As of Tuesday’s COVID-19 update, there were four active cases and two recent deaths of residents related to the outbreak at the Edith Cavell Care Centre in Lethbridge.
Alberta Health says precautions are being taken to prevent further spread after two men, one in his 80s, and the other in his 90s died of the virus.
On Wednesday, Alberta Health sent Global News a statement, reading in part:
“Health officials are working closely with the operator to limit the spread of COVID-19 and protect the health of residents and staff.
“Mandatory outbreak protocols have been implemented, including enhanced cleaning, staff screening and other important infection prevention and control measures,” the statement goes on to read.
“Testing has been offered to all residents and staff to identify cases and limit the spread.”
Global News reached out to management at the facility and the parent company, Chantelle Management, for comment, but neither responded.
Seniors are one of the most vulnerable populations hit by the pandemic, and one Lethbridge resident with a father in a long-term care home in Calgary says it’s been unimaginably tough.
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Christina Fyke says she’s worried about both her dad getting the virus, and being limited in her ability to help him cope with the ongoing pandemic due to restrictions on in-person visits at the care home.
Fyke said it was hard to be cut off completely from visiting her father during the first four months of the pandemic when visits were banned.
“The problem with cutting off family and friends from visiting is that in some cases this is literally the only thing that these people have to brighten their day, they don’t have endless time and they don’t have endless activities to stimulate them — and time is precious whether there’s a pandemic or not,” she said.
She says as COVID-19 cases increase, the family feels anxious about losing more and more time with her father as the opportunity to share memories with him is something the family will never get back.
“The facilities are even once again asking the designated care people to really think hard about whether they want to visit or not,” Fyke said.
The government of Alberta has created a policy for long-term care homes, which states that, “each resident or alternate decision maker may identify up to two designated family/support persons who are essential to maintaining resident mental and physical health.”
Fyke said this policy has been tough for the family as neither her brother, husband or son can visit her father.
She added the family is still grateful for all of the work and extra cleaning precautions care takers are taking at the facility.
Fyke’s father is in his 60s, and she says the limited interaction he’s had with his family has taken a drastic toll on both his emotional and physical health.
She goes on to say her father immediately lights up whenever he sees her or her mother, and the visits are precisely what help keep his spirits high during these uncertain times.
“When we lost that four months… my father lost the ability to walk because we weren’t there everyday, you know, getting him up and helping with that.”
She says her father is regaining his ability to walk, adding the visits with her mother and her are helping him regain strength.
Fyke hopes the government will continue to find a balance between safety and families being able to support loved ones through in-person visitations.
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