A South Surrey woman whose mom is among nearly three dozen seniors who have been on lock-down since mid-September is questioning why 乌鸦传媒� more than 18 months into the COVID-19 pandemic 乌鸦传媒� a system hasn乌鸦传媒檛 been devised to reduce the impact of quarantine measures on locked-down care-home residents who continue to test negative for the virus.

乌鸦传媒淓ven though my mom has tested negative week over week over week, she乌鸦传媒檚 still in jail and will be until there are no more cases for two weeks,乌鸦传媒� Leanne Thain said Friday (Oct. 22).

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 been very grim.乌鸦传媒�

Thain said her mom, 81, hasn乌鸦传媒檛 been able to leave her room in Westminster House乌鸦传媒檚 complex-care unit (at 1653 140 St.) since a COVID-19 outbreak was declared on Sept. 13 after three staff members tested positive. As per established protocols, outside visits, occupational therapy, baths and social activities all were halted, as was even such simple basics as eating with regular dishware and cutlery.

She said she filed a complaint with Fraser Health regarding the continuing conditions not to target the facility 乌鸦传媒� 乌鸦传媒淚 know they乌鸦传媒檙e doing their best乌鸦传媒� 乌鸦传媒� but rather as a last resort to shed some light on the impacts and advocate for those affected.

She乌鸦传媒檚 also hopeful that her mom乌鸦传媒檚 story will help persuade people who may have been on the fence about getting the vaccine that it is in the best interest of all.

乌鸦传媒淧eople need to understand what is going on on the inside when we have these outbreaks,乌鸦传媒� Thain said. 乌鸦传媒淢aybe it would help them get vaccinated or feel like, yeah, we don乌鸦传媒檛 want to have people live like this.乌鸦传媒�

Fraser Health officials said Monday (Oct. 25) that over the course of the past six weeks, there have been a total of 24 positive tests at the site 乌鸦传媒� 16 residents and eight staff 乌鸦传媒� and two deaths.

Facility owner Gord McNaughton said that every time the outbreak appeared to be ending, a new positive case would restart the two-week quarantine clock. He乌鸦传媒檚 hoping for better news out of tests that were conducted Oct. 25.

If those results are all negative, 乌鸦传媒渢hen we乌鸦传媒檙e free,乌鸦传媒� he said Monday.

Thain said she questioned for weeks why COVID-positive patients in the affected unit couldn乌鸦传媒檛 be separated from those who were negative, to help contain the spread.

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McNaughton said he felt the idea had merit, but when he asked Fraser Health 乌鸦传媒� whose guidelines all licenced facilities in this region must follow 乌鸦传媒� if the most recent positive case could be moved to a hospital, the answer was a firm no.

乌鸦传媒淥ur hands are tied in terms of decisions we can and can乌鸦传媒檛 make,乌鸦传媒� McNaughton said. 乌鸦传媒淭hey乌鸦传媒檙e totally against it.乌鸦传媒�

He wonders if, had the last two positive cases been transferred, 乌鸦传媒渕aybe this thing would乌鸦传媒檝e been over earlier.乌鸦传媒�

Fraser Health has said that the protocols being followed for each outbreak in the region are 乌鸦传媒渂est practices乌鸦传媒� that have been evolved over the course of the pandemic under the guidance of the provincial health officer, and are in place 乌鸦传媒渇or the greater good.乌鸦传媒�

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 a pandemic, there乌鸦传媒檚 people in the facility that have tested positive,乌鸦传媒� a spokesperson for the health authority said. 乌鸦传媒淲e乌鸦传媒檙e trying to prevent the spread, this is the best way to do it until we乌鸦传媒檙e certain it乌鸦传媒檚 not spreading any more.乌鸦传媒�

Measures implemented by the health authority at the outset to contain and curb spread of the virus, according to a Sept. 14 news release, included supporting staffing levels; restricting social visits; modifying staff and resident movement to minimize exposure; enhanced cleaning; notification of residents, families and staff; and twice-daily screening of staff and residents.

Thain said the support has fallen short of meeting the isolated residents乌鸦传媒� needs, noting her mother went three weeks without a hair wash before a medical exemption that enabled her to have baths was granted.

McNaughton agreed the past six weeks have been difficult.

乌鸦传媒淩esidents in quarantine is not good,乌鸦传媒� he said. 乌鸦传媒淭he virus is one thing, but the boredom and loneliness is another.乌鸦传媒�

He said the residents乌鸦传媒� doors were left open and that staff in full PPE (personal protective equipment) were in and out of the rooms frequently. He noted that Thain乌鸦传媒檚 mother had been taken for some short one-on-one walks, however, inclement weather of recent weeks has stymied that.

The Fraser Health staffing support was appreciated, McNaughton added, but not enough. Overtime at the residence has been four times what it normally is, and 乌鸦传媒渙ur staff are exhausted.乌鸦传媒� He noted that no staff were displaced due to being unvaccinated, however, booster shots for the residents arrived later than expected 乌鸦传媒� delivered in the midst of the outbreak, rather than in August.

Thain reiterated that her criticisms are not directed at the facility itself; that her main focus is to advocate for her mom and the other residents.

But so far, those efforts have been to no avail. In addition to Fraser Health and Westminster House officials, she乌鸦传媒檚 connected with the office of the seniors乌鸦传媒� advocate and Surrey-White Rock MLA Trevor Halford.

乌鸦传媒淚t just doesn乌鸦传媒檛 seem like anyone can help,乌鸦传媒� she said.

乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 heartbreaking that while the Canucks are going to have a full arena tonight (Oct. 26), and yet my mom who乌鸦传媒檚 triple-vaccinated is not able to get out of her room in a nursing home.乌鸦传媒�