We Support Safe Family Presence: Whitewood
Whitewood Community Health Centre manager Tracy Shire and her team have gone above and beyond to maximize safe family presence under the current COVID-19 restrictions.
Staff and public were fearful families might unintentionally bring COVID-19 into the long term care home. Through kindness and compassion and listening to the concerns of staff, Tracy worked with her team to help families safely see their loved ones.
“We get to go home to our families at the end of the day; the residents don’t. This is their home. Staff are wonderful, but they aren’t family,” Tracy said.
The home takes great measures to maximize safe family presence. As a small home, they don’t have a person dedicated to screening visitors, so all staff have been trained to do thorough screening. After family supports and visitors entering the home are screened, staff provide them with education to ensure proper hand hygiene, continuous masking, and a reminder to go straight to their loved one’s room and avoid interactions with others. The same process is completed every time family and visitors enter the home. Families are very grateful to be able to visit and appreciate the reminder. Posters are also displayed around the home as a reminder to ensure precautions are followed.
“I am so proud of the entire team and how we have all come together to provide safe family presence for our residents. It’s been hard work but it has been well worth it when you see the happiness it brings to our residents,” Tracy said.
For more information or support please reach out to the family presence support team at pfcc@saskhealthauthority.ca.