KinVillage is very grateful to be supported by a grant from the Delta Foundation, with funds from the Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund (ECSF).
The association in a news release says it was recently notified by the Delta Foundation of its successful application for funds to help enhance social connections for residents of its Care Home.
The COVID-19 pandemic and related provincial restrictions on visits in long-term care homes and assisted living residences have significantly impacted social connections for elders living in these settings.
Cynthia Langenberg, KinVillage’s director of health Services, acknowledges the understandable sense of isolation and loneliness for residents 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,” she stated in the release.
Supporting and providing opportunities for the 100 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, wearing a mask and hand washing, all help to protect residents, staff and visitors from the virus.
Langenberg says, “Our new visiting room provides a safe, welcoming, comfortable and private area in which residents can visit with their loved ones,” CEO Donna Ellis adds.
“We appreciate that the Delta Foundation and the Government of Canada, through its ECSF, recognize the devastating impact the pandemic has 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.”
