun exploring ways to safely implement new programs that focus on physical activity, mental stimulation, and socialization to bring a new sense of “normal” into our homes. As we gradually introduce these new programs, we will continue to ensure that the safety of our residents and staff is protected. We hope that these new programs will help ease the difficulty of isolation and social distancing for this prolonged period.

As always, our priority is the safety of our residents, staff, and volunteers, and we will continue to follow all guidelines mandated by both the provincial and national public health authorities. Your continued support for these measures is essential in ensuring the safety of our community.

We remain by your side through these challenging times and we look forward to introducing our new programming to you very soon. If you have any questions or concerns, please contact your General Manager or Reception.

Thank you for your continued trust in us.

Steve Graham, President

May 22, 2020

For Residents of the Seniors Apartments at Balmoral Place

Protecting the safety of all residents, staff, and visitors at Balmoral Place Retirement Community is our top priority. While social distancing and frequent hand washing remain the most effective defense against COVID- 19, there are additional measures that we recommend following, as outlined by Public Health authorities and required by the provincial emergency order.

Avoid the use of common areas in the apartment building and avoid contact with surfaces that may
not have been cleaned.
Avoid congregating in the lobby or mail room.
Respect closures of all amenity areas in the apartment building and retirement residence, including the recreation centre.
Limit mail room use to 1 person at a time.
Limit elevator use to 2 people at a time.
Maintain social distancing while outside the building and on the property’s grounds.
Similar to the retirement residence, and for the safety of all residents during their scheduled outdoor time, family visits on the property are prohibited, including in the parking lot.
Practice proper hand hygiene and cough etiquette.
As recommended by the public health authorities, consider wearing non-surgical masks when not in your apartment and in other areas where social distancing may not be possible.
If you are symptomatic contact your primary health provider, Telehealth Ontario at 1-866-797-0000 or the Simcoe Muskoka District Health Unit at 1-877-721-7520.

Our team is onsite to provide enhanced cleaning of high-touch surfaces in the apartment building and are available if you have any questions or concerns. We understand that these precautions are difficult to adjust to, but we appreciate your support as we work towards a new “normal”.

Staying Connected

We are committed to providing you with transparent and more frequent updates as we navigate these challenging times, together. To make these communications more convenient, we have set up a dedicated email address to send out e-updates and answer your questions. Please email us at COVID19@mtcoseniors.com with your contact information including your email address, phone number, name and apartment number to be added to our email communication list.

The health and safety of our community – residents, staff, volunteers and service providers remain our highest priority. Please reach out to us at 705-444-9898 if you have any questions or concerns.

Thank you for your continued trust in us.

Sincerely,

Steve Graham, President

May 15, 2020

Dear Residents, Families and Friends,

We would like to start by thanking all of you for your patience during these challenging times. Your cooperation and support is appreciated and has not gone unnoticed.

Update from the Province
The Ontario government has announced the first steps of a measured approach to reopening the economy, set to begin following the Victoria Day long weekend. As retirement homes are not part of the first phase of the province’s reopening plan, we will continue applying the current COVID-19 protective measures we have in place. We continue to monitor and follow directives from Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, Public Health Ontario, Health Canada, The Public Health Agency of Canada, and the Retirement Home Regulatory Authority, only revising our current measures when it is safe to do so.

Continued COVID-19 Precautions
While warmer, sunnier days are finally upon us, we request that you remain vigilant in helping us follow the important infection prevention and control measures, including physical distancing, we have in place at our homes. Our priority remains protecting the health and safety of our residents, families, staff, volunteers, service providers, and essential visitors. We’re all in this together, and everyone has a role to play in keeping each other safe.

The key measures we will continue following as we enter the Victoria Day long weekend, include:

Walking Program: The walking program for residents will continue. We know many of our residents would normally be spending springtime outdoors, and we want to continue to uphold that by encouraging them to get some fresh air and sunshine while remaining on the property.
Visitor Limitations: Following the directives from local Public Health Units, only essential visitors are permitted on the premises, including the parking lot, so visits with family members are still restricted.
Physical Distancing: We will continue to practice social distancing on our property and support our residents by offering activities while they isolate.

These measures have been very effective to-date in protecting our residents and preventing the entry and spread of COVID-19.

This Victoria Day long weekend will be different from those in the past, and while being physically close to one another is not possible, we encourage you to connect with family members through video chat, by phone or by coordinating essential deliveries with our staff.

We hope you all have a wonderful long weekend. Please be safe, and as always, you can contact your General Manager or Reception if you require assistance or with any questions you may have.

Thank you for your continued trust in us.

Sincerely,

Steve Graham, President

May 13, 2020

On Tuesday, May 12, 2020, Ontario extended its state of emergency until June 2, 2020. Premier Doug Ford says Ontario will enter stage one of a three-step plan to gradually reopen the province on Thursday (May 14, 2020). Ford said the province will allow more low-risk workplaces, seasonal businesses and essential services to reopen but has not provided any specifics.

With this in mind, we have extended all precautionary measures in place at the home until June 2, 2020. We will review this again on Thursday once further guidance is available from the provincial government. We are committed to doing everything we can to add normalcy to daily life for our residents and team members, wherever and whenever it is possible to do so safely.

We recently expanded our outdoor walking program and hope to relax other restrictions gradually and in a safe manner. We believe the precautions we have taken are the reason we have not had any outbreaks, which illustrates that our COVID-19 safety measures are working. We want to thank you all for your patience and support during these unprecedented times.

Sincerely,

Steve Graham, President

May 9, 2020

Mother’s Day is a time-honored tradition of recognizing the women in our lives who raised us, dried our tears, and well, mothered us. Everyone has one or has someone who is like a mother to them.

On the second Sunday of May, we honor those women who are our mothers. Whether we shower her with gifts, take her to a fancy dinner or make her a homemade card, what moms want most is to be surrounded by the love of their family. Knowing the people they love are safe, sound, and healthy is a mom’s number one priority.

We recognize that this Mother’s Day will be different from those in the past, and physically surrounding each other with love will not be possible, but please take heart in the knowledge that the best gift this year might actually be; being together, apart.

Allow us to assist you in connecting with your family by video chat, or by coordinating special deliveries. Contact us or look for an email from us regarding delivery instructions at your home.

At this time, we are only able to permit those making drop-offs onto the property so thank you for all of your cooperation with the Public Health directives and physical distancing guidelines. Like you, we look forward to returning to life as normal as soon as it is safe to. That being said, the more we do now to limit the spread, the sooner things will return to normal. We are all in this together!

Due to the higher than normal volume of drop-offs expected for this special day, we have dedicated team members to assist with the process. This will help ensure there is no disruption to the resident’s outdoor time and that physical distancing is maintained for everyone’s safety.

To all of the amazing mothers, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, and great-great-grandmothers who live and work at our homes, we want to wish you a safe and healthy, Happy Mother’s Day!

Sincerely,

Steve Graham, President

April 24, 2020

In the face of adversity it takes a strong character to rise to the occasion and take on a challenge such as the one we are currently faced with. We want you all to know that everything you do makes a positive difference in the lives of our residents and our colleagues. Answering the call to serve a greater purpose during these times deserves nothing less than the greatest respect, which is what we are hearing over and over from our communities.

“We are most appreciative of all you do to keep our loved ones well cared for and safe. I regularly hear of mom being greeted with a smile, not always easy to do, but so important for everyone during this very unsettling time. Take care, stay safe and know how glad we are that you are there.” – a family member, Bowmanville Creek Retirement Community

“We who live here will be forever indebted to this wonderful staff who turn up day after day to make sure that we are safe and well.” – a resident, Balmoral Place Retirement Community

“I wanted to say thank you to the incredible staff working tirelessly to ensure that all the residents have been so well looked after every day. I talk to my mom every day and she tells me about all the things you have implemented to make life a little easier for her while being confined to her own space. On behalf of myself and my entire family we appreciate and thank you.” – a family member, Allandale Station Retirement Residence

Our residents and their families are so grateful for all that you are doing and so are we!

All of us at MTCO can’t thank you enough for bringing peace and comfort to our residents and for looking after each other.

They say, an individual can make a difference, but a team can make a miracle.

We are thrilled that each of you are a part of our team!

Sincerely,

Steve Graham, President

April 18, 2020

Dear Residents, Families and Friends,

We continue to face unprecedented times, with a global pandemic that is challenging us in ways we never could have anticipated. Nothing has been more inspiring than the way our staff, who provide care and services to those who are most vulnerable to COVID-19, have risen to the challenge while continuing to juggle the responsibilities in their personal lives. Our staff greatly appreciates all of the gratitude that has been expressed by the residents, families and our communities – they can never get enough praise or accolades for what they do, so please keep them coming (and don’t hesitate to get creative)!

We are likely to face greater challenges and demands in the days ahead, but we are confident we will succeed in winning this fight by supporting and being there for each other.

For the health and safety of our residents, we continue to implement all new Public Health directives immediately and put other best practices in place sooner whenever possible. Since the start of this pandemic, we have been stockpiling protective equipment and supplies, and diversifying our sources, to ensure we have a solid inventory of equipment and a strong supply chain, so equipment is ready and available, if and when it is required.

Heightened infection control and disinfecting measures and active screening procedures are currently in place and wwe continue to enforce physical distancing and restrict non-essential visitors from the building. In addition to active screening, all team members are now wearing face masks and all staff and residents are being monitored for any symptoms of the virus per the directives from Public Health.

This week Ontario extended its state of emergency for another 28 days, which ends on May 12. The bill to extend the measure passed during a special session at the provincial legislature. Premier Doug Ford says it is too soon to relax measures as the province continues to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr. Theresa Tam, the chief public health officer of Canada, says the overall curve is “bending” when it comes to the number of new infections being confirmed in Canada but the death rate is higher than expected and more than 90 per cent of the patients confirmed to have died from COVID-19 are over the age of 60, and half of them lived in long term care centres.

To be clear, our homes are not long term care centres, and as of today there have been very few outbreaks in retirement homes. More importantly, we have not had any cases in any of our homes. We believe the precautions we have taken are the reason we have not had any outbreaks, and we are doing everything we can to try and keep it that way. Therefore, we have made the difficult decision to extend our isolation policy until May 12th at which time we will re-evaluate things based on all of the information available at that time.

We do not want the residents to remain in isolation any longer than is absolutely necessary for their safety.

Our team has been busy adapting our meal programs based on the current isolation practices to continually improve the experience for our residents. Simon Pickess and our generous community partners at Blue Mountain Resort and Conference Centre will be providing each of our homes with equipment that will assist in our efforts to deliver hot, fresh, nutritional meals to each suite, 3 times a day. These are unprecedented circumstances, so we appreciate your patience as we adapt our resident services to the evolving situation.

We have introduced a program that provides all residents with some time outside for exercise and fresh air, several times a week. Using technology, we have also implemented creative ways to help residents and families connect virtually when physical visits aren’t possible. We are committed to doing everything we can to add normalcy, wherever possible, to everyone’s daily life while balancing the reality of this challenging and ever-changing situation.

We know that isolation can be very difficult for the mental health and emotional well-being of our residents and we are committed to ensuring people remain engaged and connected. We are providing activities that are self-directed, or those that allow residents to safely participate while practicing safe physical distancing. These activities vary by home and include doorway exercises, doorway bingo, rolling library, and daily cheer cart that offers residents an assortment of things to choose from including treats, word games, art supplies, trivia, brain teasers, etc. We are also providing residents with the ability to purchase essential goods directly from us through our suppliers.

Finally, we know that these precautionary measures are very different from the way we normally live and will take some time to adjust to. We greatly appreciate your support and cooperation. Like you, we look forward to returning to life as normal as soon as it is safe to. That being said, the more we do now to limit the spread, the sooner things will return to normal. We are all in this together!

Please rest assured that we remain vigilant in our infection control policies and procedures and all of the decisions we make are being made with the guidance of health care professionals with the health and safety of our staff and residents in mind.

Thank you for the trust you have placed in us!

Sincerely,

Steve Graham, President

April 17, 2020

To all managers and staff,

All of us at MTCO want to express our deepest gratitude and admiration for all that you are doing to care for our residents during this extraordinary and unprecedented time. Your commitment to the safety and well-being of the residents, families and your fellow team members is an inspiration to everyone in our communities.

During these times when we are told to stay at home, you show up every day to provide the essential services the residents need. Many of you are going the extra mile by picking up extra shifts and working long hours all while juggling responsibilities in your personal lives. Our residents, and their families, count on us to deliver those services in good times, and in bad, which is why they chose to live in our homes.

We are likely to face greater challenges and demands in the days ahead, but we are confident we will succeed in winning this fight by supporting and being there for each other.

The health and safety of our residents and team members is our top priority. We urge you to take every precaution necessary for your physical and mental well-being. Our commitment is to create a safe work environment for you and to keep you safe by providing you with the training, education, protective equipment and supplies you require. Please speak to your manager if you have any questions or suggestions.

For your safety, we continue to implement all new Public Health directives immediately and put other best practices in place sooner whenever possible. Since the start of this pandemic, we have been stockpiling protective equipment and supplies, and diversifying our sources, to ensure we have a solid inventory of equipment and a strong supply chain so that equipment is ready and available to all of you, if and when it is required.

We have also joined a purchasing group that represents the majority of the retirement homes in Canada to create a group with strong purchasing power. This group has now received the support of the Federal Government to import supplies dedicated for long term care and retirement homes from overseas. The government has also granted the group access to their cargo planes for transporting the supplies.

All of us at MTCO want to express our sincerest thanks and appreciation for all you are doing for residents and families during this time. We are extremely grateful for your dedication to serving our seniors and looking out for each other. Your heroic efforts during these extraordinary times is truly inspiring!

Sincerely,

Steve Graham, President

April 3, 2020

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY

The top medical professionals in Ontario reported the finding of their modelling today and the message is clear - Canadians need to work together and double-down on physical distancing efforts NOW to prevent the spread of the virus for the protection of themselves and others!

In an abundance of caution and with our residents’ health in mind, we have made the decision to isolate all residents to their suites for a period of two weeks, beginning at the end of dinner on Friday, April 3, 2020. This will be reviewed bi-weekly.

At this time, we believe that these precautionary measures are absolutely critical to keeping our residents and staff safe.

We will conduct Active Screening on all residents twice daily, in the morning and evening, including temperature checks. Wellness checks will continue to occur three times a day at each meal.

We will deliver all meals to residents’ suites. More detail about mealtimes and options, as well as other services will be provided as soon as possible.

We know that isolation can be very difficult for the mental health and emotional well-being of our residents and we are committed to ensuring people remain engaged and connected. We will provide activities that are self-directed or allow residents to safely participate while practicing safe physical distancing.

Remember, the more we do now to limit the spread, the sooner things will return to normal. We are all in this together!

We know these are complicated times and understand that you may be worried about your friends and loved-ones. Please rest assured that we remain vigilant in our infection control policies and procedures. All decisions are being made with the guidance of health care professionals with the health and safety of our staff and residents’ in mind.

Thank you for the trust you have placed in us!

Sincerely,

Steve Graham, President

April 1, 2020

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY

The top medical professionals in Canada have advised that the next week will be a crucial time during which public health officials will start to see if the aggressive physical distancing measures have effectively slowed the spread of the coronavirus. Dr. Theresa Tam, the Chief Public Health Officer, is urging Canadians to double-down on physical distancing efforts to prevent the spread of the virus for the protection of themselves and others – seniors are most vulnerable, but all ages are at risk!

Since measures were taken on March 14, 2020 to restrict non-essential visitors from entering the homes, we have enjoyed the creative ways families and friends have found to visit and communicate with our residents, including visits outside our homes on our beautiful grounds. However, this has become such a popular activity that we are now having issues with too many people congregating on our grounds, thus making it difficult to practice safe physical distancing.

In an abundance of caution and with our residents’ health in mind, we have made the decision that non-essential visitors are restricted from visiting their loved-ones on our grounds and must limit their trips to the home to picking up and delivering personal laundry and delivering essential supplies ONLY, for the next two weeks, beginning Wednesday, April 1. This is in line with Premier Ford’s extension of the State of Emergency and will similarly be evaluated on bi-weekly basis. At this time, we believe that this is the right precautionary measure to keep our residents, staff and visitors safe.

This week, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer, Dr. David Williams, ramped up advice for all Ontarians to leave home only for essential reasons to help keep the coronavirus from spreading and jeopardizing the most vulnerable.

Essential reasons for leaving home are:

For medical appointments
Grocery shopping
Picking up medications
Walking pets
Helping the vulnerable

Williams is also “strongly recommending” anyone with a compromised immune system, underlying medical conditions or over age 70 begin self-isolating now and stay home to avoid increased risk of COVID-19.

We know that isolation can be very difficult for the mental health and emotional well-being of our residents and we are committed to ensuring people remain engaged and connected. We will provide activities that are self-directed or allow residents to safely participate while practicing safe physical distancing.

Finally, we know that these precautionary measures are very different from the way we normally live and will take some time to adjust to. We greatly appreciate your support and cooperation. Like you, we look forward to returning to life as normal as soon as it is safe to. That being said, the more we do now to limit the spread, the sooner things will return to normal. We are all in this together!

We know these are complicated times and understand that you may be worried about your friends and loved-ones. Please rest assured that we remain vigilant in our infection control policies and procedures. All decisions are being made with the guidance of health care professionals with the health and safety of our staff and residents’ in mind.

Thank you for the trust you have placed in us!

Sincerely,

Steve Graham, President

March 25, 2020

Dear Residents, Families and Friends,

We continue to have heightened precautionary infection control measures in place and continue to monitor the recommendations and directives from the provincial and federal governments, our sector regulators and local Public Health agencies for further guidance. We implement all new directives immediately, and put other best practices in place sooner whenever possible, to ensure the health and safety of our residents and staff.

The purpose of this letter is to provide you with the latest updates on additional measures we are taking, and proactive measures we can collectively take, during this time for the well-being of everyone.

We want to thank you for your cooperation and understanding regarding the mandate to only allow essential visitors in our homes. Restricting visitors is crucial to the health of our residents and staff. We appreciate the impact this can have on our residents and families.

On March 23, 2020, Ontario’s Chief Medical Officer of Health issued a directive to Long Term Care homes and Retirement homes stating that, “Residents of long-term care and retirement homes should not be permitted to leave the home for short- stay absences to visit family and friends. Instead, residents who wish to go outside of the home should remain on the home’s property and maintain safe social distancing from any family and friends who visit them.”

If you need to attend an outside appointment, which is essential for health reasons, then please do so. Upon return, residents will be screened after any absence from the building for any duration (including going for walks outside). Those who fail the screening will be placed in isolation following current Public Health protocols.

If you are picking up a loved one for an essential appointment, please confirm your appointment hasn’t been canceled directly with the service provider; and inform us in advance by phone so our staff can perform the active screening by phone and make arrangements to ensure the resident can meet their family/friend outside of the building and is greeted upon return to the home.

We are committed to the physical, mental and emotional well-being of our residents and staff. During this difficult time, the most important thing we can do is maintain contact with our loved ones. We encourage you to keep in touch with them by phone, text, email, video chat (Skype, Zoom or FaceTime) or other technologies that are available. And remember to send pictures to show them you’re doing well. If you sense that your loved one has any concerns, please let the General Manager know and we will do our best to address their needs.

Please continue to praise, encourage and support all of of our staff members and managers in any way you can. They are all committed to the well-being of the residents, and their colleagues, and are going the extra mile to maintain a positive and healthy environment.

Active screening of all essential visitors and staff continues to be conducted behind the entrance door. No essential visitors are allowed to enter the home unless they have passed the screening.
We are constantly monitoring our staffing levels to ensure our ability to deliver the services our residents require. We have partnered with several professional staffing agencies and are actively recruiting new staff in order to mitigate any potential for disruption to service due to staffing issues.

Thank you in advance for your understanding and compliance. The best way to ensure the safety and well-being of our residents, staff and community is by working together and following all directives from the medical professionals.

Please feel welcome to contact your General Manager if you have any questions. Our corporate management team and support staff are in constant communication with the general managers, so they are prepared and supported in dealing with the current situation.

Stay healthy and be well!

Sincerely,

John Woods, CEO
and
Steve Graham, President

March 24, 2020

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY

Further guidelines and recommendations have come out from local Public Health departments regarding social distancing within retirement homes and non-essential outside of retirement homes.

Please know the well-being of our residents and staff remain our highest priority, with this in mind the following requirements will be implemented;

A maximum of 50 people including staff will be allowed in the dining room at one time.
All tables will be moved 6 feet apart with 2 residents sitting across from each other at each table.
Tray service will be provided to all residents who choose to self isolate.
No buffet style service is permitted.
Activity participation will be limited to 10 people or less.
Activities may be shorter in duration and more frequent.
Popular activities may be offered more than once daily.
Card games, board games and other close contact activities should be suspended.
Social distancing should be encouraged during all activities by maintaining a distance of 6 feet between each resident and/or staff (eg; exercise class).
We will provide a list of recommendations for in-suite activities that provide stimulation for those that are in voluntary or mandatory self isolation.
All common areas and lounges, with the exception of the dining room, will be limited to a maximum of 10 people with 6 feet between each resident or staff.
Residents should not be permitted to leave the home for short- stay absences to visit family and friends
We strongly recommend that residents only be permitted to leave the home for essential purposes such as urgent medical appointments at this time.
Residents who wish to go outside of the home should remain on the home’s property and maintain safe social distancing from any family and friends who visit them.
Any resident leaving the building for any reason will require active screening upon return.

In accordance with comments from the Chief Medical Officer of Health, our goal, is to balance social distancing with socialization and to keep the virus out of our homes.

Thank you for your cooperation

March 23, 2020

EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY

Today, the Chief Medical Officer issued a directive outlining new precautions and procedures for long-term care facilities and retirement homes.

The directive, to be implemented immediately, says that residents are no longer permitted to leave the home for short-stay absences to visit family and friends.

Residents may go outside of the home, but must remain on the home’s property and practice Social Distancing by maintaining a distance of a minimum of two metres from other people at all times.

Important Updates and Information on COVID-19

Balmoral Place Retirement Community

8 & 10 Harbour St W
Collingwood ON
L9Y 5B4

For More Information, Call (705) 444 9898

© COPYRIGHT 2020. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Important Updates and Information on COVID-19

Balmoral Place Retirement Community8 & 10 Harbour St WCollingwood ONL9Y 5B4For More Information, Call (705) 444 9898​

© COPYRIGHT 2020. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

Balmoral Place Retirement Community

8 & 10 Harbour St W
Collingwood ON
L9Y 5B4

For More Information, Call (705) 444 9898