A North Battleford, Sask., long-term care home is receiving criticism after staff members were caught having a party in the common room while residents remained confined to their rooms as per COVID-19 restrictions.
Diane Piper said on her last visit with her mother-in-law at River Heights Lodge in North Battleford, she was shocked to see staff gathering in the facility’s common room.
“I walked in and there’s this party going on with the staff. There’s at least 20 staff there,” she said. “It really just increased my frustration.”
Piper was immediately outraged.
“Why can the staff socialize like that and you’re not allowing the residents to come out?” she said.
She added that since most people in the building are now vaccinated, residents such as her mother-in-law should have more options like cohorting for meals.
“Is the risk so high that we have to really take away the quality of life of all these people?” she said.
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River Heights Lodge management did not respond to a request for comment. The Saskatchewan Health Authority told Global News it was aware a staff farewell event had taken place in the care home and confirmed that during that event two staff members had hugged.
“The staff involved have been reminded that despite all efforts to follow public health guidelines that these types of events should not occur even to mark career milestones,” the authority said.
“We are reviewing the incident and discussing the importance of following the public health orders at all times to protect the residents and staff in our long-term care homes.”
The SHA did not comment on whether some restrictions would be lifted for residents.
Piper said she has repeatedly reached out to SHA staff about the issue and said she has received generic responses about its COVID-19 guidelines each time.
I’m not saying (they should) open it wide up, and I realize there is still a small risk,” Piper said. “But at least allow some cohorting of the residents so that they can get together with small groups.”
The last COVID-19 outbreak at River Heights Lodge was reported in November.
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