WRHA PCH COVID-19 Status Update
December 4, 2020
The WRHA's long-term care program funds and oversees the operations of 39 long-term care facilities, including 38 personal care homes (PCHs) and the St. Amant long-term care facility, in the Winnipeg health region.
The WRHA has implemented and is managing a comprehensive system-wide approach to protect and care for residents and staff at Winnipeg PCH facilities with COVID-19 outbreaks. This involves careful, fluid coordination with WRHA clinical management, PCH management and staff, regional programs, Winnipeg Emergency Medical Services providers, and partners such as the Canadian Red Cross.
*Please note new updates will be published to this page twice weekly.
Current status:
As of 9 am, Dec. 4, there were active COVID-19 outbreaks at 29 of Winnipeg's 39 long-term care facilities.
An outbreak is declared following the identification of one positive case in either a resident, a staff member or an external service provider (example: Agency staff).
Larger-scale outbreaks are currently being experienced at:
- Bethania Mennonite Personal Care Home
- Charleswood Care Centre
- Fred Douglas Lodge
- Golden Links Lodge
- Holy Family Home
- Maples PCH
- Oakview Place
- Park Manor Care
- Simkin Centre
- St Norbert PCH
The most recent Winnipeg PCH to declare an outbreak is River Park Gardens, on Dec. 2, after one staff member tested positive.
For a complete list of facilities with active COVID-19 outbreaks, please scroll to the bottom of this post.
Measures underway:
Staffing:
As of Dec. 4, there are 149 PCH staff from the Winnipeg region who are actively COVID-positive. A further 195 have been declared recovered. Many more are awaiting test results or isolating at home along with a family member and are unable to come to work. Staffing needs at PCHs can therefore change quickly day-to-day, and even shift-to-shift.
To assist with quickly filling these and other staff absences, the WRHA is conducting a region-wide review to identify other service areas that can be safely reduced and from where staff can be redeployed to meet PCH staffing demands and other priority areas. This planning is being done in partnership with Shared Health and the Provincial Recruitment and Redeployment Team (PRRT).
While this larger system-wide work is underway, some urgent and emergent PCH staffing needs continue to be filled by redirecting staff, primarily from Home Care, to PCHs. However, this is increasingly very challenging with increased staff illness and staff needing to isolate, especially going into this weekend.
WRHA continues to activate the hub model of attaching PCHs to hospitals and community area offices for the sharing of staff resources. Community care staff have assisted by filling shifts at PCHs, either having volunteered or been reassigned to support PCHs.
Current PCH staff are going above and beyond by working multiple shifts to fill in the gaps in staffing needs. We would like to extend our sincere appreciation to all staff who continue every day to step up and tirelessly ensure the care and safety of residents.
The PRRT continues to review and process applications for uncertified Health Care Aides - both those enrolled in the new Red River College (RRC) training program, and those not requiring training. To date in Winnipeg, there have been 24 direct hires (those not requiring training), and 20 hires from the RRC training program. Offers have also been made pre-emptively to the RRC cohort starting next week.
Medical leadership from the WRHA's long-term care has also identified physicians and nurse practitioners who are available in assisting with the medical monitoring of PCH residents, and who have indicated they can provide partial coverage in PCHs in the short-to-medium term.
On-site supports to PCHs and resident care:
WRHA on-site clinical leads are currently providing support to nine Winnipeg PCHs: Golden Links Lodge, Maples PCH, St. Norbert PCH, Holy Family Home, Simkin Centre, Fred Douglas Lodge, Park Manor, Oakview Place and Charleswood Care Centre.
These site leads are working with the management of each of these facilities to provide oversight and guidance on resident/ clinical care aspects, staffing resources, infection prevention and control practices, and family communication.
The Canadian Red Cross continues to provide infection prevention and control assessments and guidance to PCHs, as well as onsite assistance. Red Cross staff are currently providing onsite support at Maples PCH, Golden Links Lodge and St. Norbert PCH.
PCHs continue to access the WRHA community intravenous (CIVP) team, palliative care team, regional infection prevention and control staff, and respiratory therapy specialists.
Regular physician coverage and medical monitoring of residents continues to be provided onsite and virtually at the priority sites.
N95 fit-testing within all licensed Personal Care Homes and Long-Term Care (LTC) facilities experiencing a COVID-19 outbreak is being undertaken. An accelerated schedule of fit-testing throughout the Long-Term Care sector began last week.
At this time, WFPS's rapid response EMS team is not currently in place at any Winnipeg PCHs. Facilities have been advised to contact the team if emergency resident care needs emerge over the weekend, or at any sudden time. Standard protocols for PCHs to contact EMS for resident care when required also remain in place, as per usual process. We want to thank our EMS partners again for their support of PCHs.
Facility-specific information:
Current priority sites for our clinical leads include Maples PCH, Holy Family Home, Golden Links Lodge, Park Manor, Charleswood Care Centre, St. Norbert PCH, and Fred Douglas Lodge.
The WRHA is also closely working with and monitoring the situation at Bethania Mennonite PCH and Oakview Place.
While still facing challenges, Maples PCH and Simkin Centre have seen their staffing levels and case numbers stabilize.
PCHs continue to make progress on implementing IP&C recommendations from the Canadian Red Cross and other action items identified by WRHA clinical site leads.
Management and Oversight
Daily update calls with the management teams of all PCHs and the WRHA long-term care program have been established to share information, progress and challenges in real-time.
The WRHA clinical leads providing oversight at PCHs in greatest need have daily meetings with WRHA leadership, to give detailed updates on the status of their respective facilities, and to ensure resources are proactively directed to areas of greatest need. These clinical leads will be rotated to other sites or provide support to a cluster of sites, as needed and as the outbreak situation across WRHA PCH sites evolve.
Winnipeg PCHs currently experiencing COVID-19 outbreaks (as of Dec 4, 2020)
- Actionmarguerite St Boniface
- Actionmarguerite St Vital
- Beacon Hill Lodge
- Bethania PCH
- Charleswood Care Centre
- Concordia Place
- Deer Lodge Centre (LTC)
- Fred Douglas Lodge
- Golden Links Lodge
- Heritage Lodge
- Holy Family Home
- Lions Personal Care Centre (Sherbrook Street location)
- Maples PCH
- Middlechurch Home
- Misericordia Place PCH
- Oakview Place
- Park Manor Care
- Parkview Place
- Pembina Place
- Poseidon Care Centre
- Riverview Health Ctr (LTC)
- River East
- River Park Gardens
- Simkin Centre
- St Amant (LTC)
- Southeast PCH
- St Norbert PCH
- Tuxedo Villa
- West Park Manor