McCormick Care Group – COVID-19 Update

Monday, October 19, 2020

This is a McCormick Care Group – COVID-19 Update for Monday, October 19, 2020.  We will continue to provide these updates twice weekly, on Mondays and Thursdays, or as needed.

There are no probable or suspected cases of COVID-19 among our residents or staff at this time.

There are currently eight long-term care homes and one retirement home in the City of London experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks.  As a reminder, if you live in a long-term care or retirement home that goes into outbreak, you will be prohibited from visiting McCormick Home for the duration of the outbreak period.

We have consulted with the Ministry of Long-Term Care and the Middlesex-London Health Unit, who have confirmed that caregivers are only permitted to visit with their loved one in their room and that they are to refrain from using common areas and to minimize walking in the halls.  If you are approved to assist in the dining room, please assist with the meal and then return to your resident’s room.  If you are approved to assist with mobility needs and your resident lives on the second or third floor, you are permitted to utilize the hallway by the elevator for a walk.  Now that the weather is changing, we are currently in discussions with the health unit on where we can provide space where Memory Lane residents can walk. An update will be provided as soon as possible.

With the cessation of general visitors for indoor and outdoor visits, please contact a member of our Life Enrichment Team to arrange a virtual visit.  As residents are permitted to have up to two designated caregivers for in-home support — something that was not available when the pandemic was first declared — virtual visits will be limited to one virtual visit per resident per week for up to 30 minutes at a time.  This arrangement will enable our Life Enrichment staff to provide more consistent programming for all our residents.  If you have any questions, please contact Ruth-Anne Durocher, Manager of Life Enrichment and Volunteers, at rdurocher@mccormickcare.ca or 519-432-2648, ext. 2372.

I will be scheduling a family Zoom call on Thursday, October 29, 2020, at 12:30 p.m. to review our latest processes and answer any questions you may have.  The details for the call will be sent out next week.

Tanya Pol
Administrator