OFRA's Outbreak & Visitor Updates

April 30, 2024 ~ Kotitalo Declared in COVID-19 Outbreak as of this afternoon.

Please refer to recommendations from Algoma Public Health (APH)

• If you are presenting with any kind of symptoms, i.e., gastrointestinal symptoms, respiratory symptoms, or another communicable disease, we ask that you kindly refrain from entering the facility.
• Please be aware of the risk of infection when entering our facility.
• Ensure you are performing hand hygiene appropriately.
• We recommend that while visiting, you avoid communal areas and visit only one resident at a time and wear PPE as needed.
• Small group activities will continue for now.

Thank you for your understanding and patience as we navigate getting through this outbreak.

Jenny Michelanko, RPN

Manager Kotitalo Assisted Living

As always, if you are feeling unwell, please refrain from visiting the homes.

Thank you!

Mauno Kaihla Koti Nursing Home & Kotitalo Supportive Housing

(Rules when no outbreak declared)

Masking (remains in effect for both MKK and KOT)

It remains a requirement that all staff, visitors, students & volunteers wear a properly fitting, medical grade surgical/procedural mask for the duration of time that they are in the facility. 

However, recognizing that long-term care residents miss seeing the faces of their loved ones, the ministry is recommending rather than requiring that caregivers and visitors wear masks when they are alone with a resident in their room. For residents living in shared rooms, homes should seek to designate a space to enable residents who would like to interact with their visitors without masks. When not in a one-on-one setting with a resident in their room or a designated space within the home, visitors and caregivers are still required to be masked.

Visitors

Homes may now return to their regular practice of setting their own visitor policy, in accordance with available space and applicable guidance and laws. This means that the provincially set limit of 4 visitors (including caregivers) per resident at a time for indoor visits is being removed.

Physical distancing

Residents, staff and visitors are encouraged to continue to practice physical distancing and urged to avoid situations like crowded places in which COVID-19 may spread more easily.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON "HOW TO"

Public Health Ontario – Resources for Essential Caregivers / Visitors Education:

• Fact Sheet for Visitors

Videos (hand hygiene)

• Just Clean Your Hands for family and friends - Link to described video: https://youtu.be/UrmtGsiXOVw

• Just Clean Your Hands for residents - Link to described video: https://youtu.be/YEsV_ncDvWw

Videos (Personal Protective Equipment)

Taking off Full Personal Protective Equipment

Step-by-step demonstration of how to properly take off full personal protective -Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Go3u37-dRB4 

Putting on Full Personal Protective Equipment

Step-by-step demonstration of how to properly put on full personal protective - Link to video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NvrJlOp-abo