Family and Friends Enjoy a Comfortable in-Person Visiting Area Thanks to the Delta Foundation!
KINVILLAGE IS SUPPORTED BY GOVERNMENT OF CANADA’S EMERGENCY COMMUNITY SUPPORT FUND AND DELTA FOUNDATIONOn November 16th, KinVillage was pleased to hear from the Delta Foundation that its application for a grant from the Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF) was successful. KinVillage requested funding from the Foundation to help enhance social connections for residents of its Care Home during the pandemic.The COVID-19 pandemic and related provincial restrictions on visits in long-term care homes and assisted living residences significantly impact social connections for elders living in these settings. Cynthia Langenberg, KinVillage’s Director of Health Services, acknowledges the understandable sense of isolation and loneliness residents have expressed feeling over the past several months. “We also understand the negative impact the restrictions can have on family members’ peace of mind and mental well-being.”Supporting and providing opportunities for Care Home residents to visit with their family members is a priority for KinVillage. Since the early days of the pandemic when provincial visiting restrictions were first put in place to protect residents, KinVillage staff were committed to creatively supporting ongoing connections - virtually and through the “glass door”. When an easing of these restrictions was announced at the end of June, staff was able to begin offering residents in-person visits with their designated visitors, typically a close family member, under specific guidelines, in an outdoor garden. As fall weather arrived and pandemic risks continued, an alternative, indoor location was needed.Thanks to the $10,000 ECSF grant awarded by the Delta Foundation, KinVillage was able to convert an office into a visiting room, replacing a window with a door so visitors may enter the room directly from outside rather than coming into the general areas of the Care Home. This easy and controlled access, together with preventative measures such as physical distancing, visitor screening and hand washing, all help to protect residents, staff and visitors from the virus.CEO Donna Ellis says “We appreciate that the Delta Foundation and the Government of Canada, through its ECSF, recognize the devastating impact the pandemic can have on seniors, particularly those living in care. We are grateful for their financial assistance in helping KinVillage make a small change that has a big impact on those we serve.”Langenberg adds “We’re so pleased that our new visiting room provides a safe, welcoming, comfortable and private area in which residents can visit with their loved ones. “Family members and residents have also commented on the new visiting space: "Appreciate having an area that is cozy and private to visit with my mother" and the new visiting room "has a warm ambience, it is very inviting".
