Our Joint Health and Safety Committee is excited to celebrate Health and Safety Week with our team. We have some fun activities for staff with prizes as well as a staff appreciation BBQ on September 10th. You can watch us cooking for all our team members that day. Our Joint Health and Safety Team is comprised of 12 members including managers and staff. They are working daily to help keep the home safe for staff which in turn helps to keep it safe for the residents.

Think Safe….Work Safe….Be Safe!!

The Ministry of Health has provided an RSV vaccine program fact sheet. Please click on the link to take a look at the information. Ministry of Health RSV Vaccine Fact Sheet, 2024

The Pines Support Committee continues to work together in partnership with residents, their families, staff, and donors to ‘Optimize Life” for residents at the Pines. We are pleased to let residents and families know that we have provided funding for a new program called “Living Well”. This program is run by The Pines Social Worker, Andrea Groomes, and strives to identify residents in need of financial assistance with transportation, new essential aids, including walkers, wheelchairs, hearing aids, foot care, hairdressing, clothing purchases, etc.…. We want families and residents to know this program is available for you to access should there be a financial need. Please do not hesitate to reach out to Andrea for guidance and discussion regarding program eligibility and the request consideration process. You may contact Andrea directly at The Pines by emailing Andrea.groomes@muskoka.on.ca

We are pleased to report that we were able to purchase new umbrellas, tables, raised planters, water features, and flowers for the renovated courtyards. We hope that residents and families have been enjoying the new spaces. We also have recently funded more musical entertainment for The Pines in the coming months for all to enjoy!

The Pines Support Committee is happy to announce we are hosting a Staff Appreciation Day on Wednesday, October 9th. Our residents and families are so lucky to have such fantastic staff who care! We would like to say thank you to them by offering meals and treats that day for all shifts. A reminder closer to the day will be sent to staff and posters placed around the home!! Thank you to the Pines Staff for everything you do!!

The Pines Support Committee has BIG plans for 2025 and we need members to help us turn those plans into reality. We meet four times a year and are very welcoming! Please contact our chairperson Lorna Ethier at lornaethier@gmail.com if you would like more information.

As always we want you to know the Pines Support Committee is here for you so please do not hesitate to reach out if you have ideas or know a resident who needs support.

All the best from The Pines Support Committee Members

The attached document has nine (9) helpful recourses for caregivers because your mental health matters. Click on the link below to review the document with links to helpful resources.

9 Helpful Resources for Caregivers from CCSMH

Our team recieved information from Public Health regarding the RSV vaccine. Please watch for a registered staff member to connect with you about vaccine consent for RSV as well as Flu (Influenza) and COVID vaccines. We will be providing residents with their vaccines in the next couple of months as they are available through Public Health.

Information on RSV vaccine from Public Health:

Ontario’s publicly funded Older Adult High-Risk RSV vaccine program for this year includes individuals who are 60 years of age and older who are also:

• Residents of long-term care homes (LTCH), Elder Care Lodges, or retirement homes (Rhome)
• Patients in hospital receiving alternate level of care (ALC) including similar settings (i.e. complex continuing care, hospital transitional programs)
• Patients receiving hemodialysis or peritoneal dialysis
• Recipients of solid organ or hematopoietic stem cell transplants
• Individuals experiencing homelessness
• Individuals who identify as First Nations, Inuit, or Metis

Anyone who received a dose of RSV vaccine during the 2023-2024 season does not need to receive an additional dose this season. Studies continue to show multi-year protection in adults who have received RSV vaccine. The timing for subsequent doses is unknown at this time. Studies are ongoing to determine how long the vaccines provide protection.

There will be two RSV vaccines used in this year’s older adult high-risk RSV program – AREXVY and ABRYSVO. Both vaccines are authorized by Health Canada, recommended by the National Advisory Committee on Immunization (NACI), and have been shown to be safe and highly effective in preventing severe disease from RSV.

While RSV vaccine can be co-administered with other vaccines, LTCHs are encouraged to start vaccinating eligible residents as soon as possible. Residents who declined RSV vaccination last season, should be offered the vaccine again this year.

Ministry of Health: Older Adult High-Risk Respiratory Syncytial Virus (RSV) Vaccine Program Fact Sheet - Vaccine Recipients

In collaboration with Public Health, the Maple Home Area Outbreak has been declared over. Two residents are required to wear a mask for a specific period of time when out of their rooms. If you have questions about this, please connect with the Nurse in Charge. Thank you for your patience as we moved through the most recent outbreak.

The Family Council Meeting is canceled for this month. I have attached the update that is normally provided at the meeting which includes the outbreak update for today.

August 2024 Family Update

Maple Home Area remains in COVID Outbreak with two (2) confirmed cases. One (1) resident is able to come out of their room as long as symptoms continue to improve and with masking in place for a further 2 days.

The following infection control measures are to be continued in Maple:

• Surgical Masks or N95 Masks to be worn in the Maple Home Area
• N95 Masks in those resident rooms that are isolated- see specific isolation signage
• Limit of two (2) essential caregivers at a time in Maple Home Areas only
• No General Visitors to Maple Home Area
• Ensure the Public Health 4 moments of Hand Hygiene are followed
• Resident's Hand Hygiene before all meals and regularly throughout the day
• Ensure Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is used properly- including donning before entering and removing before exiting the isolated resident’s room
• Residents are to remain in the affected home area at this time to reduce the risk of spread
• *If residents insist on leaving the home area, please assist them with masking or a visor and encourage outdoor visiting.
• Twice daily respiratory symptom screening in Maple Home Areas
• Immediate isolation of any residents with new symptom onset
• Cohorting of staff, when possible
• Cohorting of residents and only small group activities in the home area for unaffected residents. Isolated residents to receive one-to-one activities.
• Twice daily high-touch surface cleaning- changing disinfecting product to 1-minute contact time
• Increased hand hygiene and PPE audits in the home area with coaching

Please ensure that you are following the IPAC practices listed above as they are in place to protect residents, staff, essential caregivers, and visitors.

We will continue to provide updates as we move through the outbreak.

If you have any questions please contact Jennifer Carriere, ADOC at ext. 4842 or Kim Sander, DOC at ext. 4861

Birch Home Area COVID Outbreak was declared over in collaboration with Public Health on August 15, 2024. All four (4) residents on the line list are able to come out of their room as long as symptoms continue to improve and with masking in place until midnight tonight .

Maple Home Area remains in COVID Outbreak with two (2) confirmed cases. One (1) resident is able to come out of their room as long as symptoms continue to improve and with masking in place for a further 3 days.

The following infection control measures are to be continued in Maple:

• Surgical Masks or N95 Masks to be worn in the Maple Home Area
• N95 Masks in those resident rooms that are isolated- see specific isolation signage
• Limit of two (2) essential caregivers at a time in Maple Home Areas only
• No General Visitors to Maple Home Area
• Ensure the Public Health 4 moments of Hand Hygiene are followed
• Resident's Hand Hygiene before all meals and regularly throughout the day
• Ensure Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is used properly- including donning before entering and removing before exiting the isolated resident’s room
• Residents are to remain in the affected home area at this time to reduce the risk of spread
• *If residents insist on leaving the home area, please assist them with masking or a visor and encourage outdoor visiting.
• Twice daily respiratory symptom screening in Maple Home Areas
• Immediate isolation of any residents with new symptom onset
• Cohorting of staff, when possible
• Cohorting of residents and only small group activities in the home area for unaffected residents. Isolated residents to receive one-to-one activities.
• Twice daily high-touch surface cleaning- changing disinfecting product to 1-minute contact time
• Increased hand hygiene and PPE audits in the home area with coaching

Please ensure that you are following the IPAC practices listed above as they are in place to protect residents, staff, essential caregivers, and visitors.

We will continue to provide updates as we move through the outbreak.

If you have any questions please contact Jennifer Carriere, ADOC at ext. 4842 or Kim Sander, DOC at ext. 4861

The Family Council meeting for August is canceled. The Council will regroup in September.

Recording and Information from the July Meeting:

Family Council Agenda July 17, 2024

July 17, 2024- Family Council Meeting Minutes

July 2024 Family Update

The Pines Volunteer Opportunities

Meeting Recording: https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/W2fGGKRCE0tqmd4ynPY6dMVmk1PHD4WzxssEsKj1opXjFDEPVlp3lztVaPNpqTw2.U4AzaBJ700-OuNpa

Passcode: I1&Q1T!S

If you have questions and want to learn more about Family Council. Please reach out to Delynne Patterson (Family Council Chair) at delynne.patterson@gmail.com or Jennifer Ridgley (Administrator) at jennifer.ridgley@muskoka.on.ca