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Kingston, Ont. retirement home lends seniors a helping hand during COVID-19 pandemic

Click to play video: 'Kingston retirement home giving a helping hand.'
Kingston retirement home giving a helping hand.
WATCH: Helping to meet the needs of seniors in the Kingston community – Apr 3, 2020

The Trillium Retirement Residence in Kingston has partnered with Kingston Health Sciences Centre and Bayshore Health Care to meet the needs of seniors in the community.

They say they are now able to provide the right care and services in the right setting when it comes to COVID-19.

“The situation now with [COVID-19] as everybody knows, there’s a heightened anticipation of the pressure that’s going to come to us for acute care resources and critical care in particular,” said Dr. David Pichora, president and CEO of Kingston Health Sciences Centre.
Click to play video: 'Coronavirus outbreak: Ontario health officials stress that physical distancing is necessary to slow virus spread'
Coronavirus outbreak: Ontario health officials stress that physical distancing is necessary to slow virus spread

Now, helping to lessen some of that pressure is the Trillium Home.

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Sienna Living, the home’s owner, says it has introduced a transitional care program to provide much-needed relief for a possible surge of patients at Kingston Health Sciences Center — and Pichora says the need is there.

“Listening to Premier Ford today (Friday) and watching the media, I think everybody would understand that,” Pichora said.

“The Ministry of Health has directed all hospitals to help to transition their A.L.C. (Alternate Level of Care) type patients and anybody, quite frankly, who doesn’t need to be at an acute care facility anymore out into the community.”

Retirement Home officials say there are currently 12 patients from K.H.S.C. staying at Trillium as part of this program.

All infection practices are in place, they say, and there is vigilant health monitoring of all residents. In addition, all new residents moving in are isolated for 14 days with their temperatures checked twice a day as per public health directives.

No COVID-19-positive patients will be admitted to Trillium. Pichora says all involved are making sure this works.

Click to play video: 'Number of cases of COVID-19 expected to rise, questions raised around hospital preparedness'
Number of cases of COVID-19 expected to rise, questions raised around hospital preparedness

“I know that public health is working with them to try to optimize the safety and the ministry, government have been issuing directives to long-term care as well to try to ensure that those environments are as safe as they can be,” he said.

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Sienna officials say they look forward to expanding this program in the future as they help to take the pressure off their health care partners.

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