Baywoods Place long-term care home ordered to improve COVID outbreak response
A Hamilton associate medical officer of health has issued a sweeping order to Baywoods Place, where 38 have been infected with COVID-19 and two seniors have died in an outbreak at the long-term care home.
It is the third seniors' home with a large ongoing outbreak to be issued an order - the other two are Chartwell Willowgrove in Ancaster on Nov. 17 and Hamilton Continuing Care at 125 Wentworth St. S. on Nov. 21.
The order issued Nov. 23 cites multiple breaches in infection prevention and control measures impacting on the ability to respond" to the outbreak that were found during on-site audits from Nov. 10 to Nov. 18 at the home owned by Revera at 330 Main St. E.
The breaches include inadequate screening of residents, staff or essential visitors; inadequate staff training on the use and reprocessing of personal protective equipment (PPE); inadequate hand hygiene education; lack of auditing handwashing practices; inadequate compliance with physical distancing in staff area; and an inadequate plan for enhanced environmental cleaning.
Revera is not in agreement with the order issued by Hamilton public health," spokesperson Larry Roberts said in a statement. We will be working with Hamilton public health and the Ministry of Long-Term Care to resolve the issue. We are very proud of the work our team at Baywoods Place is doing to care for our residents and to protect our residents and staff from COVID-19."
In the order, Dr. Ninh Tran, an associate medical officer of health, said it was issued because of evidence of spread throughout the entire facility."
He notes, inadequate control measures" and says the requirements are necessary in order to decrease or eliminate the risk to health."
Under the order, Revera must immediately implement active screening of all staff, essential visitors and anyone else" entering the home. Baywoods must document staff being screened at the beginning and end of their shifts, and those with symptoms need to go for assessment and testing.
Revera has to keep a list of all who visit, screen residents at the beginning and end of the day, and document it.
The staff members who undertake this screening must be identified and trained," states the order. Any symptoms have to be reported immediately and discussed with public health in terms of urgent need for COVID-19 testing."
A stock of PPE including surgical masks, eye protection, gloves and gowns must be maintained by Revera.
Such PPE stock should be sufficient to ensure at least a minimum of seven-day supply and must be made available for staff in accordance with current recommendations."
In addition, Revera must sufficiently train staff on appropriate use of PPE, hand hygiene and have a process for auditing compliance.
Revera has been ordered to have an improved written facility outbreak plan" that includes isolating and cohorting ill residents to limit their physical interactions with other residents and staff." All group activities must be cancelled.
The plan must detail a process for timely communication" with family physicians when residents are deteriorating," as well as regular communication with families.
A written plan is also required for enhanced environmental cleaning" including necessary staffing and frequency.
The operator must provide and maintain an adequate supply of appropriate cleaning and hospital-grade disinfection products in the facility at all times."
Joanna Frketich is a Hamilton-based reporter covering health for The Spectator. Reach her via email: jfrketich@thespec.com