Murray Wood: Isn't it time for more 'we' than 'oui' in Rideau Hall?
Louise Arbour brings much more than French skills to her role as the king's representative, but she also has taken contr...
Things were progressing well for the first 10 months of the COVID-19 pandemic for those at a Saskatoon group home for those with intellectual disabilities.
Then, three days in the middle of January changed everything for the folks over at Elmwood Residences Kinsmen Manor. Between Jan. 10 and Jan. 12, four team members tested positive for COVID-19 at the group home, which housed 32 residents.
The not-for-profit, community-based organization then decided to go with mass testing of all residents and team members just three days later on Jan. 15. Its executive director, Rachael Steinke, said those outcomes came just one day later.
“The results of the testing started to roll in, and we were heartbroken and frightened by the results. We had 19 residents test positive on that day,” Steinke said Tuesday.
The suspect outbreak was then quickly changed to a confirmed outbreak by the Saskatchewan Health Authority (SHA), with weekly testing brought in along with an added emphasis on keeping those within the walls safe.
“It’s the worst-case scenario, but at the same time, it’s what we’ve been planning for since March of 2020,” Steinke explained, before turning her attention to what the group home focused on once the pandemic was declared back in March.
“The focus of the plan was threefold. One was keeping COVID out of Elmwood … But also … preparing for, not if, but when COVID enters Elmwood as well. And then the third part of it being around recovery from COVID as well.”
The final results to date for COVID at the group home include 24 of 32 residents testing positive, along with 20 team members. Seven residents have since recovered, along with 15 additional team members.
Elmwood Kinsmen Manor. (Google Maps)
At the same time, a tragedy unfolded at the facility with one resident passing away in hospital, according to Steinke.
The death came this past Wednesday, according to a Facebook post from Elmwood. In the days that followed the outbreak declaration at the facility, however, Steinke said community support poured in — keeping the organization going through those dark times.
“We’re in a better rhythm now, despite the fact that we’re experiencing some immense grief over losing a resident to this terrible virus. We have come together to support one another, and it’s very humbling to watch this team come together like this. We’re in awe of our community, also for the love and support that has and continues to be shown. In all honesty, words will never be enough to express our gratitude,” she said.
Steinke thanked the community at large, along with the family members and friends of residents in the facility. She said through work with the home’s new family liaison, those residents have been able to chat and communicate with their loved ones through video chats and messages.
On top of this also came other community organizations and businesses helping the organization out. Steinke said the Kinsmen club helped with funding, and a local Facebook group called ‘Local Love’ and Galon Insurance also were able to give personalized care packages for each and every resident.
At this time, work has also been done on advocating for those at Elmwood Residences, and other group homes for the intellectually disabled across Saskatchewan. Steinke said they worked to get residents and team members higher on the vaccine priority list, but they weren’t successful in doing so.
But the work still continues, according to Steinke.
“As an agency, we’re disheartened by this. But we don’t give up. We serve as advocates for our residents and team members, and we will continue to bring attention to this issue because people living with intellectual disabilities and their team members matter,” she explained.
Elmwood wasn’t the only group home for those with intellectual disabilities to be affected by COVID in Saskatoon. Saskatchewan Alternative Initiatives (SAI) also dealt with its own outbreak recently, with three individuals including a resident testing positive.
According to SAI’s executive director Tim Jones, the staff was able to stop the spread at those three individuals with no other results coming back positive.
Through both outbreaks, those at Inclusion Saskatchewan took the opportunity to write an open letter on the matter, addressed to some in the provincial government and the SHA, including Premier Scott Moe and chief medical health officer Dr. Saqib Shahab.
“INSK Inclusion Consultants report that of 450 people supported across the province by our Inclusion Team in 2020, 10% have tested positive for COVID-19. New research has conclusively demonstrated that individuals with intellectual disabilities are among those most vulnerable to the COVID-19 disease,” the open letter reads, before pointing to a study from New York, Landes et al.
“(The study) has determined that the mortality rate for individuals with intellectual disabilities living in group homes is 8 times higher than the general population,” the statement continues.
“Given the urgency of this situation, we would ask that you include and prioritize individuals with intellectual disabilities and the frontline workers who support them in the first phase of the COVID-19 Vaccine Delivery Plan. It is not too late to take lifesaving action to address this situation.”
Steinke said Elmwood Residences Kinsmen Manor is still working on keeping its residents and team members safe at this time, as it continues to learn through the ongoing outbreak.
She said on top of asking to be put on the vaccine priority list, it’s also looking to become a point-of-care testing site so 15-minute rapid testing can be done at the facility.
Steinke also welcomed the public to help out with resident morale, requesting those interested to send in their Valentine’s Day cards to Elmwood as it continues to deal with its COVID situation.
