The management of a Windsor long-term care facility affected by COVID-19 believes it is on the way back.
With the rollout of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine in Windsor-Essex, dozens of residents, staff, and volunteers at the Village at St. Clair have received the first dose, allowing for the facility to quickly recover from an outbreak that affected over 100 people connected to the home, and killed 34.
Bryce McBain, interim general manager at the facility, said the efforts of health officials and Hotel-Dieu Grace Healthcare (HDGH), among others, are putting the Village at St. Clair on the fast track to recovery.
"Our hearts are with the families and loved ones who have faced loss during this difficult time, but there is hope in the fact that 136 team members and 89 of our residents have had their first dose of the vaccine, along with 47 essential caregivers," said McBain. "We offer our deep gratitude to our team members and our partners with HDGH and the Windsor-Essex County Health Unit for their efforts to make this process as smooth as possible."
The short-term plan is for the first dose to be completely distributed, with the second dose being rolled out once the time comes.
Another key component of the recovery has been what the facility called "re-homing" residents, shifting from a total of eight neighbourhoods in the home to seven, to help maximize support for residents. Some, like Kaye Brown, president of the home's resident council, are happy with the new arrangement.
"There was some hesitancy at first for some of our neighbours, but the team here did an excellent job making the transition smooth for all affected, and they are all to be commended for this, as well as their ongoing dedication throughout these past months," said Brown.
Despite a plan by HDGH to scale back its presence at the home, and take its senior leadership out of the facility, hospital CEO Janice Kaffer said HDGH will remain very much involved in the recovery process.
"The collaborative effort between ourselves, Schlegel Villages and the WECHU will continue to service the Village well," said Kaffer. "I have been impressed and appreciative of the commitment and dedication of the Village’s team members and their leadership."
At its peak, the outbreak was the worst in a long-term care facility in Ontario. Schelgel Villages, the owner-operator of Village at St. Clair, was the target of harsh criticism from Unifor Local 2458, which represents workers at the site. The union claimed that PPEs were not made readily available to staff, which caused the outbreak to get out of control. At one point, Unifor appealed to Premier Doug Ford for government intervention.
Schelgel Villages disputed those reports, though now, PPEs are in good supply, and essential caregivers have benefitted from education sessions, and everyone on the property is expected to abide by handwashing and sanitation procedures.