News

Outside visits coincide with great spring weather

May 12th, 2020

Alberta Health has updated its guidelines regarding visitors to supportive living communities to allow for very specific outdoor visits. Points West Living Slave Lake residents were pleased to be able to welcome a number ‘designated essential’ visitors (with their ‘plus one’) to the outdoor courtyard on May 6th.

According to Deena Hinshaw, Alberta’s Chief Medical Officer of Health, “It is important for mental health to spend time outdoors. It is encouraged that residents [of seniors’ homes] be given an opportunity to spend time outdoors, where feasible and appropriate and have safe outdoor visits when desired.” (CMOH Order 14-2020)

This is literally a breath of fresh air for residents and families who are able to gather in this way. “Seniors living in a care community can get lonely because they have so little contact with family,” says Mailyn Fornoles, recreation coordinator for PWL Slave Lake.

“We allowed families to see the residents,” she says, “but they have to stay outside the building and they have to take precautions like to wear a mask, sanitize hands, and of course, they need to apply 2-meters of social distancing with families and residents.”

Additional limitations are in place and are described in part in the article: Outdoor visits a welcome sliver of relief to the No Visitor policy, and in full in the following two Alberta Health Services documents:

• Alberta Health COVID visitors policy page
• Alberta Health COVID-19 Visitor Guidance document (printable)

Photo: Resident Annie Sloat enjoys a sunny day visit with her daughter and son in the courtyard of PWL Slave Lake on May 6.

More photos at Flickr: Outside visits coincide with great spring weather